ON BOARD THE SHIPS, 1905

The Galveston Daily News reported Christmas Day Celebrations were observed aboard many ships in port that day in 1905:

"OFFICERS AND SAILORS CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS IN A SUMPTUOUS AND LOYAL MANNER"

"MANY FOREIGN SHIPS IN PORT"

For the men who go down to the sea in ships life is not all grog and plum duff and fo'castle yarning. Nevertheless the Christian mariners do have one great day to be spent in the various ways that widely differing customs of their lands and sea clans have for years decreed - Christmas Day.  Plum puddings sent weeks in advance to the Christmas port of the English steamers, extra wines for the French and Italians and sacred pictures, emblems, etc., for those whose, creed demands a greater religious observance of the day than Americans and Englishmen generally give it.

In port yesterday there were 36 vessels all told, over 25 of which a foreign flag floats. Of this number, 20 were English, 2 Spanish, 1 Italian and 2 Norwegian. The rest were American vessels, 8 of which are steamers and 2 schooners. On all of these vessels there was some sort of celebration, the day being observed according to the whims and necessities confronting the officers and men.

Galveston Harbor, 1907

It is not a pleasant thing to spend Christmas away from home. There is much the same sensation that comes to a Down Easter when he is forced to take his Thanksgiving turkey among strangers. But sailors are a race in whom adaptation to circumstances is a necessity. Consequently, though their firesides and porches are scattered over the world, the mariners who spent the great feast day in Galveston managed to extract almost as much meat from their holiday nuts as those for whom the shells had been already cracked.

On some of the vessels evergreens were displayed, while others had their cabins and dining saloons decorated with mistletoe and holly. There was a holiday spirit manifested around all of them, and on board the ones visited by a News reporter a most hearty English welcome was given.

Many of the officers made social calls on their brother officers of other vessels, while the sailors, firemen and engineer helpers were given shore liberties, no more work aboard vessels than was absolutely necessary being required of them. Those who received gifts from relatives and friends in distant lands proudly displayed them to their shipmates and those who did not receive favors of this kind joined heartily in the pleasures of the others and partook of their share of plum pudding and other Christmas eatables. Extra allowance in quantity and quality of food was served the sailors, while the officers sat before a sumptuous board, on which was found all the substantial and delicacies of the season.

Toasts were drank and general good feeling and Christmas cheer prevailed.

Since 1898, during the Spanish American War, volunteers of the Seamen's Church Institute have knitted, collected, packed, and distributed gifts to mariners who are miles away from home during the holidays. The gift consists of a hand-knit garment, a personal letter, and information on SCI's services for mariners.

In addition to this, SCI also includes several useful items like hand lotion, lip balm, and toothbrushes-things difficult to come by when working long stretches on the water.

 The historic name of this volunteer program, Christmas at Sea, only partially describes the work of the people who make holidays a little warmer for mariners. While gift distribution happens during winter months, collection and creation of items happens year round, and while many gifts go to international mariners working "at sea," thousands of gifts also go to mariners working on inland waterways here in the United States.

Once again this year, Christmas at Sea gift boxes went to all Higman vessels!  If you want to send a special note of thanks to the Seamen's Church folks,  click here.

For most of us who have worked Christmas Day out on the water, there is a story or two to tell about our experiences.  Here is one of mine from 1982 while sailing on the Alaskan run between San Francisco and Valdez, Alaska, aboard the tanker, SS EXXON PHILADELPHIA.   

The Golden Gate Bridge, connecting San Francisco to the county of Marin, has closed only three times due to high winds since it was opened in 1937.  One of those days was on December 23, 1982, two days before Christmas.  Winds were gusting to 70 mph and the bridge was visibly swaying.  As a precaution, traffic was halted during the worst of it. 

Below in the Golden Gate Straits, waves were rolling into the bay at steep, angry angles.  Offshore, the waves were ranging between 30 and 40 feet with the wind blowing off the tops.  This was part of a big North Pacific winter storm that would last for days.

Ready to sail that day was the SS EXXON PHILADELPHIA.  I had been assigned to the "Philly" for several years and was presently the First Engineer.  Seeing the weather conditions, I privately hoped that our departure would be delayed.  Cargo operations were complete though, and we readied the ship for sea.

The San Francisco Bar Pilot came on board to guide us out of the harbor.  Our Captain, Marshall Pierce, lovingly known as "Capt. Footsie" expected the Pilot to ride the 6 days to Valdez with us because the sea conditions would be too rough to safely allow him to get from the ship to the pilot boat once out.  The Pilot disagreed; he was not going to miss Christmas at home and would get off the ship one way or another.

The trip under the bridge was rough as we headed up the ship channel to the sea buoy. Green water was already washing over the decks which was very impressive considering the ship was empty and the freeboard very high.  Once clear of the sea buoy, it was time to disembark the Pilot.

Below the pilot boat struggled with the large waves.  While watching it, I could see the entire boat disappear as waves washed over it. Capt. Footsie turned the ship broadside to the wind and waves to help shelter the pilot boat as it came alongside our lee.   Wary of water washing over the deck, the Chief Mate and crew made their way on to the deck from the shelter of the house.   A pilot ladder was rigged on the starboard side by our crew as the Pilot made his way from the wheelhouse to the ship's side.  Another heavy line was rigged next to the pilot ladder so the Pilot could shimmy down instead of trying to navigate the ladder.

Timing between waves, the Pilot grabbed the line and slid to the pilot boat 40 feet below.  A deckhand on the board grabbed the Pilot in a bear hug as he reached the deck.  In a second, both disappeared as a wave washed over the boat.  When the wave subsided, I could see both were still onboard.  They crawled along the pilot boat's deck and quickly climbed into the cabin.  The pilot boat powered up to turn and then headed back into San Francisco Bay.

Capt. Footsie swung the ship to the West and we headed out to sea.

SS EXXON PHILADELPHIA

President Franklin D. Roosevelt addressed the crews of these ships in a radio message sent on Christmas day, 1943.

Here is that broadcast.

A message from the President to the men of the American Merchant Marine. 

As we celebrate this Christmas we must all extend our greetings to the peoples of the United Nations. In their leaders I met open minded men of great vision forecasting a lasting peace and a future of peace and good will toward men. Today we have overseas almost twice the number of armed men that we had a year ago.

We have handed the men of the Merchant Marine the great job of furnishing these men with supplies with food and munitions with planes and tanks with guns and more men to bring closer our victory. As fighting men you of the Merchant Marine are scattered throughout the world far from families and friends on this Christmas Day. The great plans made at the recent conferences will speed the day when you can again be with them. I bring to the people of our nation and to its proud sons in the Merchant Marine the purposeful intentions of Churchill, Stalin and Chiang Kai Shek and the nations they represent that we will fight together until ultimate victory.

The pressure of our united attack is constantly increasing on every front. That pressure will engulf our common enemy. The steel walls of Hitler's and Hirohito's brutal empires will draw tight about their throats. Our plans are made and we are united. Hitler is listening and he would like to know when we are launch the attack that will seal his doom. So I cannot tell you but those plans are set and they will be carried out. A truly great American will lead that attack our own General Eisenhower [sic] and back of him in a powerful united effort are the full resources of all our nations combined to render a crushing defeat to those who gained what they have through force. We will defeat them.

Those who have been enslaved will be freed even those who have through force been brought under the grinding heel of their own leaders. Three fourths of all the peoples of the earth are joined in a common cause of freedom loving people. We will be strong united strength for freedom not for enslavement there will be no slaves in our free world nor will the aggressor arise again to enslave his fellow men. It will be peace even if we must resort to force to maintain that peace on earth and good will toward men.

On behalf of your friends your loved ones and the people of the United States and of the United Nations I send you this greeting. Our hearts are with you as you travel the wide deep oceans. May God's blessing and comfort guide you and keep us strong in our faith that we fight for a better day for all mankind.

Franklin D Roosevelt

From The Seamen's Church Institute Digital Archives, 1943 - 1945

With a fleet of Higman boats and barges regularly operating in the Chicago trade, the story of the ill-fated "Christmas Tree Ship" which sank in 1912 is pertinent at this time of the year.

During the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, Great Lakes schooners shipped and sold Christmas trees on their last voyage before winter arrived.   They would cut and load Christmas trees across Lake Michigan in the Northern regions and sail south to Chicago with their loads.  Being late in the season, winter storms made the voyage treacherous.  One of the most famous "Christmas Tree Ships" was the S/V Rouse Simmons.

The S/V Rouse Simmons was a three-mast schooner used on the Great Lakes for shipping.  Built in 1868, she was 127 feet long with a beam of 27.5 feet.  The vessel was named after a member of the Simmons family, an influential family that later founded the Simmons Mattress Company.

Captain Herman Schuenemann purchased the S/V Rouse Simmons in 1910 and always used it for the Christmas tree run.

Traditionally Captain Schuenemann would take his load of Christmas trees on the five-day journey from Thompson, Michigan to Chicago, Illinois arriving the day after Thanksgiving.  There he would sell the trees directly to Chicago residents from the decks of the ship at the dock.  The trees were sold for between $0.50 cents and $1.00, but Herman Schuenemann, affectionately known as "Captain Santa", also gave away some of the trees to needy families.

Because it was the last voyage of the season, he filled the hold with 5,000 trees.  He lashed another 500 to the deck.  As he left port in late November of 1912, the Captain and his crew could tell bad weather was on the way.  Several crew members actually refused to go because someone saw rats leaving the ship right before it was set to sail, a bad omen.  

The ship ran into a full blown winter blizzard on the Lake Michigan. With an already overloaded ship, waves breaking over the gunwales leaked into the cargo hold and quickly turned to ice in the freezing temperatures. The added weight brought the ship lower and lower in the water.  On November 23, 1912, the ship went down with seventeen crewmembers aboard who were lost.

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