Page images
PDF
EPUB

CHAPTER IV.

NAUTILUS" AND CREW.

PERILS OF THE "NAUTILUS

THE Voyage of these two Americans in their little "Nautilus," implied perils tenfold more serious than the passage of any steamer or sailing vessel. Besides the dangers from winds and waves, or from being run down in fog or darkness, a small craft is more liable to injury from floating spars or other drifting wreckage always abounding in the Atlantic. But far more perilous was the risk from the long exposure and the continuous strain, with prospect of little rest and less sleep. The odds were greatly against the success of the adventure, and this would be more decidedly the opinion, after the failure of an attempt

made since, with very distressing and almost fatal results. In fact many old salts, even after seeing the boat and the men, retain a certain incredulity as to the voyage being fairly made all the way without any towing or other aid. The perusal of the log will alone suffice to remove all doubts, and to secure due honour to the brothers Andrews for their skill, pluck, and perseverance.

This honour was heartily accorded to them by the voice of public opinion, uttered through the press, both in England and France as well as America. As soon as the arrival in Europe, in Cornwall, could be heard of, special reporters and interviewers made their appearance, one of whom, the correspondent of the New York Herald in London, telegraphed back to America the substance of the log, from which he took extracts, descriptive of the voyage. The voyage was resumed, after a few days' rest,

for Havre and for Paris, the great Exposition offering a tempting opportunity for introducing the "Nautilus" to the crowded Paris of 1878. What was thought of the voyage may be seen from part of an article in the Continental Gazette, Paris, Sept. 5th, 1878:

Every American now in Paris, every American who admires pluck and daring,

The French bill announcing the exhibition at Paris is a curiosity worth preserving. At the head is a picture of the boat with sail set.

L'INCROYABLE.

UNE

Traversée de l'Océan de Boston au Havre en 45 Jours,

SUR UNE COQUILLE DE NOIX.

Les deux frères ANDREW viennent d'accomplir la traversée la plus audacieuse jusqu'à ce jour à travers l'Océan sur un batelet appelé le NAUTILUS, dont les dimensions démontrent le courage de ces hardis navigateurs. Venez 6 bis, Avenue Rapp, vous faire expliquer par eux toutes les péripéties du voyage, voir le bateau et tous les accessoires qui ont servi à la traversée.

and who respects success, should pay a visit to the building near the Exposition in the Avenue Rapp, where two adventurous Yankees have installed the cockle-shell in which in forty-five days they crossed the stormy and capricious Atlantic.

"It is a wonderful example of human will conquering natural difficulties. There was everything to oppose these men in their enterprise. Surges sang dirges to them, but they would not listen. Monsters of the deep sniffed contemptuously at the little one-ton boat, and sometimes followed it as if they intended an attack. The winds blew and threatened. The rains descended and stiffened the limbs of the two bold men. But they sailed on. Each man took his turn at the helm for four hours at a time. The little craft was so often below the horizon that observations were taken with difficulty. Several times there were calms which almost brought despair to

« PreviousContinue »