Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-03-17
CAPTAIN WILLIAM R. kREGER, FAIRFIELD
COMMODORE OF ATLANTIC FLEET"
56 YEARS FOLLOWING The SEA

tHeIT way 10 tHe WndrI, Wnefe tney
set sail for Liverpool. Today, Cap
| tain William II. kreger Of SO West
| ern avenue. Fairfield, has completed
Sc years of following the sea.
Little did that tawny haired lad
think. when he babe his playmates
| goodbye that day and walked proud
ly along beside his uncle, that he
| might never return to that place.
| Endeavoring to match his step to
that Of his uncle and swinging his
little pack of worldly goods over his
shoulder, it was a proud day for him.
| His farewells were dimmed by the
tears which he manfully strove to
push back. But the glamour of see
ing the world outshone the sadness
in his heart and that in the hearts Of
his little playmates. Those places
along the Wiper river, where he had
sailed his toy boats and from which
he had once been rescued from
drowning, were nothing compared to
| what he was to see.
| THE Commodore of the Atlantic
| Fleet" as he is called today, is said
to be the oldest sea captain. actively
| engaged, on this side of the Atlantic.
On his first trip from his home
town to Liverpool, William Kreger
1
hard and trying days for the plucky
little German boy. But he stuck to
his job with the tenacity which was
| to characterize his success in later
years. His uncle was a hard master.
| There were no idle moments for lit
| tie William. To make matters even
worse, the boy suffered tortures with
a felon. When the finger, which to-
day bears the scars, was finally oper-
ated upon, the lad slept for days, ex-
hausted by his long suffering. This
was entirely out of accord with the
ideas of the uncle. He mistreated
the lad and had no consideration for
his weakness.
In Liverpool, William and another
| lad plotted to run away from the
ship. They packed what few belong
irgs they possessed and started out
to lose themselves in the city's maze.
| Their first night away from the ship
was never forgotten by William.
They found lodgings in vermin-in
tested house, where at night time, the
wall paper was alive with crawling
| creatures.
1t was a sad awakening for n Ger
man lad, reared in cleanliness and
sweet surroundings. But he doubled
his determination never to return to
his cruel uncle. From that time on,
his life reads like the pages from
some nautical romance.
He and his partner in the runaway
episode parted and it was years later
in New York, that Can't. Kreger met
the man, who was still a follower of
the seas. But he had not met with
the success of the Fairfield man. He
was a Stevedore.
The same year that he ran away
from his German uncle at Liverpool.
William Kreger reached America, the
land of his adoption. Three trips
around the world. one right after the
other, marked his first days of ship
ping out of San Francisco. From
Frisco to Calcutta. then to New
York was the route. 1t meant five
and half months to go around Cape
| Horn in those days. taking II months
in all. back by Cape of Good Hope.
| From Frisco he went to New York.
where he shipped out for number
of years. Following, that he went to
Baltimore. shipping out of there for
Brazil for three years.
\ II was in 1879. that he held his first
position rs first mate. He was ON
the 5. +. Hitchcock. Bath built
schooner with Captain Reed. for
three years. In 1882 he became Cap
tain Of the Norman. another Bath
boat sailing to the West Indies and
carrying cargocS Of lumber. molaSSes
and sugar. From Philadelphia Bait
more and New York. he sailed on
this vessel.
II was an unforgettable occasion in
his life, when he supervised The
building of the Fannie i. Bartlett in
IN, Il, in of -
Bartlett for three or four years. At
that time she was the largest three
master ON the coast.
His next vessel. the Sarah c.
Ropes. built al Bath by -tdamson
ana Hitchcock. was his honeymoon"
craft for il was in 1891 that he mar
ricd Jennie Paulina Flood Of Benton
and took her with him to the West
Indies. Mrs. kregcr was teaching
school in Gardiner and it was there
that he met her but rs Ire lauChingly
explained. she use TO run away
every time I came to town and so l
went up to Benton after her.
! From st. Thomas. West Indies. the
newly welded couple went to Glen
fuegos. Cuba, where they took on n
load of sugar. most appropriate
cargo for the honeymoonCrs. 1t was
|
\ bride enjoyed her cool summer
4 dresses. while cruising the south
ern waters an almost unbe-
levable story to the folks back home
in Benton. who were shivering in
cold winter winds.
ut kicked up so. thought we
would never get around Hatteras,"
Mrs. Kreger said in recalling her
wedding trip. But even though that
was a rough trip, their welded life
is most contented and happy, as their
friends testify.
For eight years. Captain Kreger
steered the sturdy little Maine craft
the Ropes. through foreign waters
and home again. While in this yes
sci Capt. Kreger had his most dan
gerous sea experience.
On Jan. rs, 1898. as the Sarah c.
! Ropes was nearing the harbor of
she was suddenly overtaken by a
companied by terrific gale.
Realizing the danger of the rocky
coast, Capt. Kreger headed off shore
for deep water. The gale increased
every moment and soon the stauneh
craft was being swept fore and aft
by tremendous seas. which washed
away her boats. stripped her deck.
smashed her cabin doors and filled
cabins and engine room with water
so they could not use their pumps.
While all hands were tying up the
jibs four men were swept over
board, three were rescued, one was
lost. Swept from stem to stern by
| such seas, things looked hopeless for