The Covington leader. (Covington, Tenn.) 18??-current, 1922-08-03
First story Of Progress Of Gowen
Party in Globe CirCIing
Trip in Yacht.
ENJOYED THEIR LONG PULL
Eastern Queen TOws Yacht From Pa
mama to Teokea-captain swsnsen's
Last View Of Spsejacks Party
Was in Harhor at Sydney.


around the world. For eight months
Albert Y. GOwen, Chicago business
man and owner of the Speejacks, has
been pushing the prov of his 9S-fcot
yacht through South Pacific waters,
and except for brief bulletin sent six
weeks ago from Ralaul, New Britain,
to the ship construction company
which built this craft, nothing has been
heard of this second Cruise Of the
Shark"
Last week, however the S, S. East
ern Queen locked at Baltimore, and
her captain, N. A. Swensen, came on
to New York with his story of the
Speejacks, the first story Of the ad-
yenturers. For Captain Swensen towed
the Speejaclls behind the Eastern
Queen more than 1900 miles, from
Panama to Teokea, and later saw the
Gowen party on their sturdy craft in
Sydney, Australia, before the adven-
turers left that port for Java and
Borneo.
Captain Swensen was with the Spec
jacks ON one of the most interesting
parts of her voyage, her longest jump
from land to land, and he tells stor5
Of the trip from Panama to TeOkea,
When Mr.. Gowen prepared to leave
New York last August his boat, spe-
eially built for the voyage, was ex-
pected to proceed under her own power
all the way, trayersing the globe just
south Of the Equator Her cruising
range, however, was limited to 5000
miles, and in order to make the first
lap of the trip from Panama to the
MarQuesas islands without mishap and
with a saving of fuel, Mr.. Gowen con
traeted with the United States ship
ping board to be towed to Teokea by
the first shipping board boat which
made the trip. The Eastern Queen,
bound for Sydney, Australia, was dele
gated to the task.
1.-THE last we saw of the Speejacks,"
said Captain Swensen twas shortly
after Christmas-the 9th or the 2Sth.
She was in Neutral harbOr, Sydney,
where the Go~ens spent Christina,
and we were all invited over to see
them. They were then in high spirits
and anxious to get along into the is
lands and heading west.
En- Tour.
"We left New York on September is
with light cargo. Headed down the
coast and went through the canal on
the 28th, laying to alongside the Spec
jacks the next day, just off Balboa,
There we put a line on her, putting
an eight-inch hawser around her from
stem to stern and back to stem to re-
lieve the strain on her hawse pipes.
We fastened her behind the Eastern
Queen with 800 fathoms of eight-inch
manila hawser, tying to the halter we
had around her. Then we were off for
Teokea and Tahiti.
"We'd been out two days and the
weather was holding fine. The Spec
jacks was bobbinG along behind us like
a big cork on the end of a string But
/ knew from the strain she was exert
ing that il we hit any wind and
weather the Speejacks was going to
play havoc with that eight-inch hawser.
So we hove to and put in a day chang
ing the eight-inch hawsef for ten
inch.
I'VE got the big hawser out on deck
and put one end overheard. Then we
lowered a boat, which took charge Of
the loose end of the hawser. The small
boat then rowed toward the Speejacks
while we paved out hawser and slowly
proceeded, pulling the Speejacks and
leaving the small boat behind There
were lots of sharks Ia that water, and
If the men in the boat had slipped up
anywhere they would have capsized In
to the midst of them. But they didn't.
"We got the big hawser aboard the
Speejacks, made new bride for It,
and then took off the eight-inch haw-
Ser-and there we were, all ready for
anything, with 300 fathoms Of ten-inch |
hawser instead of the lighter line.
Luckily we did not strike any bad
weather during the whole 1920 miles |
Every day of the trip we could see
the crew on deck of the Speeiacks,
keeping things in shape and enjoying
their long pull Mrs. Gowen was often
seen on the deck supervising things,
and when we visited the yacht she was
always having the time Of her life, SO
she said, keeping her house tidy and
looking after her boys At night they
always had big time aboard the
Speejacks. They have big phono-
graph, you know, and their wireless
man broadcasted concerts to us"
The Speejacks is equipped with wire
less apparatus capable of sending
about 1000 miles and with an unllm-
tied receiving range. After she left
the Eastern Queen at Teokea she sent
several messages to Captain Swepsen,
telling him Of her location and her
progress.
Reported "Lost."
"one funny little incident" said the
captain. came on October Z, while we
were in the middle of the Pacific. We
picked up message one night telling
how search was being instituted for
the Speeiacks which had been re-
You'll find It in the want ads.