NMHS:
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A CAUSE IN MOTION How NMHS Got One New Mem ber Our reco rds no lo nger go back rhis fa r, a sad commenrary for a historical sociery. In 1991 when our paper files were digirized, we did no r keep rhe old paperwork, and we have been sorry ever since. I wo uld have no way of kn owing how Gene Olsen cam e robe a member had he nor ro ld me. On rhe passage back fro m Bermuda o n rhe QE2, which NMH S did wirh our members in Seprember 2002, Ge ne ro ld us his srory. In gale winds and mouming seas of a develo pings rorm on rheafrernoon ofJanuary 14, 1970, rheAmerican Presidenr Lin e SS PresidentJackson had been wirhour comm un ica rio n since losing all radi o am enn as befo re dawn. Abour 4 PM, rhe ship reesrablished H F communi cario ns rh ro ugh a ju1y- rigged anrenna. Ir immediarely received a US Coasr G uard AMVER disrress message ro aid a sinki ng schoo ner app roxim arely 120 miles NNE of Bermuda. Eugene Olsen was m as rer of rhe President Jackson. T he schooner Tina Maria D oncine lay 75 miles away wirh less rhan rwo ho urs ro sunser. T he LORAN and radi o rel eph o n e were o u r, bu r rh eir deadrecko ning was good and rhe radar was wo rking. H eading toward rhe Tina Maria Doncine, rhe President Jackson pi rched and roll ed violendy, cras hing in ro each swell , sendin g cominuous sheers of wa rer well above rhe bridge. As rhe wea rher dereriorared and nighr fell , rhe President Jackson crew heard rhar rhe USCG fi xed-wing aircrafr losr co nracr wirh rhe schoo ner. T he Canadian Coas r G uard C urre r Baffin had already made a valiam ane mp r ro save rhe schooner's crew bur had susrained hull dam age and crew inj uries and was unable ro m aneuver. A U SCG aircrafr dropped by parachu re rwo po rrable gas- powe red pumps, bur rhe schooner's crew never fo und rhem in rhe heavy seas. Eugene Olsen heard rhe schoo ner's caprain radio rhe U SCG aircrafr rhar she wo uld no r sray afloar rhrough rhe nighr. T heir power-dri ve n pumps had fai led, and rhey were using m anual pumps and buckers. T he President Jackson was o nl y able ro locare rhe schooner because of rhe radar ra rger of rhe circling USCG aircrafr. W hen Caprain Olsen sighred rhe schooner, he rhoughr rhe siruarion hopeless, and planned ro hold srarion during rhe nighr, hoping for
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an improve m em in rhe wea rher. The schooner's caprain replied rhar rhey had ro abandon ship immediarely sin ce his vessel co uld no r sray afloar much longer. COURTF..SY CAPTAIN EUGENE O LSEN
Wirh every avail able line, ner, and lighr rigged ro srarboard, Cap rain Olsen approached rhe sinki ng schoo ner from rhe sourh wes r ro creare a lee. T he President Jackson reacred like a peanur in a was hing machine as he neared, ar which rime rhe chief engineer no rified him rhar rheir cargo had come adrifr. H e brough r rheJackson in line wirh rhe schooner onl y few feer away. His crew lined rhe bulwa rks holding li nes, ladders, and ners over rhe side wairing for rhe schooner's crew ro make rh e deck. For
nine full minures Caprain Olsen kepr his ship alongside while rhe schoon er's crew secured lines ro rhemselves and were each hauled aboard. One smashed head firsr inro rhe deck and an older crewman was hauled up by a line ried to his waisr. All seven men made ir aboard safely. As rhe Jackson veered inro rhe sea, rhe schooner sank. Only rhirry minures larer rhey had ro srop engines, and in swells roll ing rhem fifty degrees for four hours, rhe ch ief engineer locared and plugged a condenser leak ro ger rhe ship underway. For rhis courageous rescue ar sea, rhe SS President Jackson won rhe G allanr Ship Award, and Caprain Olsen was awarded the Am erican M erchant Marine Seamanship T rophy and the Meritorias Service M edal. As a result of being given these hono rs fo r his valor, Caprain O lsen was also gifred a membership in the National M aritim e Hisrorical Society. Thar is how we go r o ne more member. B URCHENAL GREEN
Vice President
NATIONAL MARITIME HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Annual Awards Dinner Wednesday, 5 November2003 at the New York Yacht C lu b New York, New York
Keynote Speaker & Disti119uished Service Award Recipient DR. R OBERT B ALLA RD
NMHS Fournfer1s Slieet Ancfwr Award D AYID A. O 'NEIL, NMHS Tru stee Recepti on at 5:30PM ; D inner at 7PM $300 per person
For reservations: NMHS , PO Box 68 Peekski II NY 10566 phone: 800 22 1-6647 , xO e- mail : nm hs@seahistory.org
Seating is limited, so please reserve your space immediately. Black tie optional
Dr. Ballard ofthe Institutefor Exploration is renownedfor his discovery ofthe wrecks ofthe T ira n ic, USS Yo rkrown, and other ships, and, most recently, his work in the depths ofthe Black Sea.
SEA HISTORY 105 , AUTUMN 2003