The newspapers had been full of stories of the top-of-the-world voyage of the dirigible NORGE from King's Bay, Spitzbergen, to Teller, AK, carrying Amundsen, Lincoln Ellsworth, and their daring crew of North Pole explorers. I was intensely interested in the passage of the ship-of-the-air over the top-of-the-world but had no idea I would have a part in the stories of the flight told in pictures.
Schooner C.S. HOLMES framed print donated by Miles McCoy. Saltwater People Historical Archives. |
One summer afternoon in 1926 as I wended my way up the Seattle waterfront to meet the romantic old sailing schooner C. S. HOLMES, I anticipated a pleasant chat with her master, Capt. John Backland Sr., and the story of a trading cruise to the Arctic Coast of AK. As I climbed aboard the HOLMES, I was given a warm greeting by the bearded skipper of the trim four-master. He introduced me to a stocky young Norwegian who spoke very little English.
Capt. Backland, to my astonishment, explained that the young fellow, who joined the C. S. HOLMES at Teller, AK, had been the photographer of the NORGE during the ship-of-the-air's voyage over the North Pole and had the film of numerous shots taken during the flight. He wished to buy some cigarettes and use a telephone. Would I help him?
I realized that the young Norwegian had in an important-looking black case, a part of his luggage, a great world-wide news picture scoop and I was not long in warming up to him. I would be very glad to assist the visitor to our shores, the first to use the top-of-the-world route, I told Capt. Backland.
When we reached the shoreside end of the dock house at Pier 5, where the HOLMES was moored, I saw a news hawk of the rival sheet heading for the vessel.
Determined not to allow my guest with the first pictures of the NORGE flight to fall into his hands, I quickly explained as best I could that I was sorry, but there were no phones nor cigarettes on the central waterfront and to comply with his wishes, I must take him to a dock quite a distance north.
We had some heavy luggage to carry but succeeded in reaching Pier 14, where we found a phone and I called a taxicab. I told my friend that the cigarettes and the telephone service were better uptown.
It was late afternoon when we reached the newsroom of my paper and I explained that my guest had the first pictures of the Amundsen flight over the North Pole. We were not long making a deal with the young Norwegian. He accepted our offer of a guarantee of one hundred dollars if the films developed satisfactorily. We took the films to our staff photographers who accomplished wonders in producing a score of sensational pictures in the Saturday editions and had another spread Sunday morning. During the final conferences, the young Norwegian kept watching me with a puzzled expression on his face. Then he said, "'did you forget about the cigarettes and where can I use a telephone?"
C.S. HOLMES A gift from W. E. Evans. Original photo from the archives of the S.P.H.S.© |
Of the Arctic traders that threaded their way through ice floes to little settlements near the top of the world, the HOLMES was one of the most widely known. For more than 30 years, she operated from Seattle to Point Barrow and native villages in the Far North.
Native Alaskans skinning seals for trading with the sailing ships, as referenced in this article. Sad but true. Original photo from the archives of the Saltwater People Historical Society© |
Each spring the HOLMES would tow to Cape Flattery and spread her sails to the winds of the North Pacific, laden with cargo that was traded for furs obtained by Alaskan natives in the North land's wilderness.
Built in 1893 in Port Blakely, the vessel was named for the late C. S. HOLMES, one of the original owners of the Port Blakely Mill Co. Mr. Holmes later lived in San Francisco where he was a partner in the firm of Renton & Holmes.
The trim four-master was constructed in the Hall Brothers' Shipyards, the predecessor of the Winslow Marine Railway & Shipbuilding Co. That was when Benjamin Harrison was president, and four years before the gold ship PORTLAND arrived from AK with her Klondyke-treasure cargo.
The HOLMES was operated by the late Capt. John Backland Sr., and until WWII forced her into retirement, by his son, Capt. John Backland, Jr.
The Arctic trade of the Backlands' was one of the oldest shipping enterprises in Seattle. It was established in 1906 when the late Capt. Backland Sr., purchased a half interest in the sailing schooner VOLANTE, and then acquired the sailing schooner TRANSIT in 1908.
Captain Backland, Sr, took the TRANSIT into the Arctic every season from that time until she was lost in the ice off Point Barrow in 1913. Then he purchased the C. S. HOLMES. (For a Saltwater People post with more on the TRANSIT and her builder click here.)
Capt. John Backland Sr., as I remember him, was a tall, dignified, mustached master mariner, who was very religious. Born in Sweden, he became a naturalized British subject and sailed as master of English ships between London, Australia, and New Zealand.
Capt. Backland was married in London and came to Seattle from the British port in 1906. Three years later, he became an American citizen. He was succeeded as head of the C . S. Holmes Shipping Co by his son, who made many voyages with his father and had a remarkable linguistic ability to trade with the Eskimos.
Capt. John Backland Jr., with his intimate knowledge of the ice-choked Arctic seas, became a Navy pilot, and served in that capacity with Barex, the Navy's annual supply expedition from Seattle to Point Barrow, farthest north settlement under the American flag.
The elder Backland died in 1928, after being in the Arctic trade 21 years.
The HOLMES was requisitioned by the Army and converted into a barge in the plant of the Winslow Marine Railway & Shipbuilding Co. She was shorn of her towering masts and new deck houses for officers and crew. The vessel was used by the Army in transporting cargo on Puget Sound during the war and then sold to a shipbroker. Many on the waterfront thought the HOLMES should have been spared, that other vessels were more suitable for conversion into a barge because of the old windjammer's age, but war means waste and destruction and the HOLMES became a casualty of the struggle."
Calkins, R. H. "Skipper". High Tide; Seattle, Marine Digest Publishing, 1952.
I have a special interest in this story, as I have a lovely painting, by Hewitt Jackson of the C.S. Holmes. The painting was commissioned by my Father, a good friend of Hewitt's. The painting was in the making for a couple years. I have Hewitt's prelim sketches of it, too. It is incredibly detailed. Both men were fanatical that the painting be correct in every detail.
ReplyDeleteHi Jo,
DeleteThanks for reading the Log and taking time to comment. How special that you have a H. Jackson commissioned painting.
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web admin
My grandfather now 100 years old hand built a replicia of this boat back in 1934. He would hand sketch the boat and go home to fabricate it. He was in love with this vessel and got invited on the ship to meet Backland Jr. I would love to share his story for any interested. His modek is now in my possesion.
ReplyDeleteThanks for reading the Log and taking time to write. If you would like to write up a story with more than you have sent, it would be great fun to post on the Log. It would be fun to catch a photo or two of the model. Thanks a bunch.
DeleteWeb admin.
How would I share a picture of his model? I dont see that attachments are available for loading.
DeleteI will share his full story that he has written out in regards to this vessel.
Hello Sportay2340
DeleteWe have no email for you, with your latest comment but would be interested in your material and model photo. Try us at saltwaterpeople at gmail dotcom. Thanks for writing.
Hello Sportay2340, your mail had no return address. if you go to the the Saltwater People homepage and look up ours under 'about us'. That should help.
DeleteI just sent an email in regards to my grandfathers story of his model of this vessel.
ReplyDeleteHi there, Wow!! Thank you to you and to your grandfather. This story will be the next post.
DeleteThanks so much for contributing to this Log.
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saltwaterpeople (at) gmail (dot) com
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteIf you might like to be a bit more polite someone might sometime help you. Your comment has no return address so I can not communicate with you. Meanwhile my community service will be taken up with posting about the 101 yo schooner model maker.
ReplyDeleteMy Grandfather Walter Sullivan sailed on the Holmes. There was a picture taken as they were sailing into Seattle in which my Grandfather was up in the yardarm. Would you know of such a photo and whom I might contact to purchase a copy? Thank you
ReplyDeleteFascinating story of The C.S. Holmes schooner. It was named for my great great grandfather, Charles Stuart Holmes (1821-1906) who later lived in San Francisco, then Belvedere, California. His daughter, Gertrude Stuart Holmes was my paternal grandmothe. I have photos that I would be glad to share. Sandra Stuart Kierulff
ReplyDeleteHi Sandra - I would love to find a nice photo of the CS Holmes to hang in my office. If you have some I could look at I would be happy to purchase it. If you have negatives even better. This would be for my personal pleasure nothing commercial.
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