Catoctin clarion., 1920-12-30
45,472 MILES
ON ONE VOYAGE
OF BIG THRILLS
The President Grant, Army
Transport, Back IN Brooklyn
After Nine Months.
SAILED IN: MANY CHIMES
Encountered Fire. Storms, Death,
Birth, and Strange Adventures In
Trepies-ExperIenesd Every
Danger Known to Sea.


New York.-Shore-staying people
who sadly wag their heads and say
that the romance and adventure Of the
seas went out with the clipper ships
had better not express their views In
the presence of any Of the officers or
men OF the army transport President
Grant.
For the President Grant, with her
bottom full of barnacles and her sides
coated with green moss. recently tied
up at Pier 2. Army Base, Brooklyn.
after nine month voyage Of some
46.472 sea miles, In which all hands
from Capt. John Chambers to the
smallest Of the Filipino boys got all
the adventure they desired, and then
some. And Capt. Chambers may be
said to be good Judge Of adventure,
for at 10 he went to sea In a clipper
ship. sailed around the world at 10
as bosom Of another sailing ship. and
has seen many strange things and
tight squeaks In forty years at sea.
1t would be impossible to sum ND
the doings Of the President Grant and
her men on the long voyage, equal
TO almost twice the distance around
the globe. but they went through fire,
storm. sudden death. births, arctic
cold and tropic heat. men overheard.
parties. fights. black nights, typhoons,
CLASSY seas and rescue at sea.
or for Viadivostok.
All Of this started very prosaically-
TO the men of sea-when the President
Grant warped out of her pier at Hobo.
ken on the afternoon of February
last bound for Vladivostok, the Rus
sian port on the Japan sea. There
were 365 officers and men on board, In.
cluding 20 officers and men of the
army, most of whom were of the medi-
cal corps. The former liner is vessel
Of 1902 tons and Is 500 feet long.
Before the ship was half way across
the Pacific the officers and crew were
to be thankful for every ton Of weight
and every foot Of length, but this Is
anticipating the story. Captain Cham
bers was on the bridge, the chief off,
Ger, 81. l.. Jones, was busy straighten-
Ing things out all over the ship for q
long voyage, and down In the engine
room Chief Engineer A. e. Brock was
grooming his 1880 horsepower engines
for the long and trying task ahead Of
him.
Just by way Of showing that a sail
or's life Is not always as perfect as
pictured. Chief Officer Jones was leav-
Ing behind his bride of one month.
He was happy that he had the noun.
tain Of work that falls to the execu-
tive officer Of ship to take his mind
OFF his. troubles.
The primary purpose Of the voyage
was to transport Czecho- Sloyak troops
from Vladivostok to Trieste, Italy,
after their long. hard Russian cam
paign. The ship was not idling on her
way over. however, for she had slowed.
away In her after holds 5000 tons Of
steel rails. beams and plates. which
she was carrying for the shipping
board to Japanese ports.
Fine weather and smooth seas at
tended the first leg Of the passage,
down the American coast to Colon, at
the entrance of the Panama Canal.
The port was reached after q run Of
eight days, and the big locomotives
pulled the ship through the locks and
out the other side In seven hours and
twelve minutes. Eleven days and
eleven hours more Of steaming at the
ships regular gait, which was almost
always between eleven and twelve
knots. brought her through the Golden
Gate at San Francisco on Washing
tons birthday, February %.
Two Men Die In Fire.
After ave days here to take on coal
and supplies the President Grant
out ON the Pacific crossing.
She swung out northward toward
colder climes on the northern great
circle route. Before she sighted land
she encountered three very heavy gales
during which from ships all about
her she heard profane radio comments
On the weather which was forcing
them to lie to or steam Off their
courses The President Grant, how
ever, was Q liner and she kept right
ahead on her eleven knot speed re-
gardless Of the big swells of the mis-
named Pacific. Twice she halted for
short periods for Chief Engineer
Brooks men to make repairs In the
engine room.
While far from land a fire. one Of
hose mysterious conflagrations which
break out occasionally at sea. devel-
oped in hold No. 1. forward. There
was only q quantity of life preservers
IN this hold. but the dense smoke that
,illoweti out made things look bad. In
ightiug this fire Boson's Mate Edison
was srfocated In the hold. Ordinary
Seaman Ray went down through the
choking fumes In gallant effort to
,aye him. Both men were stified to
ieath. The hold was flooded and the
voyage resumed.
Chance to See Strange Cities.
On March IL the President Grant
iropped anchor 10 Yokohama roads,