The Semi Weekly Leader

First Story of Progress of Gowen Party in Globe-Circling Trip in Yacht.

ENJOYED THEIR LONG PULL

Eastern Queen Tows Yacht From Panama to Teokea-Captain Swensen's Last View of Speejacks Party Was in Harbor at Sydney.

New York.-The first story of the Speejacks has come to the port from which she sailed last August on the first leg of her 50,000-mile voyage around the world. For eight months Albert Y. Gowen, Chicago business man and owner of the Speejacks, has been pushing the prow of his 98-foot yacht through South Pacific waters. and except for a brief bulletin sent six weeks ago from Ralauf. New Britain, to the ship construction company which built this craft, nothing has been heard of this second "Cruise of the Snark."

Last week. however. the S. S. Eastern Queen docked at Baltimore, and her captain, N. A. Swensen, came on to New York with his story of the Speejacks. the first story of the adventurers. For Captain Swensen towed the Speejacks behind the Eastern Queen more than 4,000 miles. from Panama to Teokea, and later saw the Gowen party on their sturdy craft in Sydney, Australia, before the adventurers left that port for Java and Borneo.

Captain Swensen was with the Speejacks on one of the most interesting parts of her voyage, her longest jump from land to land, and he tells a story of the trip from Panama to Teokea.

When Mr. Gowen prepared to leave New York last August his boat, specially built for the voyage, was expected to proceed under her own power all the way, traversing the globe just south of the Equator. Her cruising range, however, was limited to 3,000 miles. and in order to make the first lap of the trip from Panama to the Marquesas islands without mishap and with a saving of fuel, Mr. Gowen contracted with the United States shipping board to be towed to Teokea by the first shipping board boat which made the trip. The Eastern Queen, bound for Sydney, Australia, was delegated to the task.

"The last we saw of the Speejacks," said Captain Swensen, "was shortly after Christmas-the 27th or the 28th. She was in Neutral harbor, Sydney, where the Gowens spent Christmas, and we were all invited over to see them. They were then in high spirits and anxious to get along into the islands and heading west.

En Tour.

"We left New York on September 16 with a light cargo. Headed down the coast and went through the canal on the 28th, laying to alongside the Speejacks the next day, just off Balboa. There we put a line on her, putting an eight-inch hawser around her from stem to stern and back to stem to relieve the strain on her hawse pipes. We fastened her behind the Eastern Queen with 300 fathoms of eight-inch manila hawser, tying to the halter we had around her. Then we were off for Teokea and Tahiti.

"We'd been out two days and the weather was holding fine. The Speejacks was bobbing along behind us like a big cork on the end of a string. But I knew from the strain she was exerting that if we hit any wind and weather the Speejacks was going to play havoc with that eight-inch hawser. So we hove to and put in a day changing the eight-inch hawser for a ten-inch.

"We got the big hawser out on deck and put one end overboard. Then we lowered a boat, which took charge of the loose end of the hawser. The small boat then rowed toward the Speejacks while we payed out hawser and slowly proceeded, pulling the Speejacks and leaving the small boat behind. There were lots of sharks in that water. and if the men in the boat had slipped up anywhere they would have capsized into the midst of them. But they didn't.

"We got the big hawser aboard the Speejacks, made a new bridle for it, and then took off the eight-inch hawser and there we were, all ready for anything. with 300 fathoms of ten-inch hawser instead of the lighter line. Luckily we did not strike any bad weather during the whole 4,200 miles.

"Every day of the trip we could see the crew on deck of the Speejacks, keeping things in shape and enjoying their long pull. Mrs. Gowen was often seen on the deck supervising things, and when we visited the yacht she was always having the time of her life, so she said, keeping her 'house' tidy and looking after her 'boys.' At night they always had a big time aboard the Speejacks. They have a big phonograph, you know, and their wireless man broadcasted concerts to us."

The Speejacks is equipped with wireless apparatus capable of sending about 1,000 miles and with an unlimited receiving range. After she left the Eastern Queen at Teokea she sent several messages to Captain Swensen, telling him of her location and her progress.

Reported "Lost."

"One funny little incident," said the captain. "came on October 7, while we were in the middle of the Pacific. We picked up a message one night telling how a search was being instituted for the Speejacks, which had been reported lost somewhere in the Pacific. I believe I've got a copy of the message somewhere."

He looked through a bundle of papers and dug out a penciled note which read:

"Los Angeles-Search Pacific being instituted for private motor yacht Speejacks with Capt. and Mrs. Gowen and party aboard. Gowen's relatives announced sighting wreck, apparently abandoned, unidentified launch off Lower California, recently increased apprehension. Speejacks left New York for world tour in August last, reported leaving Cristobal for Honolulu ten days ago. Party included specimen hunters for American Museum of Natural History, also included Capt."

"When we got this message we wired the Speejacks, 300 yards away, and asked her if she was still with us. Then we wired Los Angeles that Speejacks was O. K., still tied to us and proceeding without difficulty toward Tahiti. Also wired Gowen's secretary in Chicago that newspaper reports were to be disregarded

"We cut loose from Speejacks about 90 miles off Teokea. 500 miles off Tahiti. Then we went on to Pago Pago with our consignment of case oil and left it there for the Speejacks to pick up when she came along. Teokea is in the Tuomoto archipelago and Pago Pago is in Samoa, you know. I left oil at both places for Mr. Gowen.

"So far as I kept track of her the Speejacks was keeping to her schedule in good shape. I heard from her at Teokea. Tahiti, Pago Pago, and Apia in Samoa, Suva in Fiji, Noumea in New Caledonia and Sydney. I heard a rumor after I left Sydney that Mr. Gowen's drinking water went bad on him and that he had to put in somewhere to renew his supply: failed to find water and shipped a cargo of coco nut; and that they lived on coconut milk till they got to water. I don't believe it. though. as the Speejacks had a big fresh water supply and was equipped with a condenser to distill drinking water over from the salt If necessary.

Specially Built for It.

Mr. Gowen had the Speejacks built specially in New York and he is sailing her under the flag of the Adventurers' club. The proposed tour of the world will include approximately 50,000 miles and will take about 18 months for completion. Besides Mr. and Mrs. Gowen the boat has on board nine others, all men. including representatives of the American Museum of Natural History and the National Geographic society, as well as the Field museum of Chicago. Capt. Trevor Hogg, master of the ship. is an old college mate of Mr. Gowen, and was captain of the Princeton eleven in 1916.

The boat cost approximately $250,000 and is equipped for a cruising radius of 3,000 miles without renewal of supplies.

The last word received in New York from the Gowen party was a cable sent from Mr. Gowen at Ralaul, New Britain, to the Consolidated Shipbuilders' corporation. This was received several weeks ago, and said: "All well. Leaving today for Amboyna."

Amboyna is in the Malay archipelago.