NMHS: A CAUSE IN MOTION
COUNCIL OF AMERICAN MARITIME MUSEUMS
Let Go and Haul! Captain Walter Rybka and the Brig Niagara Bring the Battle of Lake Erie to Life It was cold, drizzling rain, and the wind was picking up outside the harbor in Erie, Pennsylvania. Aboard the US Brig Niagara fo r a daysail in late May was a gro up of individuals who, collectively, are most responsible fo r stewarding America's maritime heritage in the 2 1st century-the direcrors, educators, curato rs, presidents, and trustees of America's m aritime museums, in town for the C ouncil of American Mari time Museums' annual m eeting. All eyes were transfixed on Walter Rybka as he recounted the Battle of Lake Erie. Captain Rybka, site administrator of the Erie M aritime Museum and Niagara's senior captain, hosted this year's CAMM m eeting. From the deck of the original Niagara, Perry, assisted by the Beet of nine small ships under his command (six of which were built at Erie in the months leading up to the battle), defeated a British squad ro n of six vessels during the Battle of Lake Eriethe fi rst time in history that the British lost an entire squadron in battle. On that early autumn day in 18 13, not far from Put-inBay, Ohio, the British and American Beets opened fire, starting the battle each side had been anticipating for weeks. N ot long after Perry's Bagship Lawrence began exchanging fi re with the British ships Detroit and Queen
Captain Walter Rybka explains the Battle of Lake Erie aboard the brig N iagara.
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The work environment for Niagara's crew. Charlotte, the wind died and the becalmed Niagara did not fo llow to close with the enemy. The Lawrence was soon overwhelmed. W ith most of his crew wounded or killed, Perry transferred by small boat to the undamaged Niagara and hoisted his battle Bag-" Don't G ive Up the Ship." The breeze picked up and he sailed her into close actio n, broke the British line, fo rcing their surrender. In the aftermath, Perry wro te his immortal report to General William H enry H arriso n, "We have met the enemy and they are ours: rwo ships, rwo brigs, one schooner and one sloop." W hat better environment to learn about this important historic battle than from the deck of the current-day Niagara under sail in Lake Erie. The CAMM visitorcrew helped the regular crew haul lines and then watched them as they scampered aloft to loose sail and later furl, fire the guns, and both tack and wear ship. In tight quarters Niagara maneuvers with remarkable precision, a testam ent to an experienced captai n and well-trained crew. Watching them at their work, it becomes clear why a ship like this would need so m any hands and why strict order was so important to survival. This experience under sail exemplifies both the unparalleled value of hands-on learning of America1~ history and the power of a great storyteller. A better run or more valuable sailing
program, o ne where trai nees and visitors learn traditional square-rig seamanship along with the history Niagara represents, would be difficult to find. While m ost CAMM m embers have com e to know Captai n Rybka over the years through meetings and conferences, spending time with him in his elem ent aboard this ship showed us his character, expertise, dedication , and genuine enthusiasm in a whole new light. As terrific as all of this sounds, with the state of the economy this year, the State of Pennsylvania, who owns the ship, has m ade severe cuts in the ship's fundin g, putting the sailing program in jeopardy. Every effo rt needs to be made to restore the funds. Unlike many other traditional sailing ships, Niagara is not in need of a restoration beyond routine yearly m aintenance. O wners of other wooden ships have learned some hard and expensive lessons regarding cutting back on ro utine m aintenance, including maintaining the skills and enthusiasm of professional and volunteer crew. In the short term, the cut in Niagara's budget most jeopardizes the ship's abi li ry to get underway with a sailing crew, pile on sail, and leave in her wake a powerful educational experience for all who com e aboard, whether for the afternoon or fo r a whole season .
Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry in the Battle ofLake Erie, 10 September 1813. SEA HISTORY 128, AUTUMN 2009