NEW YORK REACHED

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 83, 2 January 1935, Page 9

NEW YORK REACHED

Mr. A. Villiers’s Craft VOYAGE FROM NASSAU (Received January 1, 5.5 p.m.) New York,’ December 31. Scores of old-time sailors were disappointed as they waited hours yesterday on the south shore of Staten Island to witness the spectacle of Allen Villiers bringing his square-rigged craft Joseph Conrad into New York harbour.

The craft anchored off Sandy Hook late on Saturday and yesterday attempted to break «a way against a strong north-west wind and powerful ebb tide, but, even with the use of an auxiliary motor, was unable to make much progress, and at nightfall dropped sail still seven .miles from the Narrows leading into the harbour. The craft had arrived from Nassau. . As there was not sufficient wind to move the vessel Mr. Villiers had the Joseph Conrad towed into quarantine to-day, where, after the routine examination by Customs and health inspectors, it will be towed to an anchorage off the Brooklyn waterfront. Mr. Villiers said that all haste was made from Nassau to arrive before the New Year as the home of several members of the crew was in New York He said: “I will remain about 10 days before continuing the round-the-world cruise via South America. Australia and Africa.”

Mr. A. J. Villiers is a well-known journalist and author, who has written a number of books and many newspaper articles on the last days of the sailingship. At one time he was on the staff of a Hobart newspaper, and he made several voyages in sailing-ships. Aboiit five or six years ago he joined the ship Grace Harwar, which loaded wheat at. a South Australian port for Falmouth for orders, this voyage providing him with the material for a subsequent book, “By Way of Cape Horn.” A similar passage iu the Herzogin Cecilie produced ‘‘Falmouth for Orders.” Mr. ‘Villiers also made a voyage hi the Antarctic in a Norwegian whaler. Later he acquired an interest in the sailing ship Parma, in which he made two voyages with wheat from South Australia. The “Voyage of the Parma” and “Sea Dogs of To-day” are later books by Mi. Villiers.