Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-03-17

CAPI. w. X. NREGER
his Sc years of seafaring. He was
blown off shoie for 33 days by
adverse winds. He at last arrived at
Vineyard Haven and from there
started down the Jersey coast. That
night, the 18th of March, 1901, in
thick southeast snow storm, under
reefed sails, the vessel made more
leeway than he realized and he
| found himself in shoal water.
The order to anchor was given. IT
was not until they heard the break
ers roar that they knew that they
were so near to shore. One anchor
! of the other were tangled.
The boat was beached. She was
pumped out and salvaged and lowed
| back to New York. And here is where
a weird tale Of the sea comes into
| play. An incident which one would
| hardly believe, if they did not have
the reliable information.
The planking on the Palmer was
! torn away in one part. While she
was pounding, the hard Jersey sand
| crammed up in under her planking
and formed such a compact plug for
| the hole, that it lasted all the way
| from the Jersey shore to New York
| harbor. Then, strange as it may
seem, no sooner had the salvaged
ship been locked at New York. then
sank on her side. Again the steam
pumps were put into play and she
was pumped out.
Then came the Addie NJ. Lawrence,
| built in 1902 at Bath for Captain
Kreger. The Addie NJ. Lawrence
was six master as was the Alice
NJ. Lawrence, which was built in
1905. also at Bath and for Captain
kreger and launched Dec. l of that
year.
After the Alice NJ, came the
Edward j. Lawrence, the third YES
sci named after members of the
Lawrence family of Fairfield, built
Tor Capt. kreGer at Bath. The
Edward J. was launched April 2,
1908. This latter was the worlds
second largest six masted schooner.
having gross tonnage of 1850.
The largest cargo of the Edward j.
| was $500 tons
Until tho beginning of the World
War, CAPTAIN Kregcr sailed the
Edward J. Lawrence. With. this
! sturdy schooner he went into the
submarine zone and while vessels
! were going under, all around him,
the Maine craft sailed on. The
| Edward J. was sold to the French
| canadian Steamship Co. 1t was this
schooner which was shot by the
iathe moving picture company as
she sailed out OF Barcelona, Spain,
| ihlo the submarine zone.
| The building of the Jennie Flood
kregor was started in 1918 and the
! ncEt-.oar she was launched at Bel
last. Nc. Captain Krecer has had
! more vessels built for him at Bath
| than any other one sea captain. AS
| time went on. his crafts have been
bulit more and more TO his liking.
MANY neat fortunes have been
rought into Fairfield homes
through buying stock in schooncrs
! manned by the Fairfield captain.
! The Mice VI. Lawrence. alone, paid
! - per GENT of her cost the first
year. Not one of the Captain's
! vessels went five Years without
, paying for themselves. The Kregcr
slips have been good sound invest
m"ntS for the people of Fairfield.
L never saw any ghosts. Those
are only Stories ana Captain
! hfc%er laughed heartily when ouer-
led about the ghost stories which Old
sea salts spin.
/ "Eut | never will forget the time
we played a trick on one of the sail
| ors. The first mate said to me that
! ne was going to have some fun. So
nc mtchCd long hose to the deck
| pipe and placing himself at the other
end of the hose and shouted
through. Let me out of the hold
| The mon heard the mysterious voice
| and were terrified. all claiming that
there was ghost in the hold. That
| was the nearest I ever came to see
ing or hearing a ghost. l have seen
the phosphorous so thick OH the
water in southern seas. that the
! water seemed one mass of fire. He
| laughed at the superstitions sur
rounding black cats and about rats
! leaving the ship.
WAS l ever seasick? Only when
I was cabin boy. But you can
| overcome that in time. Where have
l been in my travels? South Ameri-
ca. East and West Indies. China.
France. Italy, Spain. England-iust
| look through your geography. You
| will find them all there"
He never told you how small .pox
| struck his crew on the way from
| Rio said Mrs. Kreger. one time
when the Captain went into the
OtneT room. lie hasn't told YOU
| how he nursed them all and how the
first mate died of yellow fever in his
| arms"
At one time. young Russian sail
| or on one of Captain Kreger's
! schooners. developed leprosy. 1t was
on the Ropes. The youth, who had
been afflicted for some time with a
! mysterious malady, was taken from
| the ship and placed in an isolation
| institution, where one other leprpsy
patient was awaiting the end.
| His jolly. sunny disposition has
won Captain kreger friends from one
end of the Atlantic seacoast to the
! other and in foreign ports where he
| has landed as well. He has always
| been upright, straightforward and
F! honest in his dealings. His word has
| been as good as gold and his men
have known that they could swear
| by him.
In the home in that little German
! town, to which he has never yet re-
| turned after he left there Sc years
ago.. there are brothers and sisters
who correspond with him. He wants