Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-12-05
Many Narrow Escapes From
Death Reported on $4,000
Mile Cruise SeasiCk We'd
ding Is Unique Incident j

MIAMI, Fla, Dec. 4.-Escorted'
welcoming craft which met her sew
eral miles at sea, the 98-foot motor
cruiser Speejacks, SAID to be the
smallest boat ever to circle the
globe, slid safely up 10 a dock here
at noon Thursday with her party of
Adventures, headed by Albert Y.
Gowan, owner, of Chicago, and end
ed a 35,000-mile voyage which began
at Miami in September, 1921.
At the dock, the world wanderers
received a rousing ovation from half
a hundred friends, most of whom
saw them off on their conquest of
the seas more than a year ago and
later rendered a Thanksgiving ban
quet at a hotel.
Buffeted and tossed by storm and
gale, once a thousand miles from
land with scarcely enough gasoline
to keep one of it's motors running
until it reached a port, the sturdy
little craft showed not a scar on its
hull and not once had it's engines
required more than their everyday
mechanical attention, Mr.. Gowan
declared. And, save for many Sleep
less nights in churning seas, when
it was practically impossible to stay
in bunk, every member Of the
original party of eleven, returned
none the worse for their experiences.
Never Again
II wouldn't take five million dol
lars for the trip, but [ wouldn't
make it again for fifty Millions"
Mr.. GoWan commented.
In the party, besides Mr.. Gowan,
were Mrs. GoWan, Captain F. p.
| Hogg, who in 1916 captained Prince
tons football team; Jack Lewis, who
/ designed and superintended the con-
struction of the boat; Ira J. Ingra-
ham, ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS; Bernard
rogers, OF Chicago, q guest; j. A.
Stirling, assistant engineer and
wireless operator; E. II. Brooke. as
sistant engineer and movie photogra-
pher; David Williamson, mate and
photographer; William Saulby, stew
ard, and Bert Lindekins, chef.
| The trip was planned more than
two years ago by Mr.. Gowan, who
is vice president of the Portland
| Cement company, but a licensed
navigator as well. 1t was his am
| bltion first to explore hooks and
| crannies Of the world, inlets, riv-
ers and islands never before touched
| except by canoes, and second to
| traverse. the world in a boat less
than hundred feet in length. With
these things in view, he built the
| Speejacks, sparing no expense in
making her the most seaworthy
craft possible. The boat is said to
have cost 100000 and $35, 900 was
expended in outfittfng the party
The Speejaclls weighs Ga tons; she
has two 300-horse power engines
giving her a speed of twelve and a
half knots an hour; she has a II
foot beam and draws only six feet
of water. Her tanks carry enough
gasoline for $500 MILES. For the
trip, a sail to steady her in rough
seas and two machine guns for
! emergency use were carried.
The Voyage
After leaving Miami, the party
| headed for Panama and thence tc
Tahiti. From there Ola TO the Sa
moan islands, Fiji islands, New
Guinia, Australia, Hermit and Ad
miralty islands; Macassar, Bali
Singapore and Sumatra were
touched, visits being made at some
Of them. Then the Tourney was
taken across the Indian ocean fol
1900 miles with a stop at the is
land of Seychelles for gasoline
Through the Red Sea 1000 miles tt