Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-06-12

By GEORGE NOx MCCAIN

= = since he was n newspaper worker
in Philadelphia, Ralph d. Paine is still
remembered by the older generation of
the craft.
Some of the most charming products
Of his pen and imagination have been
his sea stories. although latterly he has
been devoting his talent to tales Of uni.
versity life and the doings Of college
comedians.
Paine always went in for the real
stuff. I recall how. years ago, he
spent n week with the Philadelphia fire
company whose house is on Tenth street
above Market, so that he might ade.
quately describe the life of Philadel-
phia fireman.
When he abandoned his journalistic
career to take up magazine aud book
work as a serious occupation he chose
the sea. with its tragedy and romance,
as his field of effort.
He moved to Salem, Mass, settled
down among the seafaring folk, with
the result that some of the most de-
lightful sea stories, redolent of the
salty tang of the waste of waters, were
based on first hand information and the
"reminiscences of generation of sea-
farers that is rapidly passing away.
THERE has been another Philadel-
= phian who, in the prosaic humdrum
e h,,g Ifa has lnnAn az ra fnl N ~
equal interest in the vanishing fleets
Of sailing craft that have gone down
to the sea never to return.
George +. Sproule, and I have men
toned the fact before, stands pre- emf
nent today as the unofficial chronicler
of day that is gone.
The distant day of the clipper ship,
and all the miscellaneous canvass
crowned craft and American lime
ulcers that sailed into the sunrise, and
westward into the dim Orient, in search
of cargoes that brought gold to the
counting houses of Philadelphia ship
owners.
With this introduction as a fam
fare of trumpets announces the ap-
proach of u pageant, or the rising Of
the asbestos curtain precedes the play,
let Mr.. Sproule tell the story of ship
that was and Is not.
sT YING broadSide on the New Jersey
- sands near Corson's Inlet Life
Saving Station, with her six foot mark
ing showing forward, are the remains of
one of Americas once famous clipper
ships. the George II. Skolneld, which
was sold twenty one years ago and cut
down into barge for service between
here and English ports.
II noticed the hull and lower masts of
this vessel when proceeding down the
coast from Ocean City on Sunday last.
1t was low tide, so / went close along
side and was invited by the caretaker to
come on board.
Thirty years ago this craft was one
of the famous feet of deep water
ships and, if my memory serves me
right, has to her credit a record of
many fast trips around Cape Horn.
"On going aboard things appeared a
bit upset. The port anchor cable was
coiled out on deck and the hawsers and
old pieces of sails thrown here and
there.
Her decks, contrary to what would
have been the case had she remained a
ship, were painted and were peelins
off, exposing bare places on the once
snow white holystoned planks.
STUST here, I recollcCt the story of
= how the skipper, to eliminate from
the once white decks the bloodstains
from the body Of a sailor who had fallen
from aloft. had two planks removed and
replaced by others.
Memory carried me back to her last
trip here from Honolulu with sugar, ant
the beautiful sight she presented wher
being warped into the sugar house piel
on a hot day in August, 1900! She was
consigned to the old firm of Darrah &
Elwell, since disbandcd. Thus she end
ed her career as a ship, for. after dis
charging, she was sold and cut down into
barge.
American ships at that time coulc
be no longer operated at a profit. Cas-,
oil was being carried to the Far East a
ten cents. compared with So paid within
the last two years.
HuER after cabin, although Uttered
IL with rubbish, retained many evi
dences of the palmy days when Captain
lC. s. Dunning commanded her. Hi
private room and bath were intact, AM
even the medicine chest was left as whel
the old square riggcr was shorn of he
top. topgallnnt masts and bowsprit.
II noticed she was humping heavil
on the sand, the wind being from tn
eastward, but her stalwart frame thu
far has deficd the elements.
"The SkoIfeld. with two other barges
was being towed from Boston to T'hila
delphia on February last She broll
adrift from the tug and was drive
through the breakers ashore, where sh
I now lies.
"IIer Caretaker told me he had pur
chased the wreck for $1,000 and ha
Just sold it for $4,000. The new owner
will endeavor to get her afoat.