The sun., 1919-02-09

these fleets may be put IN the cate
CORY Of toy ships.
According to Capt. James Moor head, |
who has the distinction Of coming to
this country first as a boy stowaway
aboard the Black Ball packet Daniel
Webster in 1863, and being promptly
sent back again. TO reappear az one
OF the crew OF n British clipper. the
past OF the American sailormen has
been painted in co,ors too roseate.
Maybe some o. the silk hated men OF
he quarter may be responsible for
some OF this tinting. The facts Of the
case are that quarters OF the crews
were frequently badly ventilated. when
ventilated at all: badly lighted and
cramped. and the crews were not by
any means all American: in fact, only
about 10 per cent. were native, bar
ring the officers and sometimes much
less than that.
Packets Every Five Days.
pacliets-meanlng ships carrying pas
sengers-sailed every five days from
the port OF New York. commanded by
men from the finest families on the
coast. but nearly always with crews OF
, mixed nationa.itIes. many OF whom
were frequently shanghaied and often
swindled OF all their v-agcs' FOR the
voyage by boarding ma ~.
The Daniel Webster. capt. Moor
head says, had to take from boarding
masters what the shippers and officers
called packet rats who went over
the rail the moment the ship locked
az Liverpool or New York. and came
, back into the grip OF the shipping
masters again. Some OF them were
ugly. Capt. Moorhead recalls that n
gang OF them. mostly Irish. got peeved
az tho mate, who was a DutChman.
and was trying to heave him over the
rail when Capt. Moorhead, who was
second mate, !nterfered.
The Daniel Webster which Capt
| Moorheed had painted by an old ma
rine artist from description adorns the
wall OF the shippers Office in Dun &
! Co.'S Building. 200 Broadway. She
vas bluff bowed and not fiier. but
! she made trips between New York and
| Liverpool at an average OF about
| thirty days each way. She had a
mixed crew, chiefly foreign born, who
| suos!sted on salt horse and hard tack,
| and her passenger accommodations.
while regarded as quite good in their
time. would be considered worse than
! the Storage OF the best OF the modern
| steamships. She carried about 200
| passengers in wooden hunks and in
rough weather they had n pretty tough
| time OF IT,
Tho sailors OF tJ-day." said Capt.
Moorhead. ARE better treated than the
| officers OF the past We're
Believer .n the Chantcy.
| Gait Moorhead Is a great believer
In the chantey and can sing the best
| in the DAYS when he shipped before
! the mast and later when he was sec
| ond mate and mate OF the american
ship Southampton His crews, he says
| were never on the ropes without q
song. which helped them wonderfully
They sang "Shenandoah' with the
windlass and when hauling on the
! braces had Haul away. Joe" Tho
only excuse they would take from a
man who did not care to sing was the
lack of teeth. The singing OF the
chantey was mandatory.
The ship that Capt. Moorhead likes
the best in hts nautical art gallery is
the Daniel Webster. He quotes from
the old Harrigan song when he tells
OF his first visit TO New York: 81
came here when small from Donegal
in the Daniel Webster I crossed the
sea" But Il was really Liverpool that
he came from, So this Is merely poetic
license.
Tho Daniel Webster usually carried
all her kites going east, and she II
seen with stun'sails bu!ging will
power, and all other canvas to royals
doins splendid work. She was amoni
the first packets TO carry double top
sails and she also had painted ports
maybe to deceive rebel privateers tina
we're then destroying shipping on tn
Atlantic. She was a real y'indjamme
and the skipper Is proud Of his boyisl
experience in her. He finally got her
in a British square rigger and then be
came a sailor In the American mer
chant service, quitting II when 1t be
gan to decline for a borth ashore Wit
Dun a Co.
Too Much sailing by Guess.
The Skipper and other members q
the club cheerfully admit that ther
: was much sailing by tho noble rule G
guess in the old days. They jus
3 headed east or west. as the case re
auired, and went full tilt until the
= got to port. And they did not sail u
Q to the dock, right through the MAI
J, rows. ms some OF the clever shcilback
a Of remote past have been reported dc
3 ing. They regard these stories as ft
8 lions, but they admit that they hav
!. heard OF some fore-and-afters sailin
!. plumb to the pier without boatmen {
. tugs. but that the fee-and-nfter