The clipper ship era: an epitome of famous American and British clipper ships, their owners, builders, commanders, and crews, 1843-1869Clark, Arthur H.
History
The clipper ship era: an epitome of famous American and British clipper ships, their owners, builders, commanders, and crews, 1843-1869
Clark, Arthur H.
Clipper ships -- Great Britain; Clipper ships -- United States
At noon on the 4th took a pilot off Point Lynas; was detained eight
hours for want of water on the bar; arrived in the Mersey at 10 P.M.;
thus making the passage in 14 days 4 hours, apparent time. Deducting
eight hours for detention by tide at the bar, and also deducting the
difference of longitude, 4 hours and 45 minutes, gives the mean or true
time of passage, 13 days 11 hours and 15 minutes. Average speed for the
passage, 9½ miles per hour. On this passage, the _Dreadnought_ was off
Cape Clear, Ireland, in 12 days 12 hours from Sandy Hook.
She sailed from New York, May 4, 1855, and arrived at Liverpool May
20th; passage recorded as 15 days 12 hours.
She sailed from Sandy Hook, January 24, 1856 (time not given), and ran
to noon, January 25th, 345 miles; 26th, 312 miles; 27th, 252 miles;
28th, 223 miles; 29th, violent gale, drifted 90 miles west-southwest;
30th, 115 miles; 31st, 212 miles; February 1st, 228 miles; 2d, 208
miles; 3d, 185 miles; 4th, 238 miles; 5th, 252 miles; 6th, 244 miles;
7th, 212 miles; 8th, off Point Lynas. Hove-to until daylight for pilot
and tide. Total distance run 3116 miles in 14 days, or an average of 222
miles per day.
The _Dreadnought_ sailed from New York, February 27, 1859; at 3 P.M.
discharged pilot, and ran to noon, February 28th, 200 miles; wind south
to west-northwest, brisk breezes. March 1st, 293 miles; west-northwest
fresh breezes. 2d, 262 miles; northwest to north-northwest brisk gales
and snow-squalls. 3d, 208 miles; north-northwest to north heavy gales
and snow-squalls. 4th, 178 miles; north-northeast to north heavy gales
and snow-squalls. 5th, 218 miles; north to north-northeast heavy gales
and snow-squalls. 6th, 133 miles; northeast to south light breezes. 7th,
282 miles; south-southeast brisk breezes and clear. 8th, 313 miles;
south-southwest to south fresh breezes and clear. 9th, 268 miles; south
to southeast brisk gales. 10th, 205 miles; southeast to southwest brisk
breezes and squally. 11th, 308 miles; south to southwest strong breeze
and squally. 12th, 150 miles; southwest, thick weather. Distance sailed
from Sandy Hook to the Northwest Lightship, 3018 miles; passage 13 days
8 hours, mean time.
It was during this passage that the _Dreadnought_ is supposed to have
made the run from Sandy Hook to Queenstown in 9 days 17 hours, but an
analysis of the abstract log shows that 9 days 21 hours after
discharging her pilot to the eastward of Sandy Hook she was not within
400 miles of Queenstown.
How this mythical tale originated, is difficult to imagine, but it has
been passed along from one scribe to another these many years, until at
last it has reached the dignity of an “historical fact,” having recently
been embalmed in an encyclopedia. Curiously enough, Captain Samuels
appears to be
[Illustration: The “Dreadnought”]
almost the only person who has written about the _Dreadnought_ who does
not refer to this fable. In his memoirs, he makes no mention of it.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account