The St. Charles herald., 1922-07-22
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 Swensen's
Last View Of speejacks Party
Was in Harbor at Sydney.

New York.-The first story Of the
1Speejacks has come to the port from
which she sailed last August on the
first leg Of her 5O,OOO-mile voyage
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-foot
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 docked 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-
venturers. For Captain Swensen towed
the Speejacks behind the Eastern
Queen more than 1000 miles, from
Panama to Teokea, and later saw the
Gowen party on their sturdy craft in
Sydney, Australia, before the adven-
furers 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 story
esof the trip from Panama to Teokea.
When Mr.. Gowen prepared to leave
New York last August his boat, spe-
@cfally built for the voyage. was ex-
j pected to proceed under her own power
: all the way, traversing 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
Marouesas islands without mishap and
witha saving Of fuel, Mr.. Gowen con-
tractad with the United States ship
ming Board to be towed to Teokea BY
the first shipping board boat which
made Che trip. The Eastern Queen,
bound for Sydney, Australia, was dele
gated to the task.
'.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 Gowens spent Christmas,
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.
IA eve left New York on September 16
With a light cargo. Headed down the
coast and went through the canal on
the 28th, laying to alongside the Spec
lacks the next day, just of Balboa
there we put line on her, putting
an eight-inch hawser around her from
sfem to stern and back to stem to re.
1ieye the strain on her hawse pipes
We fastened her behind the Eastern
Queen with 800 fathoms of eight-inci
manila hawser, tying to the halter W.
had around her. Then we were on FOL
Teokea and Tahiti.
AWe'd been out two days and ths
weother was holding fine. The Spec
7acks was bobbing along behind us lik'
. ,hig cork on the end Of string. Bu
knew from the strain she was exert
ing that IL we hit any wind ant
weather the Speejacks was going Il
nlay havoc with that eight-inch hawser
81 we hove to and put in day chang
ing the eightinch hawser for ten
Inch.
eve got the big hawser out on decl
and nut one end overheard. Then w
lowered boat, which took charge g
tie loose end OF the hawser. The smal
boat then rowed toward the SpeeJack'
while We payed ont hawser and slowi!
nruceedad. pulling the SDeeiacks an