Sea History 129 - Winter 2009-2010

No. 129

NATIONAL MARITIME HISTORICAL SOCIETY

WINTER 2009-10

SEA HISTORÂ¥

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THE ART, LITERATURE, ADVENTURE, LORE & LEARNING OF THE SEA

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SEA HISTORY

No. 129

WINTER 2009-1 0

CONTENTS 10 A Poet's Daughter at Sea, the Wander Bird , by Lesley Lee Francis In 1934, Lesley Frost, a single mother oftwo, gave in to a lifelong yearning to ship out on a deep-sea voyage. Ha ving received an "education by poetry," as her father, poet Robert Frost, called it, verses she'd only known as words p rinted on a page suddenly came to life.

16 D avid D ixon Porter Jr.-A Warrior Uncomfortable with Peace, by William H . White The fledgling US N avy depended on the strong character and bold actions of its officers through three early wars: the Quasi ~r, the Barbary ~rs, and the ~r of 18 12. D avid Porter Jr. served in all three, advancing.from midshipman to commodore. H e thrived in battle, but had difficulty pursuing life ashore in times ofpeace.

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22 The Curious Case of Henry Hudson, by Deirdre O 'Regan At the turn ofthe 17th century, Western Europe was on the move across the oceans seeking a sea route to the Indies. H enry H udson made at least four voyages pursuing this goal: two north and east, and two westerly to North America. It was H udson's 1609 voyage under the D utch flag that took him up the river that would ultimately bear his name and gave the Netherlands a claim to the region. Hudson set sail again in 1610 to find a north west p assage, never to return.

24 Around the Americas, by Deird re O'Regan In 2 009, it is no secret that human activity is negatively affecting the environment of our planet. Yet, to most people, the oceans still look the same as they always have, seeming so vast that it is hard to grasp just how .fragile they are. This year, a small crew on a steel sailboat is circumnavigating both North and South America, the first-ever voyage ofits kind, as a way to help make the rest of us aware of the threats to our waters and what we can do about it.

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30 MARINE ART: The Tramp Steamer, by Ian Marshall Ian Marshall wears quite a few caps-architect, artist, author, historian, and scholar-and employs all ofthese skills in his efforts to share the maritime history ofships, ports, and people in a way few others can match. Taking a look back at the tramp steamer, he finds beauty in some ofthe more unglamorous of vessels going about their business in the most unexceptional way.

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Cover: Ocean Watch enters the Northwest Passage, July 2009

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Photo by D avid Thoreson, Courtesy of Around the Americas.

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The 64-faot Ocean Watch makes its way into the Northwest Passage on the first part of a 25, 000-mile ocean conservation expedition around North and South America. (see pages 24-25 and 2 7)

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DEPARTMENTS 4

D ECK LO G

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L ETTERS

49 CALENDAR

NMH S: A CAUSE

IN MOTION

26 Sea H istory FOR Krns 38 MARI NE ART NEWS

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S HIP NOTES, SEAPO RT & M USEUM N EWS

MARITIME HISTORY ON THE I NTERNET REVIEWS

Sea H istory and the National Maritime Historical Society Sea H istory e-mail: editorial@seahistory. org; NMH S e-mail: nmhs@seahis tory.org; Web sire: www.seahistory.org. Ph: 91 4 737-7878; 800 22 1-NMHS MEMBERSHIP is invired. Afrerguard $ 10,000 ; Benefactor $5,000; Plankowner $2,500; Sponsor $ 1,000; Dono r $500; Parro n $250; Fri end $ I 00; Co ntributo r $75; Fami ly $5 0; Regular $35 .

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SEA HISTORY (iss n 01 46-93 12) is published quarterly by th e Na tional Maritime Histori cal Society, 5 John Wa lsh Blvd., POB 68, Peekski ll NY 10566. Period icals pos tage paid at Peekskill NY I 0566 and add'l maili ng offices.

COPYRIGHT Š 2009 by the National Maritim e Histori cal Society. Tel: 9 14-737-7878.

POSTMAST ER: Send address changes to Sea History, PO Box 68, Peekskill NY 10566.

NATIONAL MARITIME HISTORICAL SOCIETY

DECK LOG The Complexities of our Maritime Heritage

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s I read this iss ue of Sea H isto ry, I was struck, as I often am , by how the m agazine reveals an interdisciplinary approach to our complex relationship with the sea. Al though we are a society with History in our nam e and do present a recorded narrative of past events, we h ave always been about th e heritage, the larger scope of allocated and passed-down culture. May I suggest yo u consider how pervasive this broader interdisciplin ary scope is as you peruse these pages.

Ian M arshall's art presents an illustrated study of the tramp steam er. In creating a m aritime work of an , the knowledge of h ow a ship fun ctioned and the world in which it operated is as critical as is the talent of the artist. Art and history are, thus, interrwined in the heritage they represen t.

Sailors are dependent on the sea, of co urse, and today they recognize the fragility of the ocean's health. Last May, Sailors for the Sea, In c. , sent the 64ft. sailboat, Ocean Watch, on a voyage aro und both No rth and South America to highlight the ecological compon ent of our maritime h eritage, as revealed in "Around the Am ericas" on page 24. Be sure to read about m arine photographer D avid Thoreson, a crewm an on that voyage, who is this issue's marine professional in our "Sea History fo r Kids" section.

This regular feature fo cuses SS Karanja by Ian M arshall . . on one m anne career m each issue. The range of professions we've covered- biologists, archaeologists, historians, artists, ship's offi cers-clearly sh ows the broad range of disciplines that fall under the m aritime h eritage umbrella.

"A Poet's D aughter at Sea" by Lesley Lee Francis, granddaughter of poet Robert Frost, is about her m other's 1934 voyage on the schooner Wander Bird, linking maritime h is tory and sailing and adventure with the poetry it inspires and, likewise, the poem s that inspire us.

With the bicentennial of the War of 18 12 just a few years away, N MHS is active in the m ovem ent to commem orate and interpret the eve nts of that conflict, the war that confirmed America's independence. In William H. W hite's article on Commodore D avid Porter, USN, (1 780-1843) , h e shows h ow the strong perso nalities of som e of our early naval officers and their actions wh en faced with conflict "was undoubtedly one of the m any reasons the fledgling American Navy survived. They wo uld win by audacity, confidence, and co urage." Learning about the individ uals who led us to victory in these conflicts and how they achieved those victo ries are lessons we need to keep forefront in our minds as we forge ah ead in a world still embroiled in global co nflict.

As we continue to delve into the topi cs that fall under the heading Maritime History, we recognize how much more complex they are. C urrent research into the problems we faced in history and ones that we face today shows the criti cal need to evaluate these topics with a more interdisciplinary app roach . As this historical m ethodology evolves, Sea H istory will evolve with it.

-Burchenal Green, President 4

NATIONAL MARITIME HISTORICAL SOCIETY PUBLISH ER'S C IRC LE: Perer Aro n, W illiam H . W hire O FFIC ERS & TRUST E ES: Chairman, Ronald L. O swald; Vice Chairman, R ich ardo R. Lo pes; President, Burch enal G ree n; Vice Presidents, D eirdre O 'Rega n , N ancy Schn aars; Treasurer, H. C. Bowe n Sm ith ; Secretary, Th om as F. Da ly; Trustees, C h arl es B. Anderso n , W alrer R. Brow n, James Can er, David S. Fow ler, V irgin ia Stee le G rub b, Karen Helmerso n, Sreve n W. Jones, Robert Kamm , Richard M . La rrabee, G uy E . C. M aidand, John R. M cDon ald J r. , Jam es J . McN ama ra, W illiam Pinkn ey, Ri cha rd Sca rano, Phili p ].

Sh ap iro, Peter H . Sharp, Howard Slo mi ck, Brad fo rd D. Smirh, Cesare Sa rio, Phi lip J .

W ebster, D an iel W. W halen , W illi am H. W hi te; Chairmen Emeriti, Walter R. Brow n, Alan G. C h oare, G uy E. C. Ma id a nd , C raig A. C. Rey no lds, Howard Slorn ick; President Emeritus, Perer Stan fo rd FOUNDER: Karl Ko rrum (19 17- 1996) OVERSEERS: Chairman, RADM D avid C. Brown ; C live C uss ler, Richard d u M o ulin , Alan D . Hu tchiso n, Jakob Isb randrsen, Gary Jobson , Sir Rob in Knox-Johnston , John Lehman , Wa rren Marr II, Bri an A. McAl lister, Jo hn Srobarr, W illi am G. W inrerer N MHS ADVISORS: Chairman, Melbo urn e Sm ith; D . K. Abbass, George Bass, O swald L. Bren , RADM Joseph F. C allo, Francis ].

D uffy, Jo hn W. Ewa ld , T imothy Foore, W illiam G il kerso n, Th o mas G ill m er, Steven A. H yman, J . Russell Jin ish ian, Hajo Knurrel, G un n ar Lund eberg, Jose ph A. Maggio, C o nrad Mi lster, W il liam G. M ull er, Sruarr Parn es, Lo ri D illard Rech, Nancy Hughes Richardso n, Ben Rogers, Joyce H uber Sm ith

SEA HISTORY EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD: Chairman, T imo thy ]. R unyan ; Nor m a n J . B ro u we r, Ro b e rt B row nin g , W illi am S. D udley, Da ni el Fin am ore, Kevin Foster, Jo hn O din Jensen , Joseph F. Meany, Lisa No rl ing, Ca rl a Rahn Phillips, Walrer Rybka, Q uen tin Snediker, W illiam H . W hite N MH S S TAFF: Ex ecu t iv e Dir ect or , Burchenal G ree n; M embership Director, N an cy Schnaars; M arketing Director, Steve Lovass-Nagy; Communications D irector, Julia C hurch; Accounting, Jill Rom eo; Store Sales & Volunteer Coordinator, Jane Maurice

SEA HISTORY. Editor, D eird re O ' R egan; Advertising Di rector, We nd y Pa gg io rra ; Editor-at-Large, Peter Sta nfo rd

SEA HISTORY 129, WINTER 2009- 10

LETTERS USS Constellation's Launch Under Joshua Humphrey's Watchful Eye The reason Joshua Humphreys was at Baltimore just before USS Constellation's launch was because his difficulties with the launch of the larger frigate United States the preceding May had been from overly steep ways, resulting in a gro unding of the ship as she entered the water. As the Navy's appointed Naval Construcror, he was responsi ble for all technical matters relating ro the design , construction, and launch of the original frigates. (Six weeks later, USS Constitution, another larger frigate, had the opposite problem-she hung up twice before getting afloat! ) I think the author is co rrect in his assessm ent that Thomas Truxtun probably was the cause of the ship's tenderness due to his excess ive ri gging plan. The War Department, whi le it ge nerally so ught to exercise strict enforcement of the builders' draught, stipulated no ri gging/sail plans for the new ships.

A point the author should include, howeve r, is that Stodder a nd T ruxtun team ed up to get the War Secretary's permiss io n to build the ship without the diagonal riders called for by the designer. Neither man seems to have understood that Humphrey's design was for an unusually large fri gate of that rate, one whose length required more internal support. As a result of their omission, Constellation had to be withdrawn from service for a rebui ld before the War of 181 2. As luck wo uld have it, she had yet to return to service when the war broke out, and she ended up inactive for the war. It is importam for a reader ro understand that rhe Navy's building program of 1794 led builders and operators into areas beyond their previous experience, and thus they m ade both good and bad guesses.

COMMANDER TY MARTIN USN (R.ET.) Tryo n, North Carol ina

Teenaged Solo Circumn avigators I was very impressed when I read in the last issue's "Sea History for Kids" section about seventeen-yea r-old Zac Sunderland's safe arrival in California and of his breaking the record for being the yo unges t perso n to solo ci rcumnavigate. I just learned that his yo unger sister Abby, aged sixteen, is abo ut

SEA HISTORY 129, WINTER 2009- 10

A Mariner's Unspoken Duty: SS l-estris NM HS member Larry Wiessmann's letter in issue 128 of Sea H istory reminded me to look in my closet to retrieve a silver platter given to my fat her, Captain Sch uyler F. C umings , mas ter of SS American Shipper, by "H is Britannic M ajesty's Government in the United K in gdom" for his efforts in locating the sinking SS Vestris and sav ing 129 passengers of that vessel. M y father was returning with American Shipper from to embark on her own quest to break that record, a record her brother held on ly for a momh before Great Britain's Mike Perham completed his solo world voyage in a much faster boat. H e is five months yo unger than Zac. Ir appears that, by the New Year, two teenage girls will be at sea competing for the same tide-Australia's Jessica Warson, also sixteen, is expected to put to sea by the end of the month. Some news sto ries hint that Abby Sunderland is rushing to get underway with much less prepara tion time before she gets-get this-too old. Now, I am not so sure about all this. How far will it go? Certainly Zac Sunderland and Mike Perham are to be admired and others should be afforded the sam e opportunity. I just have to wonder how we'll all feel when one of these kids suffers some kind of tragedy. As of this writing, I will not support this extreme sort of pursuit by kids who aren't old enough to drive a car.

MARK TELLER Long Beach, California

C O U RTE SY SC H UYLER F. CUM I NGS

Europe in November of 1928 a nd was ordered not to look for the Vestris by the management of the United Stares Lines, presumably because other ships were in the area and they felt further sea rching would be superfluous and expensive. H e later faced dismissal fo r d isobeying orders.

I was to ld by my mother that his emp loyment was cominued because of the demands of passengers saili ng to Europe they wanted to sail on a sh ip capta ined by him. H e later became rhe M arine

Join Us for a Voyage into History Our seafa rin g heritage comes alive in the pages of Sea Histo1y, from the a ncient ma riners of G reece to Portu guese na viga tors opening up the ocea n world to the heroic efforts of sailors in modern-d ay conflicts. Each issue brin gs new insights and discove ries.

If you love the sea, r ivers,

la kes, and bays-if you appreciate the legacy of those who sail in deep wa ter a nd their workaday craft, then yo u belong with us.

J oin Today !

Ma il in the form below, phone I 800 221-NMHS (6647), or visit us at: www.sea history.org (e-m ail: nmhs@seahistory.org)

Yes, I want to join the Society and receive Sea H istory quarterly. My contribution is enclosed . ($ 17. 50 is for Sea Histo1y; any amount above that is tax ded uctible.) Sign me up as: 0 $50 Fami ly Member D $ 100 Friend D $35 Regular Member 0 $250 Patron O $5 00 Donor Mr./M s.

129

-----------------------~ZIP ______ Retu rn to : National Maritime Historical Society, PO Box 68 , Peekskill NY 10566

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Superintendent of the United States Lines.

My father served in bo th WWI and WWII. As commodore in the US Naval Reserve (a rank resurrected during WWII and since eliminated), during WWII, he commanded co nvoys to England. He never lost a ship (no doubt luck accompanied his skills as a seaman). My dad was one of the last graduates of Fort Schuyler Academy to train on the sailing vessel St. Mary. Seamanship seems to have skipped a generation in my family ... my son, Captain Bruce Cumings, graduated from the US Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, NY, and sailed for several years as a master of "roll on roll off" (RORO) vessels, sailing m any of the routes to Europe that my father sailed, before becoming a pilot at Port Everglades in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

SCHUYLER F. CUMI NGS Wayne, New Jersey Reader Larry Wiessmann requested Vestris manifest information. SS Vestris left New York on 11 November 1928. Usually vessels would be cleared at the US C ustom House on the day of sailing, in this case the Custom House in New York City at the Battery. This gives an important clue for doing any research to locate the ship's manifest. Most newspapers covered the tragedy, nationwide. The photo of the passengers and crew scrambling on the deck of the Vestris was a famous photo and was printed by the Baltimore News as noted (I wrote the article, Sea H istory 122), but most of the big newspapers probably posted a list of all passengers on board and the survivors. Thus, there are two ready sources for investigating this questionthe government and newspapers.

CAPT. HENRY N. HELGESEN

Wilmington, North Carolina A Little More Info, Please In the autumn issue of Sea History, it would have been nice to decipher the cryptic Plimsoll Marks shown with the article "Man and Oceans" (p. 35) for readers. It should also be m entioned that the fortress structure shown in the painting of the Golden Gate Bridge constructio n (p.

25) is Fort Winfield Sco tt, named after the famed 19th-century general . The fort was

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ordinary seaman on the Edmund B. Alexander. I made three trips to Bremerhaven and then went back to school. It was strange to discover that the ship had struck a mine just the year befo re. During my three-plus months at sea, no mention of the mine incident was heard. W e did get an extra $5 a day for so-called mine pay, even tied up to the quay in Germany.

Thanks for a great magazine.

OTTO B ERGGREN

Fort Winfield Scott beneath the Golden Gate Bridge completed in 1861 on a piece ofland commonly known as Fort Point, and the bridge designer made a special bridge section to go over the site to save it. Finally, the article o n David Stodder includes a picture caption that incorrectly states that USS Constellation was the first of six frigates ordered in 1794 to be commissioned; the 44-gun USS United States was launched before Constellation in May 1797.

D ENNIS B. MILLER

Redwood City, California

Vancouver, Washington On page 48 of yo ur last issue, there is an omission that should be corrected. The lighthouse series of stamps, 2009 Gulf Coast Lighthouses, have all been done by the same artist, Howard Koslow of New Jersey.

CAPT. W ESLEY F. B ESSE Toms River, New Jersey r

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From the editor: Samuel Plimsolls origi- [__,,_,,,,.'" ·-···.,.~'°-~'''· · -· · · '""·"·"''···" ·· "~"'",' · ·C··"''~''''""··~ nal load line was a simple circle with a line Erratum through it. With the growing understanding Two errors in the "Of Whales and Teeth'' of how water densities and different seaarticle have surfaced via a colleague whom sons can affect a vessel's stability, additional I thank. Sperm whale teeth have a thick markings have been added over time. layer of cementum on the tooth surface extending from the root and covering the entire tooth, but not enamel. The teeth that have worn-down cementum at their tip likely expose a dense layer of dentin beneath. Also, sperm whales do, upon occasion, show evidence of erupted m axillary teeth , more commonly seen in males than females. They are more m edial than TF = Tropical Fresh Water the maxillary sockets and are unl ikely to F = Fresh Water be the source of the wear pattern found T = Tropical Seawater in some mandibular teeth. Still there may S = Summer Temperate Seawater be others, unseen, imbedded in the sockW = Winter Temperate Seawater et.

Therefore, it is correct to say that the WNA = Winter North Atlantic whale's functional teeth are located in the mandible.

Sea History Made Just for Me Lams ARTHUR NORTON It seems the summer issue of 2009 was West Simsbury, Connecticut written for me. My bride and I left Southhampton in February 1953 aboard the SS We Welcome Your Letters!

United States- this is no t the best tim e to cruise the North Atlantic. The article Please email the editor at: editorial @seahis"The O iler" by Neil Jones really hit home. tory.org or send letters through the USPS While I was a student at Syracuse Uni- to: Editor, Sea History, 7 Timberknoll versity (1947), I managed to sign on as Road, Pocasset, MA 02559 .

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SEA HISTORY 129, WINTER 2009-10

OWNER'S STATEME T Statement filed 9/30/09 required by c:he Act of Aug. 12, 1970, Sec. 3685, Title 39, US Code: Sea Hiscory is published quarterly at 5 John Walsh Blvd., Peekskill NY l 0566; minimum subscription price is $17.50 .

Publisher and edicor-in-chief: None; Edicor is Deirdre E. O'Regan ; owner is National Maritime Hiscorical Society, a non-profit corporation; all are located at 5 John Walsh Blvd ., Peekskill NY 10566. Du ring the 12 months preceding October 2009 c:he average number of (A) copies printed each issue was 25,497; (B) paid and/o r requested circulation was: (I) outside county mail subscri ptions 14,684; (2) in-county subscriptions O; (3) sales thro ugh dealers, carrie rs, counter sales, o th er non-USPS paid distribution 498; (4) ocher classes mailed through USPS 559; (C) coral paid and/or requested ci rculation was 15,741; (D) free distribution by mail, samples, complimentary and other 7,80 I; (E) free distribution outside c:he mails 73 1; (F) coral free distribution was 8,652; (G) cotal distribution 24,393; (H ) copies nor dimibured 1, 104; ([) cotal [of l 5G and HJ 25,497; U) Percentage paid and/or requested circulation 64.6%. The actual numbers for rhe single issue preced ing Occober 2009 are: (A) cotal number prin ted 25,744 ; (B) paid and/or requested circLtlation was: (I) outside-coun ty mail subscrip tions 13,946; (2) in-coun ty subscriptions O; (3) sales thro ugh dealers, carriers, counter sales, ocher non-USPS paid discribution 400; (4) other classes mailed through USPS 505 ; (C) coral paid and/or requested circulation was 14,85 1; (D) free distribution by mail, san1ples, complimentary and ocher 8,435; (E) free distribution outside the mails 1,200; (F) coral free discribution was 9,735; (G) coral discriburion 24,586; (H ) copies not d istributed I, 158; (I) cotal [of I 5G and HJ 25,744; Q) Percentage paid and/or requested circulation 60.5%. I certify that rhe above statements are correct and complete. (signed) Burchenal Green, Executive Direccor, National Maritime Hiscorical Society.

SEA HISTORY 129, WINTER 2009- 10

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NMHS: A CAUSE IN MOTION

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The Mariner's True Character Celebrated at the 2009 NMHS Awards Dinner at the New York Yacht Club ues ts at the N MHS Awards Dinner in New York declared it a rem arkable evening. N MHS advisor Russ Jini shian bro ught original art from his gallery, as did artists Bill Muller and Paul Garnett. In displaying his art, Paul Garnett spoke at length about th e research involved in creating paintings of histo ric ships, fro m learning the specifics of the weather condi tions on the day of the scene depicted, to capturing details of the ship's riggi ng and unifo rms of the sailors.

The US Coast G uard Academy C ho rale's perfor mance, fro m shanties to patriotic anthem s, was enchanting, as always.

Gary Jobson-NMH S overseer, Ame ri ca's yachting commentator, and tactician fro m the 1977 America's C up champion boat Courageous-was on hand to introduce his fo rmer skipper Ted Turner. As a man who has known Turner fo r years and has seen him fi rs thand under some ve ry intense situations, Jobson described Turner as Paul Garnett discusses maritime art with Rick Malkames. "larger than life," a description he lived up to in his keynote presentation. Ted Turner is wel l kn own as a medi a mogul, philanthropist and enviro nmentalist, and this ni ght was receiving th e Society's award in recogni tio n of his vision, dedication, and influence as a pro po nent of America's maritime heritage and for his many accomplishments as a wo rld-renowned yachtsm an. Most of the 1977 championship crew from Courageous were in arrendance to support him.

Yet, Turner didn't speak abo ut the glory days of America's Cup- there were plen ty of other peopl e for that- bu t rather about the significant lessons in charac ter that he had learn ed from sailing. To best represent these traits of loyal ty, fri endship, Ted Turner's personal and thoughtand humili ty, he reci ted from three classic p rovoking keynote presentation was poems, befi tting the occasion addressing a the highlight ofthe evening. historic society.

The awa rds event also provided an opportuni ty fo r the Society to pay tribute Gary Jobson introducing his good friend Ted Turner. to the exemplary efforts of the ferryboat captains who rescued the crew and passengers of the US Airways fligh t 1549 that ditched in the Hudson River o n th at fri gid day las t January 15 th. TI1ese "H eroes on the Hudso n" we re ho no red fo r fulfillin g that ages-old understanding of m ariners to do the righ t thing for their fe llow man, no matter who th ey are o r how they got there, no matter the risk. Wh en these ferryboat captains and their crews rushed to the downed ai rliner immedi ately after it cras hed into the icy ri ver, they exemplified what it means to be a true m ariner, and the Na ti onal Maritime Historical Society was pleased to recognize them fo r their heroic efforts that day.

NMH S Vice Chairman Rick Lo pes produced a moving video with foo tage of the downed plane with passengers standing o n the wings as it drifted with the current and showed interviews of th e captains, their crews, and Arthur Imperatore Sr. , founder and owner of N YWaterway, the fe rryboat company whose boats saved most of those rescued. N MHS trustee John M cDonald stated, "I had wa tched the repo rts o n TV alo ng with everyo ne else, but that video captured the heroism of those men and wo men in a way that was quite remarkable." Ma ny an eye was rearing up as the captains came forward fo r their awards. -Burchenal Green, President

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NMHS Dinner Co-Chairman Daniel Whalen, Chairman Ronald Oswald, NYWaterway Founder Arthur Imperatore Sr., Captain Robert R. O'Brien J r., USCG, Captain of the Port, Sector NY, and D inner Co-Chairman Captain Cesare Sorio congratulate the "H eroes on the H udson. "

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SEA HI STORY 129, WINTER 2009-10

Ways to Contribute to NMHS

by Thomas F. D aly, Trustee, Natio nal Maritime Historical Society

In this difficult economic climate, the generosity of our members is integral for the success of the Society. As a 501 (c)3 not-for profit organization, NMHS is dependent on member support as the foundation on which is built all of our work for the maritime heritage. Both the Board of Trustees and the staff are often asked what tax deductible options are available to best support the Society.

- Burchenal Green, President Please refer to the list below when considering making a gift to the Society.

Outright Gifts Outright contributions, often co nsisting of cash or appreciated securities, are the most direct way of assisting NMHS.

Appreciated Securities A gift of long-term appreciated securities, either publicly traded or from a priva te co mpan y.

Restricted Gifts A donor may choose to des ignate his gift for one or more of the specifi c needs of the Society.

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9

Jl <Poet's <Daugliter at Sea: tlie "Wander <Bird"

by Lesley Lee Francis

I must down to the seas again to the vagrant gypsy life, To the gull's way and the whale's way where the wind's like a whetted knife; And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover, And a quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick's over. (from "Sea Fever" by john Masefield) here is a special bonding with the sea that requires a feel for metaphor, the passion of an enthusiasm disciplined by danger, which calls upon the poetic imagination.

We know that writers such as John Masefield, Henry Thoreau, and Jack London inspired young men to leave everything behind and go to sea-Warwick Tompkins, Irving Johnson, Rockwell Kent, Sterling Hayden, among others. Less is known about the remarkable women who joined the all-male captains and crew on the high seas. In doing so, they broke the gender stereotype in a realm long considered a man's world.

The 1883 pilot schooner Wander Bird, ex-No. 5 Elbe, now beautifully restored and returned to Hamburg, Germany, recently celebrated her 125'h an niversary. Com missioned by the German government, designed by G ustav Junge and built in the H. C. Stulcken shipyard, Wander Bird was launched as No. 5 Elbe on 9 August 1883 and soon joined the fleet of pilot schooners at the mouth of the Elbe River. For the next 41 years, No. 5 Elbe would serve pilots tending clipper ships, whalers, colliers and coasters, ocean liners and the last of the big windjammers. By 1924, she had been abandoned and left to rot in the backwaters ofHamburg, only to be rescued in 1928 and restored by Warwick Tompkins of California.

No. 5 Elbe as a German Pilot Schooner on the River Elbe

children, Ann and Warwick Jr., ages two and fo ur at the time.

They wo uld recruit young adults, most of them college students whose parents paid for their experience, to round out the crew and provide for them a working seagoing adventure, not unlike the many programs available on sail training vessels today.

Despite the omnipresent constraints of gender-especially in the 1930s-Mother was driven less by our modern-day concepts of feminism than by a hunger for adventure-adventure as an expression of romance and poetry. Poetry had been ingrained from an early age on a farm in Derry, New Hampshire, where she lived with her parents, Elinor and Robert Frost, and her younger sisters and brother. Educated at home, she became a keen observer and journalist of her surroundings . She learned early to care for her younger siblings and to assist her often ailing mother.

Mother often spoke of the two strong alternating forces, physical action and contemplation, that dominated her life. Her voyage in Wander Bird was the culmination of years of longing to experience the adventure and dangers of the sea, lured by Longfellow from her inland home in New Hampshire to the sea where her ancestors had landed as seamen: 'Wouldst thou! -so the helmsman answered, 'Learn the secret of the sea?

Only those who brave its dangers Comprehend its mystery!'

(from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's translation ofthe Spanish ballad, "The Secret ofthe Sea" or "The Galley ofCountArnaldos")

My mother, Lesley Frost (1899-1983), the eldest daughter of the American poet Robert Frost, had met and been inspired by two skippers, Irving Johnson and Warwick Tompkins, as well as by their wives, who invited her to participate in what was to be one of her most memorable sea ventures . For six weeks in the summer of 1934, in search of Masefield's "vagrant gypsy life," she would leave her work and family behind and sail aboard the 85-foot pilot schooner Wander Bird. Sailing from Gloucester, Massachusetts, to the Baltic Sea (Gi:iteborg, Sweden), she joined a crew of eightsix men and two women. Capt. Warwick Tompkins owned and operated the yacht, accompanied by his wife Gwen and their two 10

As a thirteen-year-old, Mother got her first taste of ocean voyaging (and seasickness) on a trip across the Atlantic aboard the cargo ship SS Parisian when her family moved to England. There, Robert Frost published his first two books, A Boy's Will (1913) and North of Boston (1914). With the outbreak of World War I, the Frost fami ly ret urned to the United States, settling first in Franconia, New Hampshire, before moving on to Amherst, Massachusetts, where her father held his first academic appointment and began a lifelong association with Amherst College.

After h igh school, Mother studied one year at Wellesley College before working the final months of the war making wooden propellers in Marblehead, Massachusetts. Although she completed another three semesters at Barnard College in New York and another semester at the University of Michigan, she never completed her undergraduate degree. She spent the 1920s pursuing a whirlwind of activities, including jobs in publishing and managing bookstores in New York and Massachusetts. She got a longer exposure to ocean voyaging when she took a job running the bookshop aboard the Cunard liner SS Franconia during its world cruise in 1927. She returned to New York and SEA HISTORY 129, WINTER 2009-10

then Pittsfield, Massachusetts, where she met my father. Their marriage produced two daughters, my sister Elinor and me, but ended in divorce in 1932 . By 1933-34, she was living with women friends in Cambridge, Massachusetts, when she ran into an old friend , Irving Johnson, recently married and the skipper of his own ship Yankee.

Mother first met Irving Johnson years before in Amherst, before her half-formed desires had taken shape and long before he and Warwick Tompkins would make possible her dream ofsailing before the mast. The Frosts had moved to Amherst in 1915, where Mother completed her high school studies. During the summer holidays, Mother remembered spending time with Irving in walks in and around Amherst and his hometown of Hadley. Irving was the yo ungest son of a family of writers who tried to farm a tract of land along the Connecticut River. His two older brothers went on to college, but Irving hated school and everything about it. Strong as an ox, he loved nature and the struggle to master it, but deep inside he wanted to conquer the sea more than the land. He and Mother, it seems, worked each other up into a fever of wanderlust: I am fevered with the sunset, I am fretful with the bay, For the wander-thirst is on me And my soul is in Cathay.

There's a schooner in the offing, With her topsails shot with fire, And my heart has gone aboard her For the Islands of Desire.

I must forth again to-morrow!

With the sunset I must be Hull down on the trail of rapture In the wonder of the Sea.

(from "1he Sea Gipsy" by Richard Hovey) Irving was further inspired by the novels of Jack London: "I didn't know they were novels," he once told an interviewer, "I thought they were real." In his early teens, Irving purchased books about sailing and bodybuilding, or "physical culture," as he called it. By the age of eighteen, he had dropped out of school. "Everything is in books if yo u can find it," he said. "They didn't teach the kinds of things I was interested in at college, so I went to sea."

Still a teenager but determined to make a life at sea, Irving disappeared without saying a word to anyone. He seldom spoke of his plans, so his family didn't worry very much, probably guessing his intentions. Eight months larer they received a postcard from Santiago, Chile, signed by Irving, explaining that he had just come around Cape Horn as a sailor before the mast on a square rigger.

He spent the next ten yea rs "doing the sort of thing that might naturally culminate in the purchase of a deep sea schooner with plans for a world cruise." On the docks of Cherbourgh, in 1931, while looking for a ship in which to work his way home to the States, Irving came across the little sailing ship Wander Bird and its captain, Warwick Tompkins. He signed onboard as mate, and it would be aboard Wander Bird that he would meet his future wife, Electa "Exy" Search.

SEA HISTORY 129, WINTER 2009-10

Lesley Frost with her daughters Elinor and Lesley Lee (seated), 1936 A few years earlier, Warwick Tompkins had met and courted Gwendolyn Bohning Carter of Fort Worth, Texas, in Paris. She had recently graduated from Smith College and was in Paris to study music. Tompkins had landed in Paris after traveling half the globe since his college graduation. He had been to Manila, where he had successfully starred a newspaper, but eventually tiring of that, he shipped aboard a Chinese junk bound for Singapore. By age twenty-three, he assumed his first command. He worked his way to Paris and there tried his hand at journalism and art, actually exhibiting several engraved woodcuts in the Grand Palais. In a relatively short period, he and Gwen were married and living in a Paris garret. The Tompkinses worked to save enough money to purchase Warwick's dream vessel, a pilot schooner. The couple traveled to Hamburg, Germany, birthplace of many fine pilot schooners, where they found abandoned vessels in varying degrees of decay along the waterfront. Under a good amount of accumulated grime, they espied Wandervogel (Wander Bird), the former No. 5 Elbe: neglected and disheveled, but sound. With limited funds, but strong in determination and enthusiasm, Warwick and Gwen purchased the schooner (changing her German name, Wandervogel, to the English Wander Bird) for $1,500, borrowing an additional $ 17,000 towards her restoration. For their voyage back to the United States, the couple, heavily in debt, offered passage and training to young men who, "for a multitude of reasons, are yearning for the sea and its romance and color." Warwick would have to rely on his extensive background in sailing and just plain good luck to help overcome what he realized was "a grim picture of financial difficulties."

11

Captain Warwick Tompkins at the helm of Wander Bird

Mocher described Tompkins as another of chose men, like Johnso n, who made one chink of rhe strength of silence and the forces of nat ure. Although he was "more ruthless than Irving in outlook, less good and gentle-he had his poetic side." He had absolutely no use for modern machinery on a sailing ship. You knew how he felt about ships, although he mighr not be able to say it so well as Robert Bridges: I cannot tell their wonder nor m ake known Magic that once thrilled through me to rhe bone, But all men praise some beaury, tell some tale, Vent a high mood which makes the res t seem pale, Pour their hea rt's blood to flouri sh one green leaf, Follow some Helen for her gift of grief, And fail in what they mean, whate'er they do: You should have seen, man cannot cell yo u The beauty of the ships of char my city.

knew existed-ships under sai l, long passages at sea, bunks, charts, swinging tables and incomprehensible sailing talk.

Afterwards, she returned to Paris to resume her studies in music and art, accompa nied by her mother. Exy became determined to sail in Wander Bird in the fa ll. Wander Bird was to sail from Gloucester to Havre, France, where Capt. Tompkins planned to assemble a new crew and return home by way of Spain, the Canaries, West Indies, and the Bahamas. It took from May to October to overcome obstacles to her plan, mainly her mother.

Accustomed to a life oflu xury in Rochester, New York, Exy's mother dream ed of the day her daughter would marry the right hometown boy, buy the house next door, play a game of bridge every Tuesday and Friday, and listen to a littl e C hopin every Sunday for tea. Her mother was speechless-or almost speechless-at Exy's announcement that she planned to board Wander Bird in Havre. Mrs. Search tried to co nvey to her daughter the terrors of such an undertaking- the horrible people, filth , foul language, and physical discomforts. But within Exya stro nger fire had been ignited than anyone could have guessed. She pur her foor down. So did her mother. Exy shut herself in her hotel room and went on a hunger strike until she won her battle. Although still very much opposed, Mrs. Search did go down to the port in Havre that chilly wet morning to see her daughter off. Seeing the half-dressed, unshaven, bronze-tanned specimens that were to sail with her daughter in Wander Bird, Mrs. Search announced that there was no chance that Exy "co uld have anything to do with these impossible ruffians."

Irving and Exy Johnson aboard Yankee, 1937

(from "Ships" by Robert Bridges) Warwick was a skilled navigator and master m ariner. He pushed Wander Bird to give all she cou ld, cari ng for her with a certain exultant pride and joy. To see the "Old Man" w ith a strong wind on rhe beam and his little ship barreli ng along at ten knots, maneuvering in and out of a narrow harbor entrance, or in a gale that stretched every mental and physical fiber in his body, was to see a man fulfilled in every sense of the word.

In the spring of 1931, Wander Bird was in Boston and the Tompkinses were planning an aut umn voyage to E urope. Gwe n Tompkins received a visit from a college friend, Exy Search , who was taking a break from her studies in Paris to visit home. Exy would later write: I was fascinated by the life the Tompkinses led, sa iling their schooner more th a n half of the year. My sea-going experience a nd knowledge were a perfect zero a nd one weekend aboard, even at anchor, introduced me to things I never 12

SEA HISTORY 129, WINTER 2009- 10

Once she was underway, Exy realized what a nuisance long hair was on a schooner in ugly C hannel wea ther and climbin g wet rigging. Looking for a ship's barber, she was referred to Irving Johnson . Exy noticed that the ship's Mate took an inordin ately long time at the job. Smitten, they soon fell in love. "Beyond this point," Exy noted, "I sh al l only say that it was a perfect cruise for three months."

By the time they reached G lo ucester, Exy and Irving were engaged . Rea lizi ng that she must soon face her fa mily, Exy invited them down from Rochester to participate in a bridge party on the deck of Wander Bird as a means of introduction to her cleanedup suitor. Within a year, she and Irving wed and made plans to purchase a schooner and sail her, like Wander Bird, with a number of yo ung people who could share the expenses and labor of a long cruise. After frustrated efforts in 1933 to buy a boat in H am burg, they settled on a pilot schooner, the Dutch Loodschooner4, which they renamed the Yankee and sa iled for Am erica.

It was shortly after Yankee 's arrival in Gloucester in the summer of 1933 that Mother, who was living in nearby Cam bridge, ran into her old fri end Irving Johnson. He and Exy were frantically prepa ring for their first round-the-world cruise. At the time, Mother was mourning the tragic death of a younger sister and had only recently divorced my father. The Johnsons tried to persuade her to join them . Though she was tempted, my sister and I we re just toddlers at the time, and the voyage was expected to las t eighteen months. "But I have to admit," Mother recalled, "I wept salt rears into the salt sea as we trailed the Yankee down G loucester harbor the day she set sail."

Before leaving on Yankee's first round-the-world cruise, Exy gave Mother an introduction to Warwick and Gwen Tompkins, scheduled to arrive on Wander Bird in the fall. She and Gwen became fast friends and Mo ther once again found herself being enticed with a deep-sea voyage. Mother knew she must cross the Atlantic with Gwen and Warwick or she "would never trust [her] lucky star again! " There, in the Captain's quarters, they wo uld talk of the battles lost and won and the beauty and mys tery of the ships while we heard the whispering of the snow across the decks above, and the sleeping children turning in their bunks at our elbow.

Wander Bird by Frank Vining Smith (1879-1967) The rapidl y growin g friendship between Mother and the skippers' wives, combined with the anticipated charms of life aboard Wander Bird, lent fire and determination to her adventuresome heart. These rwo remarkable wo men, Exy Johnson and Gwen Tompkins-friends since college-seemed to understand the ways of men like Warwick and Irving, who had a passion for both the beauty and the dangers of the sea; still, they knew nothing about sails, sheets a nd halya rds, a pitching deck or seasickness.

They knew even less about the driving ambition of the serious skipper, often requiring harsh discipline at sea. Gwen preferred to maintain the tradi tional role of wife a nd mother, choosing to stay below deck with her chores: reaching her children, securing the supplies, tending to her knitting, sorting the laundry, and helping rhe cook in rhe galley. At times she stood watch to relieve the others for more strenuous wo rk aloft, but she felt no joy as would her husband when Wander Bird was pushing her limits in a roaring gale or taking shortcuts through rocky straits. Warwick and Gwen's daughter, Ann, only a small child at the time, recalls: As I look back on our life at sea, I think my m other was really incredible-among pioneers, brave, even if she preferred evenkeel sailing to pushing ha rd with the lee rail underwater. She let her children climb the rigging and go out on the bowsprit, after all!

Mother decided to join those "adve nturous yo ung women" for .one brief voyage. Having already given up the much longe r voyage with the Johnsons in Yankee a nd having limited her time on Wander Bird to a one-way sail to Sweden, rerur'n ing by steamer, she quick ly arra nged to place my sister a nd me (ages three and five at the time) with friends in Cambridge for the summer of 1934; no less ch allenging was the need to persuade the ship's captain to (left) Gwen Tompkins at the helm with her son "Commodore" (Warwick Tompkins Jr. ) keeping an eye on her course.

SEA HISTORY 129, WINTER 2009-10

13

let her work under him . Warwick didn't think much of women on the whole, still less of them as sailors on the North Atlantic run.

Gwen and Mother wore him down over time and he reluctantly agreed . Gwen wrote Mother just before setting sail : "I'll enjoy having you no end. Warwick w ill just have to bear up under us and w ill probably like it in the end."

Having been home-schooled from a very yo ung age (what her father called "education by poetry" or "education by metaphor"), Mother brought with her a develo ped interest in educating the yo ung. She knew that W arwick and Gwen kept with them at all times their two young children, Warwick, Jr. (nicknamed "Co mmodore"), and Ann (nicknam ed "Queen Ann"), both hardened sa ilors from birth. Ann and Commodore were sea babies w ith such un-babylike playthings as ropes and marlinspikes. Nonetheless, Ann also had a love of Buffy dolls, teddy bea rs, and woolly dogs, and she kept a seagoing nursery

and ring bolts from any spot o n deck. Bruised from ankle to elbow, Mother winced but felt her wou nds were worth it, agreeing with philosopher Thomas Carlyle that" in all true labor, were it but hand labor, there is som ething of divineness."

Mother and her shipmates soon felt bonded to ship and seaas though they had been away for years, as if they had never known that other life of newspapers, cars, crowds, and politics. Whole passages of verse flo oded her mind: from Masefield 's "Dauber," Keats' "Sonnet of the Sea," and Stevenson's ''A. Visit from the Sea." "W e had become a unit in a m atter of hours, understanding each other in silence as in talk, loving Wander Bird with a passionate and jealous love." The ocean voyage more than lived up to Mother's expectations of adventure and danger. Ships passed in the night: Whither, 0 splendid ship, thy white sails crowding, Leaning across the bosom of the urgent West, That fearest nor sea rising, nor sky clouding, Whither away, fair rover, and what thy quest? (from '/l Passer-By" by Robert Bridges) Dense fog met them in the iceberg-infested G reat Banks off Newfoundland. Because an iceberg reflects an echo from some distance, that is what they listened for most anxio usly: Listening lest ice should m ake the note reso und.

She bayed there like a solitary hound Lost in covert. All the watch she bayed.

The fog came closelier down, no answer made.

D enser it grew until the ship was lost.

The elemental hid her. (from "D auber" by john Masefield)

"Commodore" and Ann Tompkins, ages four and six at the time, are seen taking in on the tack of the main topsail. full of toys accumulated in scores of different ports. The children slept in the bunks once used by the Hamburg pilots, while their parents slept in the after cabin . Their father marveled at how easily they adapted to their environment, navigating ladders and the rig with ease and more sure of foot when underway than wh en motionless in port. They were seldom seasick.

Their education started very young. Using the Calvert homeschooling method, Gwen was provided a box of supplies, including pens, pencils, paper, etc. Warwick built them a special desk, addi ng a raised lip to keep supplies from flying off in rough weather. During recess on deck, they might study sea mammals when whales and dolphins were in view. They could identify passing ships by their silhouette, whether battleship or rusty freighter with cranes and cargo booms, or high-sided ocean liners with row upon row of portholes. Their father-captain liked to play hide-and-seek with his children and taught them to play chess and Monopoly.

Once at sea, it fell to the skipper to put his green crew to wo rk, teaching them to hand, reef, and steer. Sails, running rigging, and belaying pins had to be memorized, both where they were located and how they worked. Mother and the other hands had to learn to walk, then run, blindfolded, to the va rious blocks

14

Once clear of Scotland 's Cape Wrath, Warwick sought a record-breaking passage by taking a shortcut along a lee shore when a vicious squall caught them flying too much sail. Warwick ordered all hands-all the men, that is- up the mast. Mother and Gwen were left alone in the wet and roaring blackness to keep the ship's heading into the wind with all four hands on the helm .

Reaching Pentland Firth, Wander Bird was facing one of the most treacherous rip tides in the world. Tompkins pointed his little ship into the narrow, treacherous straits, where the tide gradually slackened , shooting the schooner th rough the straits and into the North Sea. The captain was having the time of his life.

Close to their destination, in the straits between D enmark and Norway, another gale kept Mother and Gwen seasick below.

Staggeri ng on deck, they witnessed a square rigger coming up the Skagerrak under full sail, bathed in the moonlight. Unable to see anyone in the darkness on deck, they heard a cry: "Ahoy! The Leif Erikson, 104 days out of Australia, bound for Mariehamn , Finland. What ship are yo u?" Mother was thrilled. ''All the poetry of the sea poured over me with the next wave," she said .

'Wouldst thou! ' so the helmsm an answered, 'Know the secret of the sea?

O nly those who brave its dangers Comprehend its mys tery!'

For that brief moment, she felt as though she had understood.

,!,

SEA HISTORY 129, WINTER 2009- 10

Lesley Lee Francis is the granddaughter ofRobert Frost. Having retiredfrom the professional staffofthe American Association of University Professors (AAUP) in Washington, DC, she continues teaching and writing. Dr. Francis received her AB degree from Radcliffe CoLLege and her PhD in Romance Languages from Duke University. She became a professor ofSpanish Language, Literature, and history at a number of co Lieges and universities and ran a summer program in Spain. She has Lectured and published extensively on her grandfather; her biographical study, Robert Frost: An Adventure in Poetry, 1900-1918, is available in paperback (Transaction Publishers). Information for this article came from Lesley Frost's unpublished journals, correspondence with Ann Tompkins, and the published works ofElecta Search Johnson.

This article has been dedicated by D r. Francis to her German son-in-Law, Roland Jahn, who visited Wander Bird in H amburg with the author and whose contribution to the content and spirit ofthis account was invaluable.

The Fate of N o. 5 Elbe: Under Capt. Tompkin's command, Wander Bird would complete thirteen rransArlanric crossings, sai l the Mediterranean and the Baltic Seas, double Cape Horn, and sail on to Tah iti. In 1941 in the Pacific, Wander Bird suffe red damages in a severe hurricane, which left the Tompkinses faci ng expensive repairs. With lim ited finances and a failing marriage, the great old skipper sadly tied her up in Sausalito, CA, for the las t rime. Gwen Tompkins continued to live aboard and had a house built on the poop. Wander Bird's cotton sails became paint tarps, her masts were cur down, and the wooden hull grad ually deteriorated, seemingly beyond repair. Gwen worked as a jig-fitter in the Marin shipyards during WWII; she and Warwick were divorced after the war and she eventually sold the ship in 1960. In 1968, Harold and Annalise Sommer undertook the arduo us task, a ten-year ordeal entered into by the Sommers and their friends, of resto ring Wander Bird to her form er glory as one of the last surviving pilot schooners from the great era of wooden ships.

She was chartered to a non-profit foundation in Seattle in the mid-1990s and sold in 2002 to the Sriftung Hamburg Maririm (Hamburg Maritim e Foundation) and rewrned to Germany aboard a freighter. Further restored, including restoring her name back to No. 5 Elbe, she was handed over to th e Freunde des Lorsenschoner No. 5 Elbe. Since 2004, the association has operated the schooner for day, charter, and instructional cruises. As part of Elbe 5's 125 rh anniversary celebrations last yea r, she was moved to her new hom e Elbe 5 sailing with a reefed mainsail in blustery in the H amburg Sandtorhafen (see www.lorsenschoner.de). winds along the Elbe River, 3 October 2009.

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15

David Dixon Porter Jr. A w:tlrrior Uncomfortable with Peace

by W illiam H . W hite

R

emember the film Master and Commander fro m 2003 and the enemy ship (ostensib ly, a privateer) that Jack Aubrey's HMS Surprise chased through the Pacific O cean ? In the m ovie, that ship was French; in actuali ty, it was an American warship and the year was 18 13-not 1805. (It was the opinion of the producer that A meri ca n audi ences mi ght no t embrace root in g fo r th e British in th eir pursuit of a n A m erica n ship, hence the liberty with the real histo ry.) The real history, ruthlessly revised

by H ollywood, was the first incursion into the Pacifi c O cean by an Am erican warship-USS Essex, co mmanded by Captain David Po rter. Po rter and his crew devastated the Bri tish whaling fl eet wo rking the rich fishing grounds fro m the coast of South America to the Far East, sinking and burning many, capturing so me, and generally wreaki ng havoc th ro ughout the broad reaches of the Pacific Ocean . Bu t before we tackle that wo nderful story, let's have a look at what bro ugh t Porter to th at poim in his career.

Bo rn in Boston on 1 February 178 0, David came natu ra lly to a ca reer at sea; his fat her, David Porter Sr., was a cap ta in comma nd ing a variety of vessels du ring t he A m erican Wa r of Ind epe nd e nce, co n ti nu ing his career as a sea captain on m erchant vessels in the yea rs fo llowin g the wa r. D av id sp ent his youth listenin g to hi s fa ther's tales of the sea and ha ngin g about the docks of Bos ton and C ha rles tow n . A t age sixtee n, he accompanied his fat her on a m ercha nt voyage to the Caribbea n in the brig Eliza , where he had his first scrape with Bri tish interes ts. There a re several ve rsions of th is encounter, each culmin atin g in bl oody combat and success fo r the A merican ship. Two are related here.

After the A merican ship arrived in H aiti , Captain John Reynolds of Harriet, a British privateer, visited Porter's merchantm an, accompan ied by a h andfu l ofEnglish sa ilo rs. H e was planning to impress some of the A merican sa ilors. From here on, the ve rsions differ. In one, the American sailo rs, unar med save fo r sto nes, sticks, and so me tools, beat back the British impress party.

The Bri tish rried again, this timearmed with muskets, pistols, and cutlasses; once aga in, the A merican crew sent them packin g. But

16

thi s time, men of both sides were wo unded and some of the British sa ilors killed . In furiated , Reynolds led his team bac k for a thi rd time, determined to recrui t so me of these pugnacious America n seamen, but fo und the ship deserted , not a soul aboa rd. (The acco unt does not revea l exactl y where the crew fl ed to.) In his fr ustratio n and fu ry at being defeated by an un a rm ed bunch of "colonists," Reynolds o rdered the ship tras hed- the canvas and ropes cut to sh reds, and the furniture below des troyed . But he pressed not one A merican sailor.

In another vers io n of th e same story, the senior Po rter o rde rs his heavily armed crew to "repel boarders!" as the British make their first and only atte mpt to board the brig.

Th e British captain and his men laugh at the audacity of th e Am erican m erchant seamen, but, after a sho rt and bloody conflict, are beaten back by Porter's crew. Th e ta les

agree in reporting that several men on both sides we re killed and wounded and that the Bri tish press gang was successfully repulsed.

Fo r the reco rd , the latter version appea rs in the 1847 biography of the junior Porrer a nd seems to have a bit more credibility.

Not qui te as successful in the fo llowi ng yea rs, Po rter was indeed pressed and di d serve-fo r a time-in the Royal Navy, bu t he escaped to return to his native Ameri ca a nd to the business of seafa rin g he h ad grown to love .

Clearly, these events would sh ape the yo ung man's animosity toward the British , animosity wh ich would later m anifest itself during the Wa r of 1812. But there we re mo re events leading up to that wa r that fed h is thirst fo r action , his cou rage, a nd his determination.

In 1798, Porter won a warran t as midshipman in the fledgling American Navy SEA HI STORY 129, WINTER 2009-LO

and found himself aboard rhe A m erican fri gate Constellation in time for the Quasi War w ith France. In February of 1799, he was a midshipman of the foretop in that ship when she encountered the French frigare L'lnsurgente. The ensuing battle was rhe first significa nt ship-to-ship conflict of the wa r, a nd the first opportunity for a yo ung midshipman and future naval captain to prove his menle.

With both ships fully engaged, round shot, chain, and bar shot flew across the decks of Constellatio n and through her ri ggin g. Of course, the Frenchman was taking a bearing at the same time. While the enemy ship was equipped wirh carronades, designed to smas h a n opponent's hull and m as ts at close range, Constellation's armament consisred mostly of long guns, capable of firing twenty-fo ur pound shot well over a mile. Unfortunately, the two ships had closed to the effective range of L'!nsurgente's ca rron ades, allowing the French to fire heavier thirty-two and forty-pound shot into her adversary's hull and rig, causing some potentially disastrous da mage. N ineteen-year-old Midshipman Porter watched as the fore tops'! ya rd took a hit, causing it to splimer and hang from its position on the mast, swinging violently with each roll of the ship. With rhe weakened condition of the standing rigging on the foremast, it was readily apparent to the yo ung man that the swaying ya rd was in danger of bringing down the entire m as t, a n event that would have been disasuous to the American ship, preventing her from m aneuvering out of the range of rhe devasta ting French ca rronades.

Quick as a flash, yo un g Midshipman Poner scampered a loft amid the shoe flyi ng through rhe air and French musket balls aimed at any American who showed himself as a target. H e reached the top and cut loose the damaged tops'! ya rd, lowering ir to the deck and saving the foremasr from being taken down . His acrion allowed Captain TruxtonandFirstLieutenantJohn Rod gers to sail Constellation out of the effective range of L'! nsurgente's carronades, pound the French ship with her longer-range weapons, and cause th e Frenchman's surrender with over seventy dead and wounded.

Following the action and the subsequent French surrender, Porter acco mpanied John Rod gers to the prize to oversee irs

SEA HISTORY 129, WINTER 2009-10

Action between USS Constellation and the French Frigate Llnsurgente, 9 February 1799 being brought to St. Kitts in the company of Constellation. With only eleven A merican sailors aboard, plus all the French prisoners, a storm blew up, giving rhe French the hope of retaking their ship. Porter and two sailors, a rmed with cutlass a nd musket, herded the defeated French sailors into the bowels of their ship, ai med a loaded cannon down the hatch at them, and sa iled rheir prize into St. Kitts to rendezvous with Constellation. Ir was ye t anorher indication that great things we re in the offing for yo un g David Porter.

With the hostilities w ith France still going strong (though wa r was never officia lly declared by either side, hence Quasi War), the newly minted Lieutenant Porter was assigned as seco nd lieutena nt in rhe apdy named Experiment. A far cry from the lofty frigate he had left, his new ship was a rwenty-g un sha llow-draft schooner, designed for close-to-shore work in the West Indies. Ju sr because his new ship was small and lightly a rmed was no reaso n for Porter to withdraw from the limelight, rhough it would not take much imagination for the average person to see hi s next "acco mplishmem " as something closely resembling mutiny.

Experiment, commanded by a Lieurena nt William Maley, was ordered to accompany a small fleet of merchantmen along rhe coast of Haiti, a popular cruising gro und for pirates, priva teers, and other brigands of the sea. When the convoy was attacked by ten pirate vessels, Lieutenant Maley, already unpopular with his men, decided to surrender his ship-and by extension, his convoy-to the pirates wirhout a fight.

Obviously, this ac ti o n was unacce ptable to D avid Porter, who rallied the crew and fought fiercely, beatin g back the pirates and sinking rhree of their ten vessels. After briefly fleeing, the pirates returned quickly to cut out two of the m erch ants from rhe co nvoy and aga in sailed off, this time w ith rheir prizes. Though the ac tion was not a co mplete success, Poner h ad saved most of rhe convoy and his own ship, not to m ention the honor of rhe US Navy. Because of his own disgraceful conduct, Lieutenant Maley chose not to report the incident, thus saving Poner from a possible charge of mutiny. Maley was subsequemly brought down by hi s reputation for drunkenness, ab ras iveness, and cowa rdice, and dismissed from the service.

On his second cruise in Experiment, Porter's commanding officer was Master Commandant C h arles Stewan, a calm and competem officer who would later co mmand several fri gares, including USS Constitution. On I September 1800, Experiment fell in with a French priva teer, D eux Amis, and brought her to surrender. Porter was named prize captain and, with a crew of five Americans, was instructed to bring the French vessel and its forty prisoners to St. Kitts. In what must have struck the yo ung lieutenam as deja vu, the French prisoners thought they might overpower the paltry American crew and retake their ship.

Porter drew a line on the deck, herded the prisoners forward of it, and placed a cannon loaded with grape shot aft of the line.

H e told rhe prisoners that the first m an to cross the line wo uld cause the Am erican 17

sailor srarioned ar rhe gun to fire ir inro rheir midsr. Ir musr have been a rense rime for rhe five Americans, bur Porrer arrived sa fely in Sr. K irts fo ur days larer.

By now, rhe war w ith France was over and the Navy, in a move to rega in fiscal srabi Iiry, began to pur officers ashore. Porrer was invired to remain on active duty as one of only thirty-six lieutenants in the Navy.

His assignment now was in the schooner Enterprize, commanded by Lie utenant Andrew Sterrett, a nd they headed off to the Mediterranean as part of Commodore Da !e's squadron to deal with the Tripolita n corsa irs. Ir was August, 1801. While there, they met a nd defeated a fo urteen-gun xe bec manned by corsa irs. Due to the then-exrant rules of engagement, Sterrett was not allowed to rake a prize, so after disablin g the vessel, he h ad to turn it loose. It proved to be rhe only successful engagement of D ale's squadron and the fleet returned home.

During his second tour in the Mediterranean, Porter served as first lieutenant in USS Chesapeake, a fri gate of thirty-s ix gun s. During a n arrack on Tripoli tan grain vessels, Porter was wo unded in both legs.

Again, his was one of the only actions during Co mmodore Morris's lackluster tour and, fo llowing his recovery, Porter was named

first!ieutenam in USS Philadelphia, rhe illstarred frigate commanded by the equally ill-starred William Ba inbridge.

Edward Preble, his flag flying from USS Constitution, ordered Bainbridge to blockade Tripoli harbor while the squadron awaited the arrival of additional ships en route from the U nited States. C aptain Bainbridge took hi s station , but then, on espying several Tripolitan ships trying to slip out of the ha rbor, he gave chase. After several hours, he realized the futiliry of his effort and turned Philadelphia back to retake her station . O n 31 October 1803 Bainbridge ran hi s sh ip agro und on an outcropping of rock rhar held rhe frigare firm ly in irs gras p.

Every arrempr to refloar rhe vessel, including chopping off her foremast ar the deck and heaving overboard mosr of her battery, proved fruid ess and rhe enemy quickly seized rhe opportuniry to rake rhe sh ip. They attacked w ith their gunboars from every quadrant where th e remaining America n guns could not reach and, reali z in g hi s unforrun a re po sirion , Bainbridge su rrendered his ship.

His crew and officers were raken priso ner a nd, after being paraded rhrough the streers of Tripoli, humiliared by the

Burning of the Frigate Philadelphia in the Harbor ofTripoli, 16 February 1804

by Edward Moran (1829-1901) When First Lieutenant David Porter was being held in capriviry in Norrhern Africa, rhe Tripoliran corsairs refloared his ship, USS Philadelphia, recovered her guns from the seabed, and rowed her into rhe harbor. This, of course, led to the famous acrion in February of 1804 in which Srephen Decarur and a small crew sailed rhe caprured kerch Intrepid into rhe harbor and burned the American frigate to rhe warerline. The news of rhis heroic fear spread quickly, wi nning Decatur promorion to caprain and internarional fame. This and orher stories of the "H eroes of rhe Sailing Navy" can be fo und in pasr issues of Sea H istory (Nos. 110, 11 2, 11 4, and 116). For more informarion on William H . White's books, see the aurhor's biographical statement at the end of rhis arricle on page 20.

NAVAL H !STORI CAL CENTER

18

pop ulace and rheir guards, were marched to a section of the Bashaw's fortress which served as the prison. It would be their home for rhe nexr fifreen m onths. Lieuren ant Porrer hardly sar idle in captivity; he used the time they had and whatever books of a profess io nal nature he could find to reach the Philadelphia's midshipmen navigation, m athem atics, and comportmenr.

Upon the conclusion of the Barbary Wa rs and his repatriation, Porter soon returned to the M edirerranean, this time in command of the schooner Enterprize.

While his ass ignment was relatively dull, one might anticipate that with David Porter involved, something notable would occur.

While Enterprize was in the port at Malta, a drunken British sa il or insulted several American officers. When the m an refu sed to apologi ze, Porter h ad him brought aboard Enterprize a nd flo gged. When the British commandant at Malta got wind of this inci dent, he refused to let Porter and his ship leave the h arbor. Porter paid the m an a visit.

"S ir," he inquired, "are England and the United States at war?"

Naturally, he received a response in the negarive.

"Then , si r, Enterprize will sail as planned . Should the English ships or shore batteries fire on us, we will return fire until defeated, and rhen surrender, jusr as though we were at war."

That night, as promised, Porter got underway, at quarters with every gun loaded and m anned, and sailed out of Malta H arbor. No shots were fired and time relegated the incident to a dusty corner of historical insignifica nce.

Returning to the United States, Porter found himself once again involved in an historical event: th e co urt martial of] a mes Barron, late commander of the American frigate USS Chesapeake, which he had surrendered to a British ship off the Virginia Capes in 1807. Barron was fo und gui lty of "neglecring, on the probability of an engagement, to clear his ship for acrion" by a courr ma rtial board of such lu minaries as John Rodgers, Srephen D ecatur, Ja mes Lawrence, Wi lliam Bainbridge, and, of course, D av id Porter. Wh ile the court martial did lirde to adva nce Porter's career, it did give him the o pportunity to get to know these m en (he had already served

SEA HISTORY 129, WINTER2009-10

with some, most notably Bainbridge) who would later be helpful to his advancement.

(One can not help but wonder at Bainbridge's take on the outcome, given his own recent surrender of an American warship!)

With a short break in his sea duty assignments, the twenty-eight-year old naval officer took the opportunity to court and marry fifteen-year-old Evalina Anderson, daughter of a future congressman from Pennsylva nia. Shortly after their wedding on 10 March 1808, Porter was assigned to take command of the n aval station in New Orleans, a port plagued with rotting gunboats, low morale, yellow fever, and pirates.

I twas no honeymoon for the newly married couple. Compounding his difficulties, Porter's father died during this tour, fo llowed soon after by the senior Porter's caregiver, Eliza beth Farragut-wife of George Farragut, one of the old man's cronies from the Revolution . To show his appreciation for all that the Farraguts had done for his father, Porter unofficially adopted one of the Farraguts' five children, a yo ung lad named David Glasgow Farragut, who would later serve in the Navy and become the first naval officer to rise to the then newly created rank of admiral (1862). As one might expect, Porter made some notable improvem ents in the situation in New Orleans, returning to C hester, Pennsylvania, in 1810 for a brief respite from his duties. Evalina was now pregnant with their second of what would be ten children.

With another war with England looming on the horizon , Porter was promoted to master commandant and given command of the subscription frigate USS Essex in the summer of 1811. The ship h ad just undergone a major overhaul and refit, including the replacement of her battery oflong guns with thirty-two-pounder carronades. Porter complained bitterly to the Navy about this ch ange, recalling, no doubt, his experiences in Constellation and, specifically, how her long guns were a decided advantage over the carronade-equipped L1nsurgente. The hierarchy of the Navy held firm , and, while still not happy, Porter was not about to give up the command of a frigate, especially in light of the fact that the country would soon be at war with England .

In the autumn of 1812, following Constitution's acclaimed victory over HMS Guerriere (August 18 12) and Decatur's

SEA HISTORY 129, WINTER 2009-10

stunning wm over HMS Macedonian (October 1812), Essex was ordered to join Commodore William Bainbridge's squadron to sail the South Atlantic in search of enemy ships . Bainbridge's fl ag flew in Constitution, but when the squadron, now co nsisting of Constitution and USS Ho rnet under James Lawrence, was preparing to depart Boston, Essex was not ready to sail.

It was agreed that Porter would rendezvous with them off Brazil in December.

Now a seasoned commanding officer (he had been promoted to captain during the summer of 1812) he chafed, as did most of his contemporaries, for action and victory commensurate with those achieved by Hull and Decatur. H e put to sea as quickly as his ship was ready, eager for combat, but he missed the rendezvo us. Bainbridge was busy claiming his own glory in single-ship combat against HMS Java, while Lawrence was doing the same against the British warship Peacock. After waiting in vain for several weeks for the other ships, Porter decided to try his luck in the Pacific. The fact that his was the first American warship to double Cape Horn and sail the Pacific Ocean probably did not signify to him at the time; he was spoiling for a fight and hoped to make prizes of the British whalers working the Pacific whaling grounds and, should England send out a warship to protect them , make a pri ze of her as well.

To him, it was the natural course of events.

Porter's bold action, consistent with his peers, was undoubted ly one of the many reaso ns the American Navy survived its fledgling yea rs. Their early victories were achieved through the audacity, confidence, and courage of its officers. It was these characteristics, which David Porter possessed in quantity, that propelled him into the Pacific in 1813.

After revictualling in Valparaiso, Chile, a neutra l port, Porter set a course for the Galapagos Islands, seeking the British whaling fleet. En route, he gathered prizes and wreaked havoc on the whalers who, until he showed up alongside with guns run out, were unaware of a US warship in their waters. Porter's modus operandi was to collect the sailors from the ships they captured and, when he had too many to manage in Essex, send them off in one of their own ships, burning the other vessels .

He did keep one, renamed her EssexJunior,

armed her, and used her as his consort.

Technically, now in command of more than one ship, he could be called commodore.

He had sai led all the way to the Marquesas in the far Pacific when word spread that an American naval ship was capturing and burning British whalers and that the fleet had headed west. Porter also heard that a British squadron, under Captain James Hillyar, was now in the Pacific looking for him. He established a shore base on Nukahiva, claiming it for the United States and renaming it Madison Island. (President Madison and the US government never officially recognized the conquest.)

Hi s thirst for prizes now sated, and with fewer and fewer whalers left to catch, Porter dragged his men away from thei r island sweethearts and headed back east, arriving off Chile in January, 1814. En route, he had to put down several near-mutinies that were motivated by his crew's desire to return, not to their homes in the US , but back to their tropical love nests. Knowing Valparaiso was sti ll neutral, he sai led into the harbor, hoping to find Captain Hillyar and his flagship, HMS Phoebe. Catching unarmed whalers was one thing, but Porter so ught the glory of capturing or sinking a warship.

While Hillyar was not in port, the American capta in did not have to wait for long. Within a couple ofweeks time, Phoebe sailed into the harbor, leaving herselfopen to a withering fire from Essex and Essex junior.

Porter, well aware of the consequences of engaging in a neutral port, refrained from firing and, instead, sent Hillyar a note challenging him to single ship combat at sea.

Hillya r declined the invitation and, after resupplying his ship and her consort, HMS Cherub, returned to sea to await Porter's departure.

Essex sailed on 28 March and Porter attempted to slip, unseen, between the two British warships. Essex j unior remained in port. Unfort unately, a storm blew up, taking down one of the American's topmasts and forced Porter to seek refuge in a small bay outside of Valparaiso Harbor. Ignoring the rules of neutrality-Essex was still in neutral waters-Hillyar went into the bay and, remaining out of the range of Porter's carronades, poured devastating fire into the American frigate. Due to the limited space and shallow water, Porter was unable to

19

maneuver and, after receiving the horrific fire of Hillya r's long guns for several hours, was forced to surrender. The capture of Essex j unior, sti ll in Va lparaiso, fo llowed, a nd that ship was used to send Porter and his sur vivors on parole to New Yo rk. Ir was a terrible blow to David Porter and could on ly have ca lled to mind his complaints about the armament of his ship three yea rs earlier.

He arrived in New York a nd, violating his parole, w hi ch he felt o bliged to do given the circum sta nces of hi s capture, ru shed to Wash in gton in an attempt to catch the depa rtin g British fl eet in the Potomac at Alexa ndri a. Fo ll owing that-it was fruitless-he went overl a nd to Baltimore to help John Rod gers rally the citi ze ns and mi li ti a for the expected attack on that city by the British fl eet. The defenses he and Rod gers created were success fu l a nd the British were repulsed (September 1814).

Porter wou ld see no furth er actio n in the Warofl8 12, buthewasgivencommand of the news reamship Fulton, which was not co mpleted until afrerrhewa r. H e served o n the Bo a rd of Naval Comm iss ion ers with Rodgers a nd D ecatur for a time a nd then was ordered to take command of the US

Naval forces in the West Indies. After a dispute with a Spa nish official in Puerto Rico a rose in whi ch Porter was a central figure , he returned to the United States for co urt martial a nd , ultimately, suspension from the Navy. H e tri ed , wit h absolutely no success, to farm the la nd in Pennsylvania left to him by hi s w ife's fami ly and continued to w rite letters to the Navy requesting redress for the perceived wrong done to him. His pleas were as successful as his efforts at farming.

Understandably embittered , Porter left the countr y he h ad served for so long a nd rook a job as comma ndant of the M ex ica n Navy. Ir was a brief stint which end ed unhappily a nd, at the request of the American president, Porter returned to his native co untr y once again, this time to ass ume a pos itio n as a diplomat in Turkey. It was there, in 1843, t hat he finall y passed away, st ill a man craving act ion, still frustrated w ith h is unfu lfi lling ro le in what would be later called the Pax Britannia.

Th e Quasi-War, Ba rba ry Wars, and the War of 1812 were three international co n Aicts that defin ed the future of the

United States a nd her Navy and shaped the life of David Porter Jr. , a true wa rrior who needed co nflic t to feed hi s so ul, bu t in spite of hi s heroic wa rtime deeds, co uld not find happiness in peacetime. j:,

William H White, a trustee ofNMHS and a frequent contributor to Sea History, is a maritime histo rian and author with 6 books to his credit(War ofl81 2 Trilogy: A Press of Canvas , A Fine Tops' I Breeze, andThe Evening G un; The Greater The H o nor, which centers on the Barbary Wars; and its sequel on the lead up to the War of1812, In Pursuit of G lory. When Fortune Frowns is the story of England's efforts to capture the Bounty mutineers and return them to England for trial). M r. White lectures and has appeared several times on the H istory Channel as well as Canadian television andAmerican radio. In 2008, White was honored as the first recipient of the NMHS Rodney H oughton Award for Excellence, given for the best featu re-length article ofthe year in Sea History. H is article detailed the cruise ofHMS Pandora and the capture, trial, and execution of the Bounty mutineers. Visit his web site at www.seafiction.net for further details.

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20

SEA HI STORY 129, WINTER 2009-10

CALL FOR PAPERS

9th Maritime Heritage Conference 15-19 September 2010 in Baltimore, Maryland The Maritime Nexus: Re-connecting Landsmen with Their Seagoing Heritage

B

altimore's historic inner harbor will be the site of the 2010 conference, at the Hyatt Regency Baltimore, overlooking USS Constellation in her home berth. Hosts include Historic Ships in Baltimore, the Maryland Historical Society and the Naval Historical Foundation. The annual meeting of the Historic Naval Ships Association and several other maritime _, organizational forums will run concurrently with this conference.

The conference theme, "Maritime Nexus," envisions the marine environment- (. the Earth's oceans, seas, and freshwater great lakes and rivers-as a global meeting place. Merchant sailors, navy men and women, fishers, and others all share this space. Most of their work is done out of sight of land, invisible to all bur the seagull and the albatross. Goods imported and exported find their way to and from the marketplace in ways seemingly mysterious to ordinary citizens. The navies that protect these goods and the nations they represent are also often "our of , sight and out of mind." Fishermen perform , ~ their valuable, often dangerous, work beyond ~ the horizon, and the products of their labor are brought to market overland, by trucks.

In their introduction to The Wtiy of the Ship (2008), authors Alex Roland, W Jeffrey Bolster, and Alexander Keyssar expressed it this way: "Never in the nation's history has shipping been so invisible....

Shippin g has so far receded from public consciousness in the United States that it is now difficult to recall that the country began as a group of maritime provinces hugging the Atlantic Coast of North America and depending on ships for their way of life, for life itself." This is also true in other countries. It is time to take on the task of reinterpreting the seagoing world to those who can no longer even imagine it, despite the hundreds of histories, n ovels and films that have done so in the past.

SEA HISTORY 129, WINTER 2009-10

The purpose of this conference will be to stimulate thinking on how history can reawaken the general public's consciousness of what the maritime world means (and has meant) to us all.

Given this context, the organizers of the 9th Maritime Heritage Conference see an opportunity for individuals from all segments of the maritime heritage ' ~communities to come together to discuss topics of ~ interest, learn from their peers, and consider " how to connect our fellow citizens with ~ their seagoing heritage. Conference topics include, but are not limited to: International Trade • Whaling • Oceanic !mmigration • Underwater Archeology • Maritime Law • Shipbuilding • Naval History • War of 1812 • Small Craft • Lighthouses & Lifesaving Stations • Mercantile & Naval Ports • Historic Ships and Preservation • Sail Training • Sailors' Life Ashore • African-American Maritime History • Maritime Museums and Organizations • Maritime Literature • Native Maritime C ultures • Maritime Art and Music • Maritime ~ Education • Marine Sanctuaries and Protected Areas • and other topics related to global maritime heritage.

Paper proposals should include an abstract not exceeding 250 words and a one-page vita. Panel proposals are also encouraged and sho uld contain an abstract and vita for each panelist. Please mail proposals to: Dr. David F. Winkler, c/o Naval Historical Fo undation , 1306 Dahlgren Avenue SE, Washington Navy Yard, Washington, DC 203745055. Send inquiries and electronic proposals to dwinkler@navyhistory.org.

The deadline for submitting proposals is 1 June 2010. The program committee expects to finalize the program in July 20 10 and to post the schedule on the National Maritime Historical Society's web site at www.seahistory.org.

21

The Curious Case of Henry Hudson

by D eirdre O'Regan Four hundred years ago, Henry Hudson sailed up the river that today bears his name in search of a northwest passage to the Indies. Hudson, an English subject, had been hired for the 1609 expedition by the Dutch East India Company, and so it was the Netherlands th at could lay claim to the territory along his sailing route, covering a region that stretches from present-day Delaware to Connecticut and includes Manhattan. This year, New York State and th e Kingdom of the Netherlands put together NY400 to "celebrate 400 years of enduring friendship between the Netherlands and the United States." Teams in New York and in the Netherlands organized a host of events and educational programs, including: historic and replica ships sailing up the Hudson River, online educational sites, exhibitions in museums, programs in schools, public presentations and symposia, and displays of art-both contemporary and historic works. New York, a city like no other, still exemplifies some of the character left by its original Dutch founders, and NY400 celebrates the "free spirit, openness, entrepreneurship, and tolerance of those D utch-American pioneers, and th eir continued relevance today and beyond." Let's look at the man whose obsession with discovering a northern sea route to Asia started it all.

s John Smith was stepping ashore in Virginia for the first time in May of 1607, his countrym an Henry Hudson was at sea, heading in the o pposite direction. The Muscovy Co mpany out of London had hired Hudson to find a northeast passage to Asia, over the top of Russia in the Arctic. The ice eventually forced him to turn back, bur he had made some strides in mapping that part of the wo rld and brought back information , specifi cal ly abo ut the presence of whales near Spitsbergen Island. He tried again in 1608, once more sailing for the English trading company, and turned back afrer reaching Novaya Zemlya. By then, his reputation as an expert on sailing in this part of the world was well known, but the M uscovy Company had given up ho pe that a northeast passage was possible. 1he fo llowing year, the Dutch

A

East India Co mpany was looking to find a sea route to Asia via a similar route and hired the Englishman H enry Hudson and provided him with a small ship, the Halve Maen (" half moon").

This business of hiring a foreigner to lead an expedition, either for the Crown or private enterprise, was not a new concept: recall Christoffa Corombo, the Genoese sea captain who sailed for the King and Queen of Spain in 1492; Giovanni Caboto (a.k.a.

John Cabot), the Venetian mariner who sailed for King H enry VlI of England in 1496; and the Italian G iovanni da Verrazzano, who sailed for the French in 1523.

Hudson's crew aboard Halve Maen was a mix of English and Dutch sailors.

Few facts have been co nfirmed about Hudson before his 1607 voyage. H e was born sometime in the 1570s in England.

No contemporary portrait of Henry Hudson has ever been found, but this rendering is one of the more common portraits attributed to his likeness. (Courtesy NY Public Library) His family held shares in the Muscovy Company, which would explain his connection with that company. As an expedition leader, Hudson conducted research and collected charts and information from contemporaries such as Richard Hakluyt and John Smith. Smith had sent word back that a possible navigable water route to the Pacific might lie at approximately 40° N latitude through No rth America, starting about halfway up what is now New Jersey.

Hudson had, of course, failed to make it to Asia via a northeas tern route rwice before. This time, once he encountered the ice pack, he did not wait long before reversing his course and setting sail for the wes t, in direct opposition to his sailing orders from his employers. The Durch East India

Because H enry H udson's 1609 voyage took place while he was under contract with the Dutch East India Company, the Netherlands was able to claim the territory he had explored, from the Delmarva Peninsula northeast to Bu=ards Bay. 7his reprint of a 1656 map by Nicolaes Visscher is considered one of the best contemporary representations of Nieuw Nederlands.

22

SEA HISTORY 129, WINTER 2009-10

Company had instructed him to "obtain as much knowledge of the lands as can be done without any considerable loss of time, and if it is possible, return immediately in order to make a faithfu l report and relation of the voyage to the Directors." And when he should have either made it to his original destination or returned to Amsterdam, he instead was making his way up the North American coastline, about to tack towards the northwest, into New York harbor.

Hudson fo llowed the river up the wesr side of Manhattan in hopes that it might lead across the continent. He and his crew encountered some of the thousands ofNative Anlericans who lived on both sides of the river that the Mahicans called "Mahicanituck." As the H alve Maen approached the headwaters of the ri ver, it became clear that this was another dead end and they turned back. Upon reaching the ocean, they set a course across the Atlantic. Hudson, already in defiance of his contract, sailed for England , from where he sent a report back to his employers in Amsterdam. Hudson never made it back to the Netherlands; he was arrested for sailing "to the detriment of his country." 111e Durch members of his crew sail ed Halve Maen back to Amsterdam and delivered Hudson's logbooks and charts to their employers.

Hudson was released and immediately began preparing for a return voyage to North America, hoping to find the entrance to the Northwest Passage furilier north. By then, both the Durch and the English were eager to send subsequent expeditions west. Based on Hudson's 1609 voyage, the Dutch laid claim to the territory where he had explored, an area stretching from the Delmarva Peninsula (Delaware) to Buzzards Bay (Massachusetts).

New Netherland and the Dutch trading post New Amsterdam on Manhattan Island only stayed under Dutch rule until 1664 when the English ousted them, but their cultural influences remain.

As for Hudson, a man un interested in the new territory he had only recently explored, he was intent on pursuing his original quest to find a new route to the Pacific. In April ofl6 10, Hudson put to sea in Discovery, the little ship that had brought the original Jamestown settlers to America in 1607. In late Jun e, D iscovery reached the strait leading to the large bay now named for its captain.

111e size of the bay looked promising, and

SEA HISTORY 129, WINTER 2009- l 0

Hudson headed south along the eastern side of the bay. As autumn turned into winter, Discovery was cruisi ng James Bay (at the lower end of Hudson Bay) and became trapped in the ice. Hudson and his crew, including his ten-year-old son John , spent the wi nter frozen in . They were ill-prepared for this part of the expedition and suffered considerably from scurvy and malnutrition. Tensions mounted, and when they we re finally able to get underway again the following spring, the crew turned on their captain . On 22June 16 11 , Henry Hudson , his son John , and seven othercrewmembers, either loyal co their captain or sickly-or both, were cast adrift in the ship's shallop.

No one would see them again.

The Discovery and her mutinous crew sailed for England, but not all aboard would make it home: some of thecrewwerekilledin a bloody encounter with the Inuit at Digge's Island; others died at sea in the Atlantic.

Hudson never came close ro reaching his goal of finding a navigable sea route ro the Indies either through No rth America or northeast across the top of Russia, but his discoveries had lasting consequences.

H e is co nsidered the father of the English whaling industry in the seventeenth century for his discovery of pods of whales off Spitsbergen Island; his unauthorized cruise along the Eas tern seaboard allowed the Ne therlands to lay cl aim to terrirory in North America; and his voyages extended the scope of knowledge of polar regions, both to the east and west, that others built upon in subsequent voyages.

The Dutch established the fur trade in New Netherland and founded New Amsterdam as its major trading post in 1625. In 1664, the Dutch ceded New Netherland to England. J, Deirdre O'Regan is the editor of Sea History.

The Last Voyage of Henry Hudson by john Collier (1850-1934) No trace ofHudson and the others with him who were set adrift in a small shallop in the Arctic has ever been found, but many have imagined the gruesome end they must have come to in the .frigid north. With them was Hudson's ten-year-old son, john.

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"The oceans, our coasts, and the Great Lakes provide jobs, food, energy resources, ecological services, recreation, and tourism opportunities, and play critical roles in our nation's transportation, economy, and trade, as well as the global mobility of our armed forces and the maintenance of international peace and security. We have a stewardship responsibility to maintain healthy, resilient, and sustainable oceans, coasts, and Great Lakes resources for the benefit of this and future generations." -President Barack Obama, 12june 2009. t is no secret that the health of our planet it is estimated that millions of species have is in peril. Considering that 70 percent yet to be discovered. of the earth's surface is covered by water, What do we do abo ut it? A good sta rt it shou ld not be a surprise to learn that the is getting peo ple to learn about the problem, health of the world's oceans is in jeo pardy. accept that it is a problem, and help them to But it is a surprise to many. 1he oceans are know the kinds ofrhings they, as individuals, so vast-on the surface, th ey look th e same can do to improve the situation. as they always have. We can see changes to If there was ever a group of people the terrestrial part of the earth , but few have who should be concerned about the health seen below the ocean's surface, save for speofouroceans, it would be sailors. Until a few cific locations where SCUBA dive rs freyea rs ago, there was no organized gro up that quenr and scienrists have studi ed. With 326 specifically wo rked with this demographic. million cubic miles of water in rhe wo rld's Enrer Sailo rs for rh e Sea, Inc. , founded by oceans, how could one country or one indusD avid Rockefeller] r. , David Treadway, and try hurt it-how could one country, or one Rick Burn es. David Rockefeller had served person, for that matter, make a difference. as a member of the Pew Oceans CommisThis has been our attitude un til recently. sion, which iss ued a comprehensive report Ir turns out that many of the fundaon th e health of US marine waters in June mental properties of the oceans are changing, Ocean Watch enters the Northwest Passage.

2003. Between his passion for sailing and and even small changes ca n have huge ramifications. For example, if th e sea and his commitmenr to ensuring that both the government rhe pH ofseawater decreases (and scientific studies are telling us this and private individuals rake up rhe recommendations of rhe Pew is the case), coral reefs are threatened. In creased water temperatures Commission, Rockefell er felt co mpelled to do his part to make lead to sea level rise, which in turn affects coastal areas, but it also that happen. threatens wildlife and the fragile marine ecosys tem . The majority Sailors for the Sea is a non -profit organization that "educates of the flora and fauna on ea rth li ve in, near, or on the oceans, and and empowers the boating co mmunity to protect and restore our oceans and coastal waters." Among its many programs are C lean Regattas, Certified Sea-Friendly, and Around rhe Americas.

Around rhe Americas is just that-a voyage aro und the North and South American co ntinenrs under sail. In M ay 2009, a small gro up of seaso ned sailors, scientists, and educato rs departed Seattle and set a course for New England. From rh e West Coas t, their chosen ro ute was one rhar eluded mariners for centuries, the fabled Northwest Passage.

In 1906, Norway's Roald Amundsen proved it was no fab le when he successfully navigated through theArctic Archipelago-it had taken him three years to get through. Since then, adventurers, scientists, merchant mariners, and the Canadian Coast Guard have transited the passageway, but their numbers are few, and an icefree route in a given seaso n can hardl y be ass um ed. On 28 August 2009, the 64-fr. Ocean Watch, rhe Around rhe Americas vessel, passed its northernmost point at 73°53'.034 N. From there, it sailed for warmer climes on irs way down the east coasts of North and South America towards Cape Horn .

1he Around the Americas expeditio n is a thirteen-month voyage that, wh en completed next summer, wi ll have sail ed 25,000 miles and visited thirty towns and cities in eleven countries. Ocean Watch, a steel-hulled, cutter-rigged sloop, is currently on its way to

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SEA HISTORY 129, WINTER 2009-10

••

South America, manned by a highly seasoned crew of professionals.

Captain M ark Schrader is a ve teran of two solo circumnavigations and was the first American to do so via the extreme southern route. H e is ass isted by first mate D ave Logan, an ocean cruising and racing sailor with five Pacific Ocean crossings under his belt; H erb McCormick of Rhode Island, the former editor of Cruising World who is in charge of communications (i ncluding the daily blog); D avid Thoreso n, a photographer/sailor/adventurer who in 2007 becam e the first American to transit the Northwest Passage from east to west (see profil e of David 1 h oreson in "Sea History for Kids," page 27); and a rotating group of educato rs and ocean and atmosp heric scientists.

O cean Watch is equipped with sophisticated scientific instruments that gather constant streams ofdata about water temperatures, salinity and pH, as well as weather conditions and the amount ofsunlight.

A camera takes 3 60 ° photos from the mast 48, 000 times per day. programs and events in the ports they visi t. An educator's toolkit and curriculum can be downloaded free of charge from their web site.

Around the Americas is a collaborative expeditio n organized

by Sailors for the Sea, the Pacific Science Center, and the University of Was hingto n, with major funding from Tiffany & Co. Foundation and U nil ever. (For more informat ion, see www. aroundtheamericas.o rg and www.sailorsforrhesea.org.) ,t

Captain Mark Schrader guides O cean Watch through the ice ofthe Northwest Passage. Regarding those who searched for the Northwest Passage centuries before, Schrader said: "Sailing into these waters from the east with no real charts, only wind for power and a useless compass for navigation makes me shudder. " The scientists are collectin g data and conducting experiments on board, bur the ultimate goal is to educate the public. The boat travels with a full-tim e educator onboard who wo rks wi th gro ups near and far, thro ugh education al video feeds directly in to classrooms and afre r-school programs, as well as co nducting

(left) The crew of Ocean Watch joined the schoolchildren ofAlert Bay, British Columbia, for the community's annual Cultural Celebration. It would be hard to gauge who was the student and who was the teacher, the crew explained. While the sailors did their part to educate the community about the Around the Americas mission, it was the children who taught the Ocean Watch crew about the importance of local fisheries though traditional dance. The young girl who introduced the "Salmon Dance" explained what the dance meant to them and what they could learn from it. "This year, " she said, "we've really learned about the life cycle of the salmon, and what that means.

We've learned how important the salmon is to our survival. "

SEA HISTORY 129, WINTER 2009-10

25

SEA HISTORY for kids

Finding the Northlvest Passage magine that your town is fai rly isolated and that the only route to get to the shopping mall is through a bad neighborhood, and yo ur parents have forbidden you to go that way. There must be another 7his 1768 map ofa probable Northwest Passage by Didier Robert de Vaugondy mixes fact route, you are certain, but no one yo u know with fiction but was typical of early maps, where cartographers had to guess what the earth has ever found one .. .so far. was like in regions that had not yet been explored. Looking at this, it would seem that an Back in the time of Christoph er Coeasy sail across the northern part ofNorth America was entirely possible. lumbus, that is just what people were trying to do-find a new way to Asia in the Far East. China and India Europe and Asia or westerly through a navigable water passage had valuable trade goods: colorfu l silks and fin e textiles, spices, through North America, the fabled Northwest Passage. tea, and exo tic hardwoods. The countri es in Western Europe, the The challenge of discovering a Northwest Passage lured doz"Old World," had none of these. Ships rhar sailed to Asia and ens of explorers from 1497 onward, with th e Netherlands and brought back these exotic goods to sell could make a huge profit. England leading the way. The knowledge and mapping of this When Columbus set sail towards rhe West in 1492, he was trying part of North America came with time, from information gathto find a new trade route to Asia. ered by sea explorers over hundreds of years who survived and We all know the end of Columbus's story, but many Eu- brought back their reporrs and maps. It was not until the 20th ropeans were nor satisfied with rhe accidental discovery of a big century before anyo ne could say with confidence that a Northchunk of land blocking their way to Asia. Spain and Portugal in west Passage does indeed exist. North of the Arctic Circle, there is the 15th and 16th centuries controlled the known routes to rhe a whole web of waterways between Far East aro und rhe southern rips of Africa and South America. islands and the mainland, but unOther European countries sent our expeditions to determine til recently, these waterways were if there was a sea route either east around the northern side of completel y blocked by ice, even in mid-summer. In 1903, Roald Amundsen of Norway sailed across the Atlantic in a 47-ton gaff-rigged sloop, the Gjoa, headed for rhe Pacific via a Northwest Passage. Ir took him three years to do it, bur in 1906, he finally reached Nome, Alaska, in the Pacific Ocean.

In recent years, global warmRoald Amundsen later led ing has caused a lot of the ice in expeditions to both the this region to melt away in the North and South Poles, the summer months. In 2007, sea first person ever to do so. routes through the Northwest Passage were ice free, and a year ago rhe first commercial ship made it through this route without having to break the ice on their way.

Im agine rhar the alternate route to the mall, and to the rest of the world for that matter, was suddenly an open road. How might it change the way you live? J,

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SEAHJSTORY 129, WfNTER2009-10

What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up? Careers in the Marine and Maritime Field

Marine Photographer I

r

r's midnight, and it's David Thoreso n's rime for watch aboard the 64-fr. steel sailboat Ocean Watch. Even though it's the middle of August, he needs a few minutes to layer on long johns, turtleneck, Reece top and pants, a swearer, and waterproof rain gea r. D avid and his shipmates are navigating between ice floes in the famous Northwest Passage, north of the Arctic Circle. On deck, he relieves his shipmate, who shows him where they are on the chart and tells him what the weather and wind have been like for th e last three hours.

David is an experienced sa ilor, bur it is just one of his many rides. Aboard Ocean Watch, he is also rhe expedition's photographer, a career in which he excels in any environment, and his primary work when he's nor at sea.

We mer David aboard Ocean Watch last month in Newport, Rhode Island, afte r he and his shipmates had made it successfully through the Northwest Passage; he told us about how he became a marin e photographer and what his job is like: { {A marine photographer is really an outdoor, landscape, or wildlife photographer who specializes in water-related imagery. This can be anything from ' beauty of the seascape' to issue-oriented photographs documenting long ocean passages, sailing races, or aquatic life.

I go to sea for long periods of two months to more than a year once every 2-3 years. In between voyages, I work on selling my images in print form and making documentary films - I own a photography gallery located on a lake in northern Iowa. Right now, I am working at sea on the sailboat Ocean Watch, which is in the middle of a 400-day voyage circumnavigating both North and South America . A typical day on Ocean Watch involves serving as a sailor (watch captain), cooking, cleaning anything really-and all the while I document life on board the boat and off with my camera.

When I was a kid, I d idn't know that I would want to be a photographer. What I really liked was to be Dolphins greeted the crew of Ocean Watch at daybreak on 17 September outside exploring my surroundings. I grew up around on their way towards Halifax, Nova Scotia. One thing about photographing Lake Okoboji , Iowa, far from the sea. I took out little wild animals is that y ou just never /mow when they might show up. D avid boats on the lake and developed a knowledge of boat keeps his camera handy to make sure he doesn't miss a good photo opportunity. handling at an early age. The space program and the astronauts walking on the moon taking the pictures of the earth as a little planet in space had a huge influence on my life. Later I learned that I was a very visual person and the earths environment had become of urgent importance to me.

I had some training in college, but photography is all about trial and error; picking up a camera, looking at the world and experimenting.

After college, I took a long bicycle trip through New Zealand, and thats when I decided to make photography my career. To develop my skills as a professional, I did the apprenticeship route and worked with three different older accomplished photographers, learning different things from each. JJ

I

Trying to keep a video camera steady on a moving boat can be a bit ofa challenge. H ere, David shoots video of Ocean Watch passing between ice floes in the Northwest Passage.

SEA HISTORY 129, WINTER 2009-10

While David is our at sea, yo u can follow his journey aboard Ocean Watch at www.aro und rhean1ericas.org, where yo u ca n see his spectacular photos of the expedition and learn abo ut how we can all help w improve th e health of our oceans, an issue David feels passionate abo ut. H e also maintains his own web sire at www.bl uewarersrudios.com. There, yo u can find his biogs, twitter, thoughts abo ut climate change, and news of his traveling ~ exhibit, "20 Years, 20 Stories." 1,

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n Saturday, the 29th of September, 1492, Christopher Columbus and his fellow mariners were sailing westward on their histori c voyage across the Atlantic Ocean. In his journal, Columbus wrote:

Saw a bird ca lled "ra bifo rcado " (ma n-o ' - wa r bird) , which ma kes the boo bies vomit what the!:J have swa llowed , a nd eats it, ma inta ining itself o n nothing else. It is a sea-bird, but d oes not s leep o n the sea, a nd does not go mo re t ha n 20 leagues f rom the la nd . The re a re ma n!:! of the m at the Ca pe Verde is la nds.

This man-o' -war bird is better known today as the frigatebird, any of fi ve species of huge black seabirds with lo ng, thin wings and slim, forked tails. The frigatebird that Columbus saw near the Cape Verde Islands was the Magn ificent Frigatebird, the larges t of their kind, fo und off West Africa and all around the tropical coasts of No rth , Central, and South America, including the Caribbean, Florida, and Californ ia. Frigatebirds do tend to stay coastal , useful for sai lors trying to find land, but they also have been reported flying over open ocean. They nest and roost on islands.

Frigatebirds have long beaks with hooked tips, like their cormorant and pelican cousins, which helps them nab fish or squid from the surface. They also eat small turtles, jellyfish, and the chicks of other birds.

As Columbus noted, frigatebirds occasio nally force smaller seab irds, li ke boobies, to cough up the fi sh they've just caught, then swoop down and catch the loot out of the air. This is why they've been named after types of naval ships: the man-o' -war and the frigate . Their deeply-fo rked tails and the shape of their wings help them turn sharply and accelerate in the air. As Columbus said, they rarely land on the surface. In fact, they can't swim or even walk!

Several of our most famous American authors have waxed poetic about the frigatebird. In 1876 Walt W hitman wrote a poem "To the Man-of-War-Bird."

H e describes seeing this animal from a deck of a ship :

Tho u bo rn to matc h the gale , (thou a rt a ll wings,) To cope with heaven a nd ea rth a nd sea a nd hurrica ne, Thou ship of air that never furl 's t th!:J sa ils, Da!:Js, even weeks untired a nd onwa rd , throug h spaces , realms gyrat ing, At dus k that look'st o n Senegal, at mo rn Ame rica .

H erm an Melville, in his first novel, Typee (1846), describes seeing

fri gatebirds from a ship in the South Pacific:

As we drew nea re r the la nd, I ha iled with de lig ht the a ppea ra nce of innume ra ble sea-fowl.

S creaming a nd whirling in s pira l tracks , the!:J wo uld accompa n!:J the vessel, a nd at times a lig ht on our !:la rds a nd sta!:JS. That pirat ical-looking fe llow, a pp ro pria tel!:J na med t he ma n-of-wa r's - hawk, with his blood-red bill a nd raven plumage, wo uld co me sweeping round us in g radua ll!:J diminis hing circles, till !:JOU could dist inct!!:! mark the stra nge ~ ashings of his e!:Je; a nd the n, as if satis-fied with his o bservat ion, wo uld sa il up into the a ir a nd disa ppea r from the view.

MAGMtf1tE~T F~t~T~~t) (F~E~\f\ M~C:>N\flCE.NS) J\J\Jf.NlLt.S, f ~M ~U:S \-tfi.-\/6 \fAf?.-U\.\iON'S Of VJ~\\E ~~E~S\S ~\--JI>

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No ne of th e species of fri gatebirds have red beaks. Melvi lle may have been making this up for pirate effect-or he might have mistaken the patch of red skin, just under the beak, fo r the beak itself. When on land, m ale frigatebirds expand their crimson gular pouch, like a balloon, when they hope to attract a mate.

Just before Melvill e's mai n characte r sees the frigatebirds, he describes the sound of a marine mammal with a name that sounds a lot like yo ur grandpa's.

I'll tell yo u abo ut these animals in the next iss ue. And if yo u're interested in past en tri es of ''Animals in Sea History," check out www.seahistory.org. ,t

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VJ e-ee~\) fE"E\ E~P~ND~gLe 6UL~~ pouc. HJ ~ tHJ L-T tv'\~LS

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Adult females have patches of white under their neck, like in the photo to the far left, versus this adult male, who is puffing himself up, hoping to attract a mate.

The Tramp Steamer wri tten and illustrated by Ian Marshall or a period of roughly eighty yea rs, starting in about 1870, th e tramp steamer was far and away the mos t common type of ship in ocean-go ing trade.

The tramp steamer was a modest-sized cargo vessel, steel built, with a single screw powered by ve rtical triple-expansion steam engines supplied from coal-fired boilers.

The most common layout was the three-island type, which had high freeboard at fo'c'sle, central island, and poop, with interve ning well-decks fo re and aft, each penetrated by two hatches allowing access to the cargo holds. A central funnel was acco mpanied by a cluster of goosenecked ve nti larors, which provided fresh air to the boiler- and engine-rooms below.

A navigating bridge straddled the fo re part of the central island, and the superstructure was occupied by officers' quarters and sometimes a few passenger cabins, together with the ship's lifeboats. The crews' quarters were usually in the fo'c'sle and sometimes in the poo p. M ost tramps had two masts, stepped centrally in the two well-decks, rigged with cargo-handling derricks. M any ships also carri ed sm aller, independent kingpost derricks mounted near the sides of the ship, fo re and aft. Som e had a fifth hatch between bridge and funn el allowing access to a central hold, which had its own derricks. A straight vertical stem, slab sides, and a graceful counter stern were hallmarks of its hull -form. Tramps had a nearly fl at bottom so as to have min imum draft, and the holds were as nearly as possible rectangular, for m aximum cargo capacity.

F

Early steamships had fo llowed the pattern of sailing vessels in having a wea ther deck, which was also the main structural deck, running from stem to stern. Only small deckhouses were located above this level. In time they were succeeded by ships with raised deck areas at bow, amidships, and stern, whi ch afford ed better seawo rthiness, pro tected the ancho r gear, elevated engine-room skyli gh ts a nd ve ntil ato rs further fro m invading seas, and also gave som e protection to the steering gear.

The layout of ca rgo space was much influenced by language in legislation for the levy of taxes (also dock dues and can al rolls), based on statu to ry m ethods of m eas urem ent o f ships and their ca rgo, and by the need to ensure safety a t sea. As a res ult, th ere was a p rog ressio n towards ships w ith a m o re extended upper deck amidships, a nd later m os t were built with an upper deck running the full length of the hull. Thi s was to acco mmodate low-density ca rgo in an area that was subj ect to lower assess ment than rhe holds; this deck ge nerally co ntained interruptio ns to p rov ide access to hatches in th e main stru ctural dec k below, a nd it was mos t often term ed the "sh el ter deck" o r "superstru ctu re deck." The space below the shelter deck was so m etimes referred to as '"twee n decks, " a nd in som e ships it was empl oyed to acco mm odate low-fare passe ngers, or "deck passe ngers."

Tramps carried few passengers, however; ca rgo had first priori ty and the rime spent in port was likely to be prolonged,

D uncan Dock, Cap e Town (1951)

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HISTORY 129, WINTER 2009-IO

SS Traveller, Pointe-a-Pitre, Guadeloupe (1922) which could be annoying to those in a hurry. Another factor limiting numbers was the requirement that a ship with more th an twelve passengers carry a doctor.

Nonetheless, berths were cheap and passage by tramp steamer was a grand way to see the wo rld.

Ships such as SS Traveller were to be seen in ports all over the wo rld , even the most insignificant ones. The first d efi niti o n of the word "tramp" in the diction ary is "th e act of stamping; a heavy and forceful tread," but a common usage was for a "p e rso n on the tramp; one who travels from place to place on foot in search of employment, as a vagrant." Tramp steamers pli ed wherever

SEA HISTORY 129, WINTER 2009-10

there was cargo for shipm ent: th ey were not co mmitted to follow schedul ed routes. During the 1870s, shipping agents were linked by the new worldwid e telegraph and submarine cable system, and shipowners would direct captains to respond to th e pattern of supply and demand. A tramp steamer crisscrossed the oceans following opportunities for trade, rather than shuttling regularly to-and-fro, as did liners. In 191 4 there were 9,000 ships in the British registry, 43% of the wo rld's merchantmen, and the greater number of these were tramps. They underpinned the prosperity deri ved from a prolonged period of steady ex pansion in worldwide trade.

The river C lyde at Glasgow was the birthplace of the tramp. The type evolved in late nineteenth-century Britain ; the shipbuilders of C lydeside, Tyne, Wear, Tees, and Mersey built the great m ajority of the ships, and G lasgow shipowners were the leading operators. Rudyard Kip lin g gives us this succinct characterization: "every inch of a cargo boat must be built for cheapness, great hold-capacity, and a certain steady speed." A shipowner would also be looking for longevity and seawo rthin ess.

Such considerations led to co nserva ti ve design practice, and for many yea rs the type persisted with very little change in appearance.

31

blistering sun, and serve to reduce the expanse of sea rin g-hot steel on deck. A brow has been rigged am idships for those going ashore by boar. Like all Harrison Line ships, l her boor-rapping was painted pink.

The larges t and most long-lived shipping line of the era was the British India ,.; . i . Line, or B.I. (black funnel with two broad ~~wh.ire stripes, very close together); its port of origin was Calcu tta, nor in Britain. Few of its ships ever made their way back to the home country. B.I. starred with operations around the coasts of India and Ceylon, Tramp Steamers Alongside later extending to Burma, the East Indies, Shipowners in a large number of hear, citizens have turned out to stroll along Australi a, the Persian Gulf, East Africa, countries, but most especially in northern the waterfront and to enjoy being seen rak- and Mauritius. In due course the company Europe, decided to enter the tramping ing a turn in their horse-draw n barouches. extended its network to Indo-China, C hina, trade. Norwegian firms became particularly Wooden jetties runnin g out from the shore Japan, and New Zealand, as well as up the prominent. Many Sca ndinavian shipping provide landing places for lighters, fishing main rivers of Southern Asia. The company's lines adopted grey for their hull color, and boats, and other small craft. operations prospered through the creation after World War I rhey led rhe switch from The Traveller lies off in deeper water, of a resourceful system of shipping agencies. steam to diesel propulsion . with a swarm of attendant lighters alongThe story is told ofB.I. agents in remore The quintessential tramp owner was side. Her imported cargo wo uld consist parts oflndia during the nineteenth century, the Clan Line-Cayzer, Irvine & Co.- largely of manufactured goods, building who, on findingan opportunity for shipping a based in Glasgow, (black funnel with two red materials, machinery, and paraffin in cans. cargo, would rake their umbrella and make for stripes), but rhere were a great many British Exports might include sugar, cotton, palm the nearest sa nd y beach. B.I. captains would firms in the business. One of the besr known o il, hardwood and other non-perishable be on the lookout for a raised umbrella, head was Messrs. T. & ]. Harrison of Liverpool, agricultural produce. The ship's canvas towards shore, and run the ship agro und at (black funnel with a broad white stripe awnings rigged over the bridge, foredeck, dead low water. Frenzied work would have divided by red, popularly known as "two of and poop provide refuge from the dazzling, the ship loaded before high tide, whereupon fat and one oflean"). The SS Traveller of this CardiffDocks, Wales (1948) line is representative of the type. She was built in 1922 and measured 4,000 tons (gross registered tonnage). She can be seen in th e accompanying painting (pages 30-31), lying off the waterfront of the tiny port of Pointe-a-P irre, Guadeloupe, one of the two French islands in the Lesser Antilles.

Like many minor ports-of-call, Pointea-Pitre had no deepwarer berths: seagoing vessels had to moor well offshore, discharging cargo into lighters, which carried it to a jetty for offloading, and th e same cumbersome process of trans-shipm ent had to be undertaken in reverse for loading goods for export. One can appreciate rhe importance of the ships' own derricks.

Other shipping in this view includes wooden schooners used in interisland fruit and vegetable trade. The wearherworn timber of Ho rel des Anrilles, on the left, fronts onto the Place de la Victoire and is dignified by the bronze figure of a local hero. Towards sundown, in the period of bl essed relief from monotonous, steamy

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SEA HTS'. TORY 129, WINTER 2009-10

If~

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the engines were ordered full astern to pull .¡ ,\ her off the beach. Good reason for building ~ ships with Aat bo ttoms! ~~ ~ The term "tramp" was a descriptio n of '"'<>.. ' the role, rather than of the design of a ship: ., . the sam e vessel might be put to different uses durin g the course of its working life.

A di gression is necessary to explain usage of the wo rd liner. Ships operatin g regula r, scheduled services on specified routes (lin es) were called liners. Arising from this, we h ave the terms shipping lines, and in modern ,. times, airlines. It required steam powe r to keep to a timetable, bur early steam ships were extravagant in coal consumption and costly to run , consequently they were limited to carrying passengers, mail, and other such valuable cargoes as bullion. In later years, even grand transAtlantic passenger liners made space to carry some important cargo.

(There was really no point, after all, in going to Europe for a motor tour if you could n o t take the Pierce-Arrow.)

W h en steam power becam e m o re economi cal, cargo steamers entered the shipping trade. Some of them were placed in service o n regular routes; such vessels attracted passenger traffic, and the cargo line r became a familiar type. Tramp steam ers, which fo llowed no predetermined routine, evenrnally gave way to ships th at operated on familiar routes but did not adhere to a timetable. It was common to see newspaper advertisem ents advising that a parti cular ship would be sailing on an anticipated date, seeking cargo for shipm ent to various ports.

The term "liner" was confined to large, fast ships primarily devoted to passe ngers, sailing between designated ports, and they sail ed on time.

Tramps were devoted to general cargo.

Bulk carriers tended to be purpose-built to suit particular trades, such as ore-carriers o n the Great Lakes, oil tankers, or bulk grain carriers, all of which foll owed routes o n which they could find a steady dem and.

Specialized ships were built to co nvey natural asphalt from Trinidad in heated tanks, and refrigerated ships to carry Caribbean bananas or New Zealand butter and lamb to m arkets

(top) Cape Town Docks (middle) SS Egypt, coaling, Karachi (1898)

(bottom) SS City of Norwich (1927)

SEAHISTORY 129, WINTER2009-10

33

SS Perseus, Calcutta (1910) on the other side of the world. Ships of this kind maintained a regular service over the same route from year to yea r.

The Blue Funnel Line (Alfred Holt & Co. of Liverpool) pioneered the introduction of iron-built steamships with compound engines in commercial service.

The company gained a reputation for building high-quality cargo ships, giving them an edge over their competitors. They had oversized hatches and heavy- lift derri cks, which enabl ed them to ship unusually large or heavy items, such as bridge com-

ponents, steam boilers and locomotives.

Blue Funnel ships were smart but staid in appearance, wi th a very large bolt-upright funnel, traditional sweep ing counter stern, and a graceful sheerline. They were named for heroes in classical Greek mythology.

The story goes that Mr. H olt's first ship was very much used and shabby. Cans ofblue paint were found in the hold, and these were used to spruce-up her appearance, ultimately leading to the popular nam e of the company.

The oldest line in the business was Thos. & Jonathan Brocklebank of Liverpool,

founded in 1770 (black funnels with blue and white stripe and a broad white stripe around the hull). It traded largely to India and the Orient but also had a rransAtlamic connection.

Ships of the H a mburg-Am erika, No rddeutscher Lloyd and Bibby lines (pink funnels) we re distinguishable by their retention of fo ur masts, long after oth er owners had switched to no more than two. Some shipping companies favored "goal post" masts, stepped two abreast and braced together at the top, which afforded mountings fo r derricks much closer to the ships' sides. On so me ships, derrick posts doubled as ventilato rs for the holds.

American firms such as Lykes Lines, Farrell Lines, and Am erican Export Lines becam e p rominent towards th e midtwentieth century; they made wide use of standardized types of freighter, which had been built in great numbers in the US during World War II, particularly the Liberty Ship and its deriva ti ves. The SS Winifred, launched at Bath Iron Works in 1901, was said to be the first tramp steamer built in the United States. Antonio Jacobsen made a patinting of her in the fo llowing year.

SS ~Tisza, W?nice (1912) 34

SEA HISTORY 129, WINTER 2009-10

The ge nesis of the tramp steamer lay in the invention of the compound steam engin e, followed by a spike, caused by o pening of the Suez Canal, in the surgin g grow th of worldwide maritime trade.

The adoption of riveted steel construction in shi pbuildingwas accompanied by improvements in metallurgy, which permitted higher working pressures in steam boilers. This led to the development of compound engines, which used the same steam twice, and more than twice, in successively larger-and lowerpress ure-cylinders. The introduction of compound engines by Clyde shipbuilders, starting in 1856, resulted in dramatic economies of operation. With tripl eexpans ion engin es, coal consumption was in man y cases halved, and this made steam competitive with sail. Hitherto , use of steam power had been confined to m ail and passenger services, where a premium wo uld be paid for speed and consistency.

For the first time, it became possible for shipown ers to operate cargo services using steamers.

The opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 halved the length of the sea route from London to Bombay. When the Canal was opened to traffic, it caused a great realignment of maritime trade. The sea route to India via the Cape of Good Hope, pioneered by the Portuguese in the fifteenth century, rook many months under sail.

Furthermore, ships sailing aro und Africa had to go far out of their direct route to take advantage of the prevailing winds along the way.

The overland route across Egypt only became available once steamships came on the scene. The Red Sea is so restri cted in width and subject to contrary winds, that regular passage under sail was impracticable.

However, in 1837 a steam ship service was started between Bo mbay and Suez, where passengers and mai l could disembark and travel by mule-draw n wago ns across the desert to Cairo. From there they went by river steamer down the N ile, followed by barge to Alexandria, where they could board a steam packer, which traversed the Mediterranean. This route was

not possible for freight.

Suddenly, once the canal was open , there was no longe r need for trans-shipment.

Alfred Holt anti cipated the changed reality earlier than most, and he had a fleet of cargo steam ers ready to rake immediate advantage of the opportunity. Ships under power, moreover, could at al l times follow the most direct track between ports. Journey rimes between Europe and the Orient were reduced from three o r four months to as many weeks.

Quire rapidly, steam displ aced sail in ocean trade, and the great towering square-rigge rs were squeezed into diminishing niches of the marker.

Th e end of the era of steam-powered freighters came mo re gradually. Th e use of steam was prolo nged by the adoptio n of o il in place of coal for fuel , and this was followed by the introductio n ofsteam turbines, which were more efficient than triple-expansio n reciprocating engines. From the 1920s, motor vessels powered by diesel engines began to take the pl ace of steam , but it rook another forty years for shipbuilders to halt construction of steamships.

SS Exemplar in the Hooghly, Calcutta (1910)

SEA HISTORY 129, WINTER 2009-10

35

During this era, merchant shipping was targeted in two wo rld wars, and in each war ro ughl y a third of the wo rld 's oceango ing merchantmen were sunk. N umbers were made good by wartime co nstruction, mostly of standardized types. In the latter part ofWo rld War II the great majo ri ty of these replacements were built in the US, particularly the Liberty Shi ps and their va riations. In the postwar period , merchant Aeets of all nations were filled with such ships. They incorporated novel co nstruction methods, including prefabricatio n and extensive use of welding, and in the immediate postwar yea rs th ere were losses in heavy seas, some due to in experienced operators and some to stru ctural defects.

By the 1950s general cargo steam ers were still prevalent in ports aro und the wo rld, but thereafter the type steadily declined in favo r of today's larger and mo re specialized types of carrier. Egypt's blocki ng of the Suez Canal between 1967 and 1975, which was provoked by war with Israel, had the effect of has tening the adoptio n of supertankers and permanently changing the pattern of wo rld trade routes.

Maritime trade on ocean ro utes today is carried largely in specialized ships: bulk carriers of oil, grain, o re and liquefied narural gas; container ships; and vehicle transporters. General cargo vessels are now to be fo und almost entirely in coastwise and localized operatio ns. Some modern freighters are equipped with a towering array ofl ifting gear, which rivals that available in

Beira Docks, Mozambique (1353) even the most important ports, but a great many ships never need ro come alongside at all : they load and discharge their cargo by means of giant hoses while the vessel is moored to dolphins planted in deep water.

The Port of New Orleans, one of th e largest in the country, has few deepwater berths to be seen .

Itinerant cargo steamers, eminently sensible and functional, rather crankylooking bur once so universal, are now scarcely ro be seen at sea, and the tramp steamer, as Kipling knew it, has become extinct. ,!,

fan Marshall is a Fellow of the American Society of Marine Artists (ASMA) and the author ofjive books ofpaintings: Armored Ships, Ironclads, Passage East, Flying

Boats, and C ruisers and La G uerre de Course. His work hangs in permanent collections of the US Naval Academy Museum at Annapolis; the Royal Naval Museum at Portsmouth, England; the Scottish United Services Museum at Edinburgh Castle; Mai ne Maritime Museum; Lloyds of London; Foynes Flying Boat Museum, Co. Limerick, Treland; Botswana National Museum; the Royal Netherlands Navy Museum at Den Helder, Netherlands; and the US Naval \,%r College, Newport, Rhode Island. For twenty years his paintings have been shown in London by Oliver Swann; Swann's gallery is now merged under the name of the Tryon and Royal Exchange Art Gallery. In the US, Marshall's work is shown by the Russell Jinishian Gallery at Fairfield, Connecticut, and the Maritime Gallery at Mystic Seaport Museum, Connecticut. The many prestigious venues that have hosted his exhibitions include the annual exhibitions of the Royal Society of Marine Artists in London and at the Mystic International at Mystic Seaport.

In 2004 he received the Rudolf]. Schaefer Maritime H eritage Award at the Mystic International and, in 2006, their Award of Excellence. A native ofScotland, he acquired his qualifications as an architect at the University of Cape Town and the University of Pennsylvania. His architectural career was in private practice, Largely in East and Central Africa. Since 1386, he and his wife have made their home on Mount Desert Island in Maine. Ian is currently President of the ASMA.

SS Umgeni in drydock, Cape Town (1351) 36

SEA HISTORY 129, WINTER 2009-10

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Maritte Art News Faces of the Naval Wtir College As part of the 125th anniversary celebration of its founding, the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island, is displaying its collection of portrait art in a temporary exhibition entitled Faces of the Naval War College, paying tribute to contributions of key individuals in the institution's history. The Naval War College president is one of four positions within the US Navy that has official portraits associated with the position-the other three are Secretary of the Navy, C hief of Naval Operations, and Superintendent of the Naval Academy. The College has portraits of 40 of the former presidents; in addition, 12 presidents are depicted in portrait busts, 11 of which were sculpted by Felix de Weldon, a local artist who completed them between 1948 and 1990. Adding to the rich history of the Naval War College are portraits of faculty and staff which have been commissioned. Although sm aller in number, this part of the co llection has consistently grow n with the additions of retrospective historical portraits of earlier members of the faculty. The exhibition runs through 4 December 2009.

The Naval War College M useum is open from IOAM to 4:30PM Monday through Friday. 1he museum is free and open to the public, however reservations are required and photo ID must be presented for all visitors 18 years old and over. To make a reservation, call 401 841-4052 or 210 1 by 3PM the day before yo ur visit. The museum is accessible to visitors through Gate 1 of Naval Station Newpo rt. (NWC, 686 C ushing Road, Newport, Rhode Island 02841; www.nwc. navy.mil) Capt. Alfred Thayer Mahan by Alexander fames. Mahan served as the Naval Wli r Coffege's 2 nd p resident (1886-1889) and as its 4th (1892-1893).

Aqueous IV The Ventura County Maritime Museum recently announced the artists awarded ribbons for their artwork in Aqueous Iv, a juried exhibit, featuring 38 pieces by 19 ASMA-West artists. ASMA-West is one of 5 regional divisions of the American Society of Marine Artists. "Best of Show" went to Kim Shaklee of Brighton, CO, for her bronze sculpture, "Maternal Quest," and First Prize was awarded to William Lowe of Dana Point, CA, for his oil painting, "The Californian Passes a Schooner off the California Coast." For the complete list of award winners and to see the exh ibit, visit the museum before 10 January 2010. (VCMM, 2731 South Victoria Ave., Oxnard, CA 93035; Ph. 805 984-6260; online at www.vcmm.org) Third Prize was awarded to Ray Hunter of Santa Barbara for his watercolor, In for Repairs.

30th Annual International Marine Art Exhibition at Mystic Seaport Mystic Seaport w rapped up its 30th Annual International Marine Arr Exhibition in November, with 120 artists participating. The exhibition also recognizes outstanding works w ith 8 prestigious named awards a nd 5 awards of excellence. Among this years' winners were: Neil Drevitson for Wreck ofthe Elsie M. Smith, which won the Rudolph J. Schaefer Mar itime Heritage Award; and Donald Demers's Study in the Boatshop, win ner of the Stobart Foundation Award. The Schaefer awa rd is given in memory of Rudolph J. Schaefer for his devotion to preserving maritime history and making it both accessible and enjoyable. The exhibition has closed, but yo u can still view the works online at www. mysticseaporr.org/gallery. (The Maritime Gallery at Mystic Seapo rr, 47 Greenma nville Ave nue, Mystic, CT 06355; Ph. 860 572-5388) Study in the Boatshop by Donald D emers

38

SEA HISTORY 129, WINTER 2009-10

Support the NATIONAL MARITIME HISTORICAL SOCIETY ... ... and display this fabulous limited edition print by acclaimed marine artist William G. Muller!

The view north up the Hudson River, toward the Catskills , is seen from the upper deck of the steamboat Mary Powell as she heads home to Rondout, New York on a summer evening in 1890 . Approaching on the left is the freight schooner Lizzie A. Tolles with a cargo of brick on deck. She, in turn, is passing the Esopus Meadows Lighthouse, which was bui It in 1871 and still stands today. Coming downriver in the farther distance is the steamboat M. Martin of the Newburgh-Albany line.

A limi ted edition ofl 90 sign ed and numbered giclee pr ints Im age size : 16 1/2" x 30" Sheet si ze: 21 " x 34" $260 + $ 15 s/h

To order by phone, call with your credit card 1-800-221-NMHS (6647), x 0 Or visit our web site at www.seahistory.org NYS residents add applicable sales tax. For orders sent outside the US, call the toll-free number above or e-mail (nmhs@seahistory.org) for shipping.

.SHIP NOTES, SEAPORT & MUSEUM NEWS The Charles W. Morgan will SAIL again!

The Mystic Seaport Board of Trustees has announced that the museum will go beyo nd the initial restoration goal of simply stabi lizing the ship as a dockside attraction and will restore the historic 184 1 whaling vessel to sailin g condition. According to Mystic Seaport President Steve White, "Every possible co nsideration will be given to protecting her and honoring her status as the oldest commercial sailing vessel in the western wo rld. In pure age, only rhe USS Constitution, a military vessel, is older." The projected cost of stabilizing the ship is $6 m illion, half of which has already been

Charles W Morgan

cording to White, the Morgan's voyage to the Bank will help to "make peace with the whales." Of course, a considerable amo unt of funding still needs to be raised. W hite acknowledges that, with regards to fundraising, "Sailing her is not required. Restoring her is." The Charles W Morgan is a registered National Histo ric Landmark.

Interested donors and sponsors are encouraged to contact the museum. (MS, 75 Greenmanville Ave., Mystic, CT 06355 ; www.mysricseaporr.org) ... On 25 October, Gary Jobson was elected president of the US Sailing Association. Gary Jobson is a former Al l-American collegiate sailor; later he went on to wi n the America's C up in 1977 as tactician forTed Turner in Courageous. As a broadcaster/producer (he is ES P 's sailing analyst), lecturer, and writer (he is an editor-at-large of Sailing World and Cruising World), Jobson is this country's pre-eminent ambassador for the sport of sailing. H e has authored 16 books and has won numerous prestigious awards, in borh sailing and broadcasting; in 2006, he was the recipiem of the NMHS Distinguished Service Award. US Sailing, a nonprofit organization, is the national governing body for sailing and provides leadership

for the sport in the United States. (For more on Mr. Jobso n, visit www.jobso nsai ling. com; information on US Sailing can be found at www.ussailing.org) .. . The application deadline for the John Carter Brown Library 2010-2011 research fellowships is 10 January 2010. The JCB Library at Brown University will awa rd 30 short- and long-term fellowships fo r the period June to June, 2010-2011. Short-term fellowships are available for 2-4 monrhs

(continued on page 43)

Historic Dutch Flatboats Sail Up the Hudson River to Commemorate the Quadricentennial of Henry Hudson's 1609 Voyage New York State is celebrating rhe Quadricentennial of the exploration of irs waters, and, in September, nineteen 100-year-old Durch Aarboars, direct descendents of rhe first European vessels that sailed in American waters, paid us a visit in company with the recently launched Onrust-the original Onrust was launched in 161 4 to replace Dutch fur trader Adriaen Block's Tijger raised . Th e addition al cost to make her seaworthy is approximately $2 millio n. Right now, the ship is scheduled to be relaunched in spring 20 12 and have her ri g reinstalled over the fo llowing year. The Morgan wo uld begin her 38th voyage in summer 20 13.

The current plan has rhe ship setting a course for New Bedford, MA, her former ho me port and where she was originally laun ched in 1841. She will then sail for Stellwagen Bank, at the mouth of Massach usens Bay. Stellwagen Bank is the summer home to a dozen species of whales. Ac-

40

that burned ar the rip of Manh attan .

There are not enough superlatives to describe our joy at seeing an enrire fl eet of beautifully preserved vessels, chose same vessels that influenced the Hudso n River sloops of later centuries, sail into our bay.

-Burchenal Green, NMHS President

(above) Sailing through the Hudson Highla nds; (left) The D utch fleet at the dock in Peekskill, New York.

SEAH l STORY 129, WrNTER 2009-IO

2010 Calendar

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To ord er, ca ll l-800-221-NMHS (6647), ext. 0 or visit our web site at www.seahistory.org NY State res idents add applicable sales tax.

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Celebrate our maritime heritage this holiday season with NMHS greeting cards Based on paintings by distinguished marine artists Paul Garnett and John Stobart, these holiday cards capture the romance of a bygo ne era-and help support the work of NMHS. Greeting reads "Wis hing yo u fair w inds for the holidays and calm seas for the New Year." Also available as blank note cards.

Box of 10: $14.95, or ($13.46 for NMHS members) Add $4 s/h for one box and $2 for each additional box.

Please indicate yo ur choice of card and specify greeting or blank cards.

CD2- Painting by john Stobart.

On a summer evening in 1884, the lofty Down Easter Eel i pse has just docked in South Street after encountering a rain squall on the way.

NEW! C D I-Painting by Paul Garnett.

Inspired by H erman Melville's Moby- O ick. On a snow covered Christmas Eve in New Bedford, sailors are home spending the holidays with their families and loved ones.

Additional cards are available in limited quantities on our web site: www.seahistory.org.

To order, call 1-800-221-NMHS (6647), ext. 0, or visit our web site at www.seahistory.org.

SEA HISTORY 129, WINTER 2009-10

41

Naval Historical Foundation to Turn Over Portion of Cold War Gallery to Navy Museum

by William H. White ecogn izing chat the Cold War is an often under-appreciated period of American History, the US Navy contracted with the Naval Historical Foundation to design and build a Cold War Gal lery for the National Museum of the United States Navy. The Gallery will highlight-with real and significant artifacts-the role played by the US Navy during chis critical and tension-filled era.

The Cold War Gallery will recognize the honor, courage, commitment, and sacrifice made by the men and women who served in the United States Navy. Components from an aircraft carrier Ready Room, a fantastic model of the cruiser USS Northampton, the actual maneuvering room and arrack center from a nuclear sub marine, as well as a 3/4 scale model of a submarine sail are just a few of the exhibits on display. In addition, a real Swift boar, a landing craft, missiles, and the shellcasing of an early-Cold War atomic bomb will augment a remarkable experience for the visitor. Many of these are "immersion" displays, allowing the visitor to gain a firsthand feeling of participation.

The first portion of the project, the Central Hall featuring a Trident C-4 submarine ballistic missile, provides introducto ry context to a conflict that lasted nearly a half century. Visitors can actually sit in squadron Ready Room chairs taken from the carrier USS john F Kennedy to watch an engaging orientation video chat includes real footage of aircraft launches and recoveries. The next portion to be built, entided "Hot Wars of the Cold War," will feature models of a North Vietnamese prison camp with artifacts from former prisoners and their keepers, a Riverine Patrol boat portrayed "in action," and the recreation of the bridge of the cruiser USS Newport News during a raid on Haiphong. These, and other portions of A Trident missile, representing the Navy's deterrent role in the Cold war, the gallery, are slated to open within the next three years greets visitors at the entrance to the Cold war Gallery.

R

as the Naval Historical Foundation's capital campaign moves forward. V isitors who wo uld like to see the Central Hall and gee a look behind the scenes are invited to call the Naval Historical Foundation for an appointment (Ph. 202 678-4333).

The Cold War Gallery is housed in an historic building on the grounds of the Washington Navy Yard, which had been used as a model testing faci lity. It was renovated at a cost of $2.6 million specifically to house the new gallery. The building is located along the revitalized Anacostia River waterfront, where visito rs can also inspect the retired Navy destroyer USS Barry (DD 933) , visit the recendy refurbished Navy Museum, and stroll the Riverwalk. Two metro stations and several bus routes provide convenient public transportation to the site. To enter the Washington Navy Yard during the week, visiting pedestrians should approach one of the entrance gates with a government-issued identification (driver's license, passport, etc.) and state their desire to visit the museum. During the weekends, plenty of parking is available.

The Naval Historical Foundation invites yo u to participate in chis effort and become a part of chis important and unforgettable experience; Dr. David W inkler is available to respond to inquiries on the project. An online tour and further information can be found at www.navyhistory.org/ coldwar_gallery/. The Naval Historical Foundation is raising funds within the private sector for the design and installation of exhibits. Contributions of any size are welcome and can be sent co: Naval Historical Foundation, 1306 Dahlgren Ave., SE, Washington Navy Yard DC 20374. j:,

Dr. David Winkler of the Na val Historical Foundation points to an atomic bomb casing/or a group of teachers during the "Cold war Fact, Fiction, and Myths Teacher Institute" conducted at the National Museum of the US Navy in August.

42

SEA HISTORY 129, WINTER 2009-10

with a monthly stipend of $2,000 for students in pre- and post-doctoral, or independent, research. Long-term awards are 5- 10 months with a monthly stipend of $4,000 . Research proposals must be suited to the holdings of the JCB Library, and all fellows must relocate to Providence, Rl, and be in continuous residence for the entire time of the fellowship. Details and applications are available online at www.jcbl. org. (JCB Library, Box 1894, Brown University, Providence, Rl 02912; Ph. 4 01 863-2725) .•• Great news for the Nantucket Lightship LV-112! On 20 Ocrober the National Lighthouse Museum announced the official transfer of stewardship

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Nantucket Lightship, LV-112, .!;._ i~ Oyster Bay

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of the Nantucket Lightship, LV-112, the nations' largest floating lightship and a national landmark, to rhe newly formed United Stares Lightship Museum. The vessel, which has been berthed in Oyster Bay,

Long Island for 4 years, will be moved to Boston for restoration and then be opened as a museum honoring the li ghtship service. Ir is appropriate rhar the vessel return to Boston, since rhar was the ship's original home port. LV-112 held rhe most remote manned light station on earth, over 100 miles off the US mainland marking the treacherous Nantucket Shoals. The vessel was retired in 1975. The Nantucket Lightship LV-112 was rhe subject of the cover article in Sea History 126, Spring 2009. (www.nanruckedightshiplv- l l 2.org) Donjon Marine, a provider of marine services including marine salvage, heavy lift, dredging, and related emergency response services, has been awarded two separate contracts for salvage work on archaeological sites in Texas and New York. The US Navy awarded an archaeological sire removal contract to Donjon to perform diving, clam-shell dredging, and wreck removal services for the C ivil War gunboat, USS Westfield, that was sunk by Confederate fire during the Barde of Galveston in 1863. The sunken vessel lies in 40 feet of water in Galvesto n Bay in Texas. USS Westfield, an 822-ron sidewheel inshore gunboat, was built in 1861 in New York City as a civilian ferryboat.

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She was purchased by rhe Navy in 1861 and sent to the Gulf of Mexico in February 1862. Westfield rook an active part in the campaign to open rhe lower Mississippi River and capture New Orleans. In the fall of 1862, Westfield participated in the capture of Galvesto n. On 1 January 1863, she ran agrou nd during a Confederate arrack.

USS Westfield, sketch

by R. G. Skerritt

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years before rhe firsr English serdem enr rook hold on rhe Norrh American continem , Europeans sigh red, charred, and made firsr co nracr wirh rhe narive inhabirants of whar wo uld one day be rhe wesr coasr of rhe Uni red Srares. When rhe small San Salvador enrered rhe harbor now called San Diego, rhe galleon was perhaps rhe mosr powerful vessel in rhe Pacific O cean. This replica ship will symbolize California's mulri-culrural origins, highlighr the firsr encounters berween Europeans and Narive American populations, document the dawn of the scientific revolurion, translate its significance and crucial lessons concrerely for all visitors-particularly for K-12 srudem s, demonsrrate adva nces in maritime histo ry, and celebrate Cabrillo's co ntrib utions as the leader of rhe earliest European exploration of California. The museum will build the ship in full view of the public and, after launching, rhe San Salvador will remain on exhibir as part of the museum's fleet of historic and replica ships and will travel along the California coasr as an ambassador for San Diego. A $6 million campaign goal is underway for rhe purpose of building rhe ship ($ 5 mi llion) and to build an endowmem ($ 1 million) rhar will provide funding ro care for the museum's fleet for future generarions. (MMSD , 1492 N. Harbor Drive, San D iego, California 92 101 ; Ph. 619 234-9153; www.sdmaririme.o rg)

SEA HISTORY 129, WINTER 2009-10

OFF TO FIDDLER'S GREEN

Lars Henning Hansen (1923-2009) Lars H ansen, lo ng the master rigger at South Street Seapo rt Museum, di ed o n 1 October 2009 in Florida, where he had moved several yea rs after a stroke, whi ch ended a long career as seafa rer and ri gge r. Born in D enmark in 1923, he went to sea in merchant vessels afte r World War II a nd ultimately settled in New York C ity because of his love for Am erican jazz. He worked for Banks Rigging in Staten Island, where he participated in ri gging South Street's four-masted barque Peking in the mid- l 970s.

After coming to work at the So uth Street Seaport Museum in the mid- l 980s, he ren ewed Pekings ri gging in its entirety in the 1990s. H e li ved aboard Peking from 1987 to 2005, when illness forced his retirem ent from active work. His cabin was a shrine to jazz where he continued to receive visits from aging musicians who had played with Duke Ellingron and Count Basie, both of whom h e knew wel l. His space was crammed with jazz memorabilia and recordings, and the South Street waterfront often rang with jazz classics well into the small ho urs.

Lars was notable not only for his rigging skills but for the depth of his nautical knowledge, which he generously shared with generations of apprentices and proteges. He also possessed enormous strength and stamina, often going aloft in total disregard of Master rigger Lars Hansen (right) was an enthusiastic and able wind and weather and often posing in the upper teacher. H ere, he guides Steve Geiss on splicing wire rope. reaches of the rigging for breathless photographers, for whom he was a favorite subject. The mutual att raction between him and young women was a matter of admiration and envy among his younger colleagues, and he was often to be seen of a summer evening perched on a chair on Pekings quar terdeck, eyeing the passin g crowd with quiet delight. He was indeed a legend in his time, and for all time. - Jack Putnam

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SAVE THE DATE...

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National Maritime Historical Society's 2nd Annual "Washington A wards D inner

On Thursday, 22 Ap ril 2010, NMHS will hold its 2nd Annual Washington Awards D inner at the Army and N avy C lub on Farrington Square. We'll be honoring Admi ral Gary Roughead , USN , Chief of N aval Operations, for his exemplary and dynamic leadership of N aval Operations, and specifically for his recognition of the importance of naval history-placing emphasis on it as a Navy-wide discipline and making naval histo ry part of the advancement examinations for senior enlisted personnel. We will also be honoring James W Cheevers, Senior Curator of the US Naval Academy Museum, for over for ty years of service. Renow ned yachting commentator G ary Jobson will be our M aster of C eremonies.

NMHS 2010 Annual Meeting NMHS will hold its Annual Meeting on 13- 16 M ay 2010 at M ystic Seaport and the University of C onnecticut at Avery Point in conjunction with the North American Society of O ceanic History and the C ouncil of American Maritime Museums. There will be four days of seminars, talks, get-togethers, and tours. The N MHS Business Meeting will be held on Saturday, M ay 15th . M ark your calendars.

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SEA HISTORY 129, WINTER 2009-10

The American Sail Training Associat ion is partnerin g with Great Lakes United (an environ mental organization dedicated to preserving the water resou rces of the Great Lakes) to pro duce the Great Lakes United Tall Ships C h allen ge®2 0 10 next summer. More than 20 vessels from Euro pe and No rth America will participate in races and cruises in all five G reat Lakes with port events currently scheduled for : Toronto, C leveland, Bay C ity, Dul u th, Green Bay, and C hicago. (For more inform ation, see www. sailtraining.org/rallsh ips /2010greatlakes/index.php) ... O n Labor Day weekend , the Hudson River was filled with tugs of all sh ap es and sizes comp eting in the 16th Annu al New York Tugboat Challenge. The day included the G reat N orth River Race, the nose-to-nose pushing contest, the line throwi ng competition , and awards for best-looking tug, best-dressed crew, best tattoo, and best mascot. Presented by the Working H arbo r Committee and organized by Capt. John Doswell and fo u n der

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Jerry Roberts, the event is hosted by 1 h e H udson River Park Trust at Pier 84 in M anhattan. NMHS C hairman Ron Oswald will be a judge next year at the 2010 Tugboat Challenge, which will take place on Sunday, 5 September 2010. (More info rmation on the event can be found at www.wo rki n gh arbor. com) . . . "Ships, Explorers, and th e World Trade Center," a new exhibition b eing developed at India House in New York City, will open to the public on 2 February and run through the end of the mon th.

The exhibition will document the fac ts and fictions of some of New York's oldes t m aritime relics and also charts the location s of 'trade centers' in Lower M anhattan, from Dutch times to the building of the Wo rld Trade Center in the 1960s. A special viewing and fundraiser on 3 February will h onor NMH S President emeritus Peter Stan fo rd and his work to preserve the 'World Trade Center Anchor.' (India House, O ne H an over Square, New York, NY; Ph. 2 12 877-9689; www. indiahousefoundation.org) _t

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For over 27 years, Great Lakes United has been a unifying voice for e nsuring a hea lthy a nd vibra nt future for the Great Lakes a nd St . Lawrence River ecosystem . A diverse coalition of organizatio ns and individuals including c itizens, e nvironmentalists. co nservationists, la b o ur unions, Firs t Nations, tribes. hunters, a ng lers, academics. and progressive b usinesses w orking together to clean up toxic polluti on , sto p invasive species. and protect the w aters o f the Great Lakes a nd St . Lawrence River fro m d a m age and irresponsible use . Thousa nds of voices are ca lli ng for a healthier Great La kes a nd St. Lawrence River and G reat La kes United continues to be the coa lition through wh ich these voices are heard.

The Am erican Sail Training Association is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organizatio n focused on youth e ducation, lea d ership development and the preservation of the maritime heritage of North Americ a . The mission of the Am erican Sail Tra ining Association is to encourage c haracter b uilding throu gh sa il training , promote sail training to the North American public, and support educatio n under sail.

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FEsTIVALS, EvENTS, LECTURES, ETC.

• W'hen Fortune Frowns, lecture by Willi am H. W hi te, 5 December at the H endrick Hudson Free Library in Montrose, NY. Presentation , book signing. (Fo r more information, call NMHS at 9 14 7377878, ext. O) •Lantern Light Tours at Mystic Seaport, 4-5, 11 -12, 18-20, and 26-27 D ecember.

Tours begin at 5PM and leave every 15 minutes. Reservations reco mmended. (75 G reenmanville Ave. Mystic, CT 06355; Ph. 860 572-533 1; www.mysticseapo rt. o rg/lan ternligh n o urs) •Lecture Series at the International Yacht Restoration School in Newport, RI: "The Ongoing Resurgence of the J-Class" by Elizabeth Meyer on 8 December; "The Great Steam Yachts" by Ll ewellyn Howland III on 15 December.

Lectures begin at 7:30PM at IYRS Restoration Hall (IYRS, 449 Thames St., Newport, RI 02840; Ph. 401-848-5777, ext.

222; www. iyrs.org) •Sea Shanties with Caryl P. Weiss, 12 December at the Texas Seaport Museum in Galveston . (www.galveston history.org) •Cast Off! - Free Public Sail, 13 December and 3 Jan uary at the Center for Wooden Boats. The program allows visitors the chance to sail in classic boats. (CWB, 1010 Valley St, Seattle, WA 98 109; www. cwb.o rg) • lOlst Annual Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade, 16-20 December in Newport Beach, CA. 2009 Theme is "The Joys of Christmas Toys" (www.christmasboatparade.com) •Maritime T1·aditions Demonstrations, 4 January at the Havre de Grace Maritime Museum (1 00 Lafayette St., H avre De G race, MD 2 1078; Ph. 4 10 939-4800 ; www. hdgmari timemuseum .o rg) • 14th Annual Moby-Dick Marathon, 9- 10 January at the New Bedford W haling M useum in Massachusetts. The annual non-sto p reading of H erman Melville's American classic starts at noo n on Saturday and ends approximately 25 hours later. Prior registration required to read, call 508 997-0046. (NBWM, 18 Johnny Cake Hill , New Bedford, MA 02740; www. whalingm useum.org) •Chicago Maritime Festival, 27 Feb ruary at the Chicago History M useum; Outreach Perform ances and Classroom Lectures are

available Feb. 22-26. (Chi cago Histo ry Museum is at 1601 No rth Clark Street, for information, visit www.chicagomaritime festival.org) •Ghost Ships Festival 2010, 5-6 March in Milwaukee, WI (Great Lakes Shipwreck Research Fo undation, 7844 St. Anne Court, Wa uwatosa, WI 53213; www.ghost-ships.o rg) CONFERENCES AN D SYMPOSIA

•"Coastal Connections: Integrating Terrestrial and Underwater Archaeology" Society for Histo rical Archaeology 20 10 Conference, 6-9 January 2010 , Amelia Island, FL (www.sha.org/about/conferences/201 O.cfm) • "Transportation in the Americas (18001914): A Factor of Modernity?" International Conference, 14-16 Jan. in Bordeaux, France. (Info: Dr. Isabelle Tauzin via e-mail Isabelle.Tauzin@u-bordeaux3 .fr) •Consortium on the Revolutionary Era, 17 50-1850, 25-27 February in Charlesto n, SC (www. revolutionaryera.org) •South Carolina Historical Association 2010 Annual Meeting, 6 March in Co1umbia, SC (For more info, visit: www. palmettohistory.org/scha/scha. htm) •New Researchers in Maritime History Conference, 12-13 March 2010 at the University of Exeter, UK. (www.maritimeh istory.org. uk) •"Sea Literature, History & Culture" National Popular Culture & American Culture Associations 2010 Conference, 3 1 March-3 Ap ril in St. Louis, MO . CALL FOR PAPERS deadline is 15 December.

(For more in fo rmati on: www.pcaaca.org/ conference/ national.ph p) •4 lst Annual Meeting of the Association for Spanish and Portuguese History, 1518 April in Ottawa, Canada. CALL FOR PAPERS deadline is 15 D ecember. Conference is organized by both Carleto n Unive rsity and Trent U ni versity. (See http: // asphs. net for details.)

•Ninth Maritime Heritage Conference, 15-1 9 September 2010 in Baltimore, MD. Held every three years. (For all the details, see page 2 1 or check www.seal1 istory.org) •Corrosion of Historic Ships Conference 5 - 9 September 2011 , Mariehamn, Aland Islands, and Turku Finland. The conference will be part of the celebrations of the town's l 50th birthday. If interested,

as k to be put on the mailing list to receive detailed in fo rmation in due course. CALL FOR PAPERS-contact: j.r.orjans@aland. net; J.R. Orjans, Skarvgrand 4, AX-221 00 Mariehamn, Aland, Fin land. (More in formation online at www.icmmonlin e.org under "confe rences") ExHIBITS

•Some Burdensome: Big Ships, Big Cargoes, 11 December-18 April 20 10 at the Maine Maritime Museum. (MMM, 243 Washingto n Street, Bath, ME 04530; Ph. 207 443- 13 16; www.mainemaritime museum. org) •Paul Hee: Maritime Artistry, through 7 March at the No rth Carolina Maritime Museum (NCMM, 315 Front St., Beaufort, NC 285 16; Ph. 252 728-73 17; WWW. ncmaritimem useum.org) •Forty Years, Forty Objects: Selections from Our Collections, th rough June 2010 at the W isco nsin Maritime M useum in Manitowoc. (WMM, 75 Maritime Dr., Mani towoc, WI 54220; Ph. 920 68402 18; www.wisconsinmaritime.org) •Elements of Wtiter, Fine Art Photography Show, 19 February- 13 March 20 10 at The Center for Fine Art Photography in Fort Co llins, CO (C4FAP, 400 North College Ave., Fort Collins, CO 80524 Ph. 970 224- 1010; www.c4fap.org) •Working Wtiterfront, Photographic Portraits at the New Bedford W haling Museum . The photos by Phillip Mellow focus on local shoreside wo rkers and their jobs. (NBWM, 18 Johnny Cake Hi ll , New Bedford, MA 02740; Ph. 508 997-0046; www.whalingmuseum.org) •Treasures of a President: FDR and the Sea at South Street Seaport Museum in NYC (SSSM, 12 Fulton St., New York, NY 10038; Ph. 2 12 748.8600; WWW. southstreetseaportmuseum.org) •Their Last Passage: The Robert H. Burgess Collection at th e Chesapeake Bay M aritime Museum (CBMM, 2 13 N . Talbot Street, St. M ichaels, MD 21663; Ph. 410 745-2916; www.cbmm.org) •Working Wtiterfronts: Planning and Preserving the Maritime Traditions of St. Joseph and Benton Harbor, through 2011 at the Heritage Museum and C ultural Center in M ichigan (HM &CC, 60 1 Main Street, St. Joseph , MI 49085; Ph. 269 983-119 1; www.theheritagemcc.org)

MARITIME HISTORY ON THE INTERNET

Shiplndex.org-A Site for Ship Research

0

ver the past few years, I have written about a wide range of useful online resources here for Sea History readers. At the end of each column has been a mention of my own site, Shiplndex.org, which lists over 100,000 ship references from various books, journals, and other resources. For a long time, Shiplndex.org was a site managed in my spare time, but it's just become my full-time project. I thought that, in this column, I would talk more about this site in particular, how you can use it, and how it will evolve in the future.

The idea for this resource came from working in a maritime museum library, where the only way to find information about a specific vessel was to look at the indexes to each book on the library's shelves.

This was n't an effective solution, and of course ignored all the titles the library didn't own or I didn't check. I realized that an online guide to just the vessels mentioned in the indexes to many books and journals would be useful to maritime researchers. I began by collecting indexes to books and creating a set of web pages that listed them. When I started an unrelated company with two brothers and a friend, the technologically-inclined brother, Mike, built a searchable database at http://shipindex.org. For six years, the site sat there, with no changes to speak of In the past three months, however, M ike and I have completely overhauled the existing site and we have plans to dramatically expand the functionality and the reach of the site.

For example, we have already made the site much more findable when people are doing Google searches for specific ship

Offering an extensive selection of documented, one-of-a-kind ship models by internationally acclaimed

names. We have also added "find in a library" functionality, which allows you to locate the nearest library that holds the book yo u might be seeking. We have added nearly 4 0,000 additional entries as well, and these are, in their own way, quite special entries. These entries, generated for us by researchers at the library consortium OCLC, refer to mentions of vessels in OCLC's World Cat database. All the other entries are m entions of ships in books, essentially, ships that are p rim ary subjects of books. In addition, some of these books are "by" ships-that is, they are journals or logs compiled as official or unofficial records of the vessel.

Over the next few months, we will be dramatically expanding the reach of the database. When the new site is complete, it will have half a million ship references in it. These come from books, journals, C D-ROMs, web sites, online publications, and many other types of reso urces.

The 140,000 references that are currently posted will remain freely available, but we'll offer subscriptions to individuals and institutions for access to the remaining references . While the initial half-million references will be to works in English, over time we'll include many resources in other languages.

My intent is that this site will be very useful for maritime researchers, genealogists, and historians. Sea H istory readers are obvious potential users. As such, I welcome comments and feedback on features or titles to add, or just ideas about h ow to m ake the web site better.

Suggestions for column ideas or other sites worth mentioning are welcome at peter@shipindex.org.

-Peter McCracken

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SEA HISTORY 129, WINTER 2009-10

Reviews Fires hip: The Terror Weapon ofthe Age of Sail by Peter Kirsch (Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, Maryland, 2009, 256pp, notes, biblio, index, ISBN 978-1-5911-4 2706; $74.95hc) The primary mission of a firesh ip was to carry a vast quantity of inflammable material with the goal of incinerating enemy ships. The vessel was intricately designed and had specific uses in battle.

Once its target was grappled , the combustibles were kindled, and the ship's crew made its escape, or tried to at least, via a rowed launch.

What began as a drifting raft carrying a bonfire to a vessel made of combustible materials, evolved into rowing galleys carrying "Greek Fire" and, eventually, specially devised sailing vessels.

Like modern ballistic missiles, fireships were expensive to build, could not be reused once deployed, and their vital characteristics were stealth and speed. To be effective, however, they had to be in close range of their target and in a location where tides and prevailing winds could transport them to their prey, while darkness, squalls, fog, and smoke provided cover at sea. When a fireship attack appeared imminent, fear spread among seamen, leadi ng to a breakdown of discipline- this strategy of frightening the enemy via a looming threat of conflagration was commonly employed and less dangerous to both parties.

These weapons were used to assault concentratio ns of warships in confined waters (such as rivers), vessels anchored off lee shores, and grounded or disabled

SEA HISTORY 129, WINTER2009-10

ships. Fireships, an integral part of the naval arsenal during the age of sail, were rarely decisive in military engagements because of the success of the enemy's defensive measures. These included firing at approaching vessels, installing stout chains across harbor entrances, and rigging spring lines attached to anchor cables, small towing vessels, and studdingsail booms ("fire-booms"), which could manually push burning ships away to avert disaster. Crews of fireships received substantial rewards if they were successful, but if they abandoned prematurely, and thus gave the appearance of cowardice, the crew members were severely punished. If they were captured by the enemy, the fireship crewm en were badly treated and often hanged.

In summary, Kirsch has written an extensively illustrated and elegantly written history of these vessels. His erudite work examines a neglected but important naval weapon and is an authoritative resource for the naval historian.

Lams ARTHUR NoRTON West Simsbury, Connecticut

to sons and grandsons across three generations. In business for more than a century, the shipyard has made adjustments as ship designs evolved and shipbui lding materials changed dramatically. Schooners and square-rigged ships, steam paddlewheelers, and diesel tugs and ships of all sorts-they've worked on them all .

Erin Urba n, fo unding executive director of the Noble Maritime Center on Staten Island, worked with the current ch airman and CEO John B. Caddell II, his employees, and photographer Michael Falco to document the company's history.

The result of their efforts is well more than a n arrow company history; CaddeLL

Caddell Dry Dock: 100 Years Harborside! by Erin Urban with photos by

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Michael Falco (Noble Maritime Collection, Staten Island, New York, 2009, 113pp, photos, biblio, index, ISBN 978-09623017-3-5; $40hc) Caddell Dry Dock is simultaneously a history book, a gorgeous coffee-table photography book, and a contemporary look at a working shipyard, in business since 1903 and in its present location on the Kill Va n Kull in Staten Island since 1916. Once surrounded by other marine-based businesses, over the years, the Caddell Dry Dock and Repair Company has watched as nearly three dozen New York shipyards closed one by one.

Today, the dry dock employs 200 workers: shipwrigh ts and caulkers, machinists and electricians, carpenters and welders among others who service approximately 300 vessels a year.

The company represents the great American story-immi grant shipyard worker seeks work in New York, starts his own company, leads it to success and growth, and over the years passes it down

School of the Sea

by Stephen Richardson This book is based on diaries written by the author while in the British Merchant Navy from 1937-46. It fills a gap in maritime literature about World War II, which emphasizes danger, excitement and drama. School of the Sea captures many aspects of daily life at sea and in port. It also tells of occasional terrifying episodes of air raids, ships sunk in convoy, and being torpedoed.

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Mr. Caddell finan ced the production of the book, but he has directed that all proceeds from its sale go to the Noble Maritime Center. The book itself is a quality product, with dozens of Michael Falco's spectacular photographs of current Caddell employees at their wo rk gracing the pages.

ARTHUR BALDWIN

Paterson, New Jersey

The Fisherman's Cause: Atlantic Commerce and Maritime Dimensions ofthe American Revolu tion by C hristopher P. Magra (Cambridge University Press, New York, 2009, notes, index, I SBN 978- 0-52 151838-3; $75hc) Christopher Magra's The Fisherman 's Cause ma kes a significant contribution to the historiography of Amer ican comm ercial fi shing during the colonial and revo lutionary periods. Magra successfu lly demonstrates that the New England fishing industry, parricula rl y cod merchants and fishermen, played an important role in the road to revolutio n and to its successful execution. Cod fishermen and merchants held a central place in the Atlantic economy, producing a nd trading a critical commodity desired in both South-

At Sea with God

em Europe and the West Indies. Their centrality provided them opporrunities for great profit but made them vulnerable to shifts in British imperial policy toward Norrh America.

The general fort unes of Massachusetts cod fisherman and fi sh merchants rose during the first six decades of the 18th century. With the conclusion of the Seven Years War, however, the British Crow n's vigoro us enforcement of navigation laws, combined with increases in taxes and restrictions on the trade of suga r, molasses, and rum, plus restricted access to the fishing gro unds and markets in Newfo undland, cut deeply into profits.

On a political level, the New England fish merchants and fis hermen lost out to British West Indies sugar plantation owners, who sought to prevent American trade for cheap French sugar, and to powerfu l West Country fishing interests, who sough t to repel American encroachments into Newfoundland a nd the Grand Banks. As a result, fishermen and fish m erchants had stron g incentives to support a war.

During the war, A merican fis h m erchants used some of their vessels and trading connections in the West Indies and the Iberian Peninsula to bring war m aterials and information back to the A merican wa r effort. Fishing boats, Magra argues, becam e the core for the first A merican Navy, fun ctioning as coast

guard ships and as arm ed vessels that captured a respectable number of E ngli sh merchant ships. At the end of the wa r, one of the most sticky and substantive issues at the treaty bargaining table involved the successful negotiations for access to the G rand Banks fishing gro unds by American fis hermen . Fishing, Magra demonstrates, rema ined a vital supporting thread throughout the Revolutionary War. The book 's intended audience is the professional historian and no t the general reader. As an expansion of the au thor's PhD dissertation, the book suffers from excessive detail and unneeded historiographic tangents. The copious footnotes, generally a good addition, tend to distract from the Bow of the book. Given the excellent scholarship and the exceptional range of sources, the edito rs at Oxford University Press did less than they might have in assisting the author to transition his work.

Their failure to include a full bibliography is a serious omission.

D espite these criticism s, C hristopher Magra's deep scholarly treatment places the cod fisheries near the center of the American Revolurion and rhe history of colonial Am erica . For those seriously interested in maritime America during the Revolu tion or the history of American fisheries, this is a significant book.

JoH N Om N J EN SEN

Wakefield , Rhode Island

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SEA HISTORY 129, WINTER 2009-10

The Sea Chart: The Illustrated History of Nautical Maps and Navigational Charts by John Blake (Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, MD, 2009, 160pp, illus, isbn 978-1 -59114-7-824; $39.95 pb) Former Royal N aval Officer John Blake successfully covers the arr and science of nautical cartography from before Columbus to th e twenty-first century through meticulous research , supported by high-quality reproductions of the original charts. Chapters are organized geographically as they correlate to periods of European Imperialism and naval warfa re. For example, Chapter 7, "The Pacific and East Indi es," begins with a well-written gen eral overview of the regio n and then delves into the historical events that co nrribu ted to new maps and charts being develo ped for economic or naval warfa re purposes .

In addition , each chapter includes an inset box, whi ch provides a derailed look at pertinenr evenrs to the history of cartography, such as Benj amin Franklin's work m apping the G ulf Stream or William Bligh's important contribution to kn owled ge of Pacific islands and charrin g. The author, clearly an expert on navigation, cartography, and m athematics, keeps his discussion relevant and understandable to the general reader.

The book's large format (it m easures 12" x 11 " inches) is big enough to display beautiful colo r im ages of entire charts or portio ns of charrs that highlight smaller details, such as cartographic embellishments or a cartouche (decorative insets) often used to fill up the blank spaces on a chart. Where the scale of the map is too small for the reader to make our the fin e print, Blake provides explanatory fig ure captio ns that guide the reader's understanding of the significance of a given chart.

Readers well versed in maritime histo ry will recognize historical figures such as Humboldt, M ercator, C ook, and Vanco uver, while being introduced to lesser-known names such as Alexander D alrymple of the East India Company and William H ack, a reform ed buccaneer turned charrmaker.

The m aps and charts selected for this book were accessed through Blake's extensive research at the world 's major m ap librari es and archi ves, including the Royal Naval Museum, The US Library of SEA HISTORY 129, WINTER 2009-10

C ongress, The Royal Geographic Society, and National M aritime Museum . After reading through this book, I was inspired to start planning my own trips to some of these historical map repositories to see the origi nals. Until that day comes, I will keep poring over the selections John Blake has provided for readers of his excellent book.

BRIAN D. A N DREWS Woods Hole, Massachu setts

MEET THE HERO WHO HID HIS SECRET PAST

Zeb-Schooner Life: A documentary film directed by Gordon Mass in gham (D etrick Lawrence Productions, Edgartown , MA, 2009, 83 minutes, $24 .95 DVD ; www.zebtilton.com) H e was born in a rime when Confederate raiders were h arassing the whaling industry in the Atla ntic and when "Tiltons on the Vineyard were thicker than fiddlers in Hell," according to one person's recollection. H e sailed through six wars: the Spanish America n War, W orld War I, World War II, and his three m arriages. H e was as homely as any ma n alive, self-professedly so. A nd he was as tough as nails, from his skin to hi s tongue to his driving work ethic. Yet he h ad no trouble whatsoever findin g fri ends in every port and rose to national fa me as one of rhe last great schooner captain s in America. And his name was Zeb. Documentary director G ordon Massingham knew he had a gem in Zeb Tilton, a Martha's Vineyard legend. Besides an island full of experts on the man and his life, he also had the scholarly research of Polly Burroughs's Zeb: Celebrated Schooner Captain of M artha's Vineyard behind him. His job was to bring that srory to life for the big screen.

Z eb 's co-star in this production, A lice S. Wentworth, rhe schooner with which he fell in love a nd sh ared a significa nt portion of hi s life, holds her own in the story. Sadly, they we re sepa rated when the G reat D epression a nd Zeb's failin g eyesight came between them, but until that day, Zeb was known to drive her like an America's C up yacht, perhaps even faster.

Hi s seamanship was so good that when the world came cras hing down a round him and hundreds of boats and lives were lost to the great New England hurricane of September 1938, he and his schooner cam e through the storm unscathed.

"This is a book of adventure that tells how one man shaped the Alaskan frontier at a crucial time in American hi story:' -Vincent William Patton, Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard, retired

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Zeb's fa me grew as rhe yea rs passed .

H e befriended Hollywood ac tor Jimmy Cagney, or, ir could be said, Cagney befriended him. Thomas H art Benton, one of rhe fa rhers of the Regionalist movement, painted his portrait. Even veteran newsm an Mike Wallace was caught on camera h ailing a passerby and asking the question, "H ow m uch do you know about Zeb T ilton?" As the documentary rolls on, local historians, schooner captains and T ilton descendants have words to share.

By 1952 , Zeb T ilton, M art ha's Vineyard 's "John H enry, Pau l Bunya n, and Casanova" all rolled into one, was gone. So, too, were the great sail ing schooners and the Ma rtha's Vineya rd he knew and loved .

Thanks to chis film, he sails into eternity.

JOH N GALLUZZO

M arshfield, M assachusetts

1he Port 1ha t B uilt a City and State: 60th anniversary commemorative DVD (Baltimore Museum of Industry, Baltimore, M D, 2009, 2 hours, $19.95 DVD; www.chebmi.org)

In the lace 1940s, Baltimore Sun reporter H elen Bentley was sent dow n to the port to fi nd a news story. This was a Port of Baltimore unrecognizable today, a port packed with huge ships coming and going, shipya rds, small boat operators and longshoremen everywhere. She fo und a story. And when the newspaper began a television news division, a new Sunday TV series was born. O ver the next fifteen yea rs, people tuned in to see M s. Bentley, donning the professio nal woman's garb of the day, down on the docks, getting smashed around in boats large and small, interviewing captains of industry and laborers with ease, professionalism, and experience. In time, Ms . Bencley became a household fix ture and, in the process, an expert on maritime topics in Ma ryland and around the wo rld (all chat shipping left the state and the country, after all). In 2006, the Port of Baltimo re was renamed the Helen Delich Bencley Port of Baltimore by G ove rnor Robert Eh rlich.

In all, WMAR-TV ran 350 episodes between 1950 and 1965, all of

irnml

which is stored on 16mm film at The Baltimore Museum of Industry. In honor of the 60th anniversary of the show's first broadcast, the museum has taken clips of many of the episodes and released them on DV D. The foo tage of the port during those yea rs is worth watching on its own, but Ms. Bencley's coverage of the port and the many personaliries char come back to life hold center stage. Special features include a recem interview wirh H elen Bentley by broadcas t journalist A lan Walde n.

The only problem with chis DV D is char ir leaves you wanting for m uch m ore.

While a two-hour DVD can only include so much, jusr knowing char 350 shows are stored on film is very fru straring. For chose who remember rhe show as a regular fix cure on Sundays, yo u'll enjoy reminiscing; for chose of us who weren'r born yer, it's a grear opportunity to experience rhe sigh rs and sounds of the port as ir was rhen, wirh rhe help of a talented professional asking rhe ques tions.

D EIRDRE O 'R EGAN Edi tor, Sea H istory

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PAU L F. BALSE R

MCALLI STER TOW ING & TR ANS PORTATION, INC.

DONORS

CA PT. CESA RE SO RI O

BOWEN S MITH

PLAN KOWN ERS

SPONSORS

HOWA RD SLOTN ICK

T HO R TON D. & ELI ZABETH S.

N Y STATE O FF ICE OF PARK S, R ECREAT IO I &

WILLI AM H. WH ITE

F URTH ERMO RE: A PROG RAM OF TH E J.M. KAPL AN FUN D MR . & MR S. H .

DAV ID M. M ILTON T RUST

US

WI LLI AM E. WOOD

ART SAMU EL S

MR. & MR S. DONN SPEA R RALPH N . THOM PSON

AVA L ACADEMY N IMITZ LIBR ARY ROBERTS . YOUNG

SEA HI ~STORY 129, WINTER 2009-10

STAR CLIPPERS Immerse yourself in an adventure where the wind charts your course and an authentic sailing experience awaits. On a Star Clippers voyage, guests enjoy delectable cuisine in one unhurried seating and pampering services in a casually elegant atmosphere. And with a maximum of 227 privileged guests, the Star Clippers experience feels more like sailing on your own private tall ship with an intimate group of friends. For a complimentary brochure featuring our cruises to Costa Rica, the Far East, Caribbean and Mediterranean, call (800) 442 -0551. Visit your Travel Professional today to discover the wonders & exceptional value of a Star Clippers cruise.

Photos, Virtual Tours & Videos at www.starclippers.com