The sun., 1919-02-09
Expansion of Merchant Marine Brings
Important Organization Into Being
and Re ives Sea Yarns
BY SAMUEL A. WOOD.

old street that the ancient
- Dutch folk OF this town
created as a merc cow track is an or
eanization with ii mighty short past
but magnificent future. according to
the 800 young and old shippers that
make up its membership. 1t Is the
shipmas;ers Club OF New York. to give
II It's complete title. and il occupies an
oblong room that soon will be too re-
sricted for its expanding membership
and interests on the ground floor OF 81
Pear street.
Some OF lis old time naN.satois who
have been years out OF the game still
suspect that they might be able 10 ne
gotate in a smart fore and after the
sinuosit!es Of the serpentine street IL It
we're flooded without once scraping
the buildings, but the youngsters OF 80
or 40. who form more than half OF the
active membership OF the club, are in
clined to doubt II.
There was no American merchan;
marine in overseas service or the re-
hottest horizon when N November
1918 Eve skippers--Capt. Ben Corning
commanding u Panama Railroad liner:
Capt. Charles II. Knowles. now with
the Morgan liner e. Norte; Capt. Wal
ter \. Pendelton. an old clipper ship
navigator: Capt Whidden A. Harvey
and Capt. Frank W. Irvine--got to-
gether and formed the Shpmasters
Club at an Office at 5.Coent bes slip.
They had hard shedding until the
new merchant marine began to appear
hull down on the rim Of the season
Then ;herc came 4 rush among the
Younger men TO enter the war carry
.cg service Of Uncle Sam, and the
Sh.pmAS;e.s Club began. 20 benefit by
swiftly increased membership.
United for n Great Fleet.
The o.I and young shippers are
united Tor the biggest Yankee mercan-
Tie feet on the seas and believe thai
Their club Will help to bring about tn,
day that tho Stars and Stripes will not
OILY fy in every port but will discover
new ports to wave over. Naturally
than third OF whom viii never more
tread the quarter deck as their daddie,
used to do--have much to say to ont
s-o,her IN The periods when they NEE
in the big room al q Pearl.
Some OF the veterans are not "scien
uhc' as the newer generation OF skip
rers are but they say this did not pre-
ven. them from making port wthou
accident and that they have noticed
that the scientific folk sometimes e
aground in smoky weather, or smasl
Or reefs or rocks in stress just like tn
rp'e-'o-,humo man sometimes did.
Tho veterans that is the rule-'o
mnmb navigators- are willing to ad
' MI: that they were guiltless OF gram
circle sailing; that they had ever
hAarl ~ shippers on the western
o'c17 Who paid little or no attention
10 caronomcters. getting along witt
little more than the equipment OF Cap,
Christopher Columbus, and never los
!hs a ship. One Of this sort once he'll
~ scientific old timer in mldoceal
o. Displaying his ensign union dow
and then Lad the audac!ty to ask 70
MS position. The indignant navigate
RESPONDED warmly: Drink less rur
ana hIy chrOuOmeter, damn you,
az Sale! seTenely on his course.
There are some Illusions that vet
earS = the Shipmasters Club shatte
ABOUT the pristine glorlcs OF the oil
PACKETS and clippers. just before an
'i'er the civil war Ships with stun
'ai'N and skysails and even moonsail
p''.yinZ on toothpick poles. adorn IN
walls OF the club and suggest the fear
some perlls of making and furling sa
NJ Inc old days.
"Her touId larry Oue'
Those gallant square riggers wer
no' big as ships go nowadays; for II
stance, the New York clipper DREAD
"o1sht, celebrated In sea song. with
record OF . days and II hours
queenstown from Sandy Hook. migf
oe slowed away on the deck Of moe
'A mammoth twin screw or quadrup
Grew, turbine. The Old skippers wi
"iI Won that she transported TO Live
pool What were considered great cal
soss In her day, but the younger one
VIII tsll you that that day. with its trt
atlons more or less fanciful, has val
's"en never TO return. and that tho!
."soes were about one-tenth. or les
man the quantity OF goods borne by
MODERN colossus that spans the san
sea space with the regularity OF II
"presses OF a well managed railroa
Both the olda6gllows and the youn
many OF whom, are employed by II