LETTERS
DECK LOG Not long after yo u receive this Sea H istory, different aspects of yo ur Society's message will start racing down phone lines, bouncing off satellites and pulsating on computer screens around the planer. This is not a didactic or professional message, but a dramatic story-telling one. Scholarship helps develop that story, howeve r, in a series of relationships we've worked out with some very interesting partners. The first of these efforrs , available in September as a CD-ROM from the producers, C inegram Media, Inc. , is a pictorial and descriptive review of the tall ships of the world's sail training fleet presented by NMHS and photographed and narrated (in descriptive text that acco mpanies his photos) by longtime NMHS contributor Thad Koza. An enlarged version will appear early next year, jointly presented by NMHS in partnership with Operation Sail. This presentation, des igned to attract and inform just about anyone interes ted in the visiting ships of OpSail 2000, will be linked to NMHS information centers, those of OpSail, and M ys tic Seaport as the Museum of America and the Sea. NMHS is also wo rking with Mystic Seaport and with Captain Richard Bailey of the frigate "HMS " Rose in a fictional eight-part drama call ed "Search for the Go lden Dolphin, " to be released by
I mages from "Search for the Golden Dolphin" (Cin egram Media, Inc.)
Cinegram Media in October. The story is told in the form of an interactive computer adventure in 3D. The player takes the role of a mythical Nathaniel Thorne who rises to fame and fortune during the Quasi-War with France-or dies (or is ruined) in rhe attempt. The various outcomes spring from decisions the participant makes in navigation, ship-han dling, tactics, intelligence evaluation and even provisioning a sailing ship of two hundred years ago. An extensive glossary and select bibliography (including movies) are included, and, again, the CD-ROM is linked to NMH S, Mystic, the USS Constitution Museum, "HMS" Rose and other sources for further informati on. A third venture is a monthly internet American history magazine called "history treas ures.com." NM HS is to supply a monthly maritime story, which we rake considerable pleasure in doing. We also rake a distinct pleasure in offering NMHS membership , books and merchandise in these electronic pages-with rhe glorious prospect of reaching great numbers of people who do not even know our name. Ir's a viral part of our mission to reach out and sign such people aboard. And I beli eve no present NMHS member will miss the relationship between new members and our ability to deliver quire another so rt of value-taking kids to sea to learn the priceless lessons of seafaring.
Casting a Wider Net One final venture with which we are marginally but proudly associated is the establishment by an IBM-Cinegram partnership of a maj or project to reproduce every item of the 90% of the great museum collections which are hidden from pub lic view as effectively as the underwater mass of an iceberg. Mystic is at work entering its collection of over a million historical items, and we have proposed to our friends at Britain's National Maritime Museum that they embark on a parallel venture. This is no small task. But think of the rewards to people around the world and, indeed, to the museums involved! We believe the curious inquirer, free to roam the back rooms, will become a well-informed participant in the life of the museums, bringing fresh life, outreach and insight to these noble institutions and to the heritage they serve. PETER STANFORD
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Archie Horka, a Fine Skipper was delighted to learn that we had a mutual friend in Capt. Archie Horka. I became chief mate of rhe M/V Lightning in Jan uary 1944 and completed one voyage before my twenty-second birthday. Capt. Horka joined the vessel inJulyofthar year, and I was his mate until October when the Port Captain insisted that I sit for m y master's license. I was very happy sailing with such a fine skipper and I learned a lot. I would have liked to have remained where I was and told the Port Captain so. He advised me to get the license anyway. I then made one voyage as chief mare in the Shooting Star, sister ship to rhe Lightning. When I returned I reminded the Port Captain of hi s promise to let me serve with Capt. Horka again . He countered by asking: how wo uld I like to celebrate the New Year at home? With the war going on, who could refuse an offer like that? I took command of the Leonidas Merritt, a Liberty ship, a month befo re my twenty-third birthday. ANDREW EDWARD GIBSON
Short Hills, New Jersey Capt. Gibson went on to become Chairman of the US Maritime Commission.-ED. During the winter of 1956-57, as an apprentice pilot on the Delaware River, I had the occasion to accompany my father, Capt. J . P. Johnso n, on a river transit in the SS American Scout, of which Capt. Horka was the mas ter. T he ship was bound for Baltimore via the C & D Canal. Upon sailing, my father turned the conn over to me (under his supervision, of course). I noticed that the captain was standing on the bridge wing and did nor enter the bridge at all. When I commented to my father about this, he replied, "Capt. Horka does not like tobacco smoke and prefers to remain outside" (my father and I were smoking like chimneys). Most US Line mas ters who didn 'r like smokers simply banned smoking on the bridge, but Capt. Horka was too much a gentleman to make an issue of it. Off the entrance to the C & D Canal, my father asked Capt. Horka if he would mind if he allowed me to conn the ship through the canal. The canal in those days was only 25 0 feet wide at the bottom as opposed to its present day dimension of 400 feet; a C-2 cargo ship was of substantial size for that time. W ithout hesita ti on, Capt. H orka replied, "By all means, Mr. Pilot!
SEA HISTORY 90, AUTUMN 1999