Middletown transcript., 1921-09-03


Ovation on Arrival in Port-Douos
Cast on Record Claimed for the
preadnoueht-other Famous Voy-
ages.
Much testimony has been offered OK
late to show that the New York clip
per ship Dreadnought never made the
run credited to her by some writer's
8 days and II hours from Sandy
Hook lightship to Daunts ROCK,
Queenstown, but there is little need OF
evidence or argument on that Ques-
ton, for few who know much OF ships
and the sea have ever believed that
the famous clipper sailed that fast.
While they are at it, however, the
sea sharps might as well tell who did
make the transatlantic, or New YORK;
Liverpool record, if Captain Samuels
didn't. Downeasters are inclined to
award the great distinction to the clip
per Red Jacket, built at Rockland. Me-,
in the fifties. The Red Jacket has
well-attested record of 13 days l hour
and 25 minutes from Sandy Hook
lightship to Liverpool pier head, and 1t
is not recalled that anything faster has
been claimed for sailing vessel.
LiverpooIians Excited.
It Is related that the Collins line
steamer, which left New York day
Of two after the Red Jacket, arrived ip
Liverpool one Sunday afternoon and
brought the news that the Yankee clip
per was just astern. Those were
sporting days in the clipper service
and there was as much interest In the
performance of fast ships as there now
ia in any other time records, big
money often being wagered on sailing
contests.
When the news~-spread along the
Liverpool harbOr front the people
rushed in thousands to the docks, and
every pier was black with the specta-
tors awaiting the arrival Of the new
sea racer. Outside the port tugs had
offered to tow the clipper, but the ship
was going so fast that they couldn't
keep the hawsers taut, and so had to
give it up. The Red Jacket swept into
The Mersey with everything drawing,
presenting spectacle that brought
cheers from the assembled multitudeS.
Then, as tugs came alongside to dock
her, the ships master gave all hands
q thrill they had least expected-he
ignored the tugs, and, throwing the
Red Jacket up into the wind, actually
backed her alongside the pies, while
the crew took in sail with a celerity
that seemed like magic to the spec
tators.
The Red jacket was ship Of about
$500 tons, old measurement; had
very long floor, like Penobscot river
| lumberman's batteau, and could carry
tremendous spread and also point
high She carried as figurehead the
| image of the Indian chief Red Jacket
artistically carved from log Of pump
kin pine She prospered finely IN the
| clipper service, was later sold to Eng
nsh account and sailed in the Austria
lian trade, and at last accounts, aftel
some years of carrying lumber from
the St. Lawrence to the United King
dom. was dismantled and used as
coal hulk at Malta.
The Dreadnoughts Run.
In some records the Dreadnought Ii
credited with a run Of 13 days anC
eight hours from New York to Liver
pool, and it is we'll authenticated tina
she ran from Honolulu to New BED
ford, 13,47O miles, in 81 days. Sh'
was built at Newburyport, Mass, II
1853 by William Currier and james
r. Townsend to the order of Gov. e.
Morgan, Captain Samuels Of Brooklyn
her first master, and others. Her FAM
was as wide as the seas and she sool
acquired the name Of a racer-"th'
wild ship Of the Atlantic" sailors use'
70 call her. She carried on her fore
sail fiery red cross by which sh
. was easily identified at sea. She wa
200 feet between perpendiculars. II
feet on deck, 40 feet beam, 70 Zee
depth of hold; gross tonnage, 1,44S
net, 1927. Strictly speaking she wa
only a half clipper, but her unusua
beam gave her the ability to stand VI
under a press of sail that would sen
a full clipper plowing under. She wa
lost on July 4, 1869, while on q voyag
! from Liverpool to San Francisco, bt
ing piled up on Cape Penas, to tn
northeastward of TERRA del Fuego. A
that time she was commanded by Cal
tain Mayhem.
, The ship Andrew Jackson OF Bosto
f sailed from New York to San Frar
cisco in 80 days and four hours; tn
Northern Light of Boston sailed HON
! from San Francisco In 76 days an
. eight hours; the North Wind Of Me-
r York from England to Port Phil
e head, Australia, 12,5OO miles, In
n days; the Young America Of New Yor
y from Liverpool to San Francisco, Is
= 600 miles in 90 days; the Euterpe
Rockland, Me- from New York
j. Calcutta, 1850 miles, in 78 days; II
il Richard Busteed of Boston from Sy'
ney, N. S. w., to Calcutta, $500 mile
in AZ days, and the bark Ocean Tel
!. graph Of Boston home from Gala
D,e7O miles, in So days.
:. In 1851 the Sovereign Of the Set
# sailed from New York to San Fra
r~yAH '