The 1887 Voyage
Martin’s last voyage as master of the Eunice H. Adams that left New Bedford for the North Atlantic on October 16, 1887, was difficult and ended badly. The ship’s log offers some details of the trip. The concise and legible log generally records only what was important: the date, weather, and sometimes location of the ship. Entries finish with “So ends this day”—exceptions sometimes include the information that he saw nothing, no other ships or creatures. It appears the first mate, Arthur O. Gibbons, was the writer. Incessant high winds and bad weather hampered the trip: “the wind blew so that we could not lower the boats”; “strong winds”; “heavy” and “continuous gales”; “squally with rain” were the expressions most commonly used from October 1887 to January 1890, the last month of Captain Martin’s time on board.
By the end of the voyage, forty-seven men had served on the crew (including Martin and his replacement captain, Thomas E. Fordham), and between eight and fourteen men had deserted. And there are no indications of crewmen being punished. The captain provided for occasional leave for the entire crew. The crew several times refused to work, but in each instance Martin was able to reengage them, so his managerial skills seemed adequate. The constant references to the ship leaking, harpoons breaking, major and minor accidents—and miserable weather—certainly reflect conditions that did not contribute to the happiness of the crew.
This page has paths:
- William Martin Jordan Goffin
- William Martin and the 1887 Voyage of the Eunice H. Adams Jordan Goffin