Democratic Sentinel, Volume 20, Number 17, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 May 1896 — VENERABLE OLD SALT. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

VENERABLE OLD SALT.

Capt. Hains Has Crossed the Atlantic Nearly Six Hundred Times. Captain W. H. Hains, commodore of the Cunard fleet, who has Just retired from active service, was one of the oldest and ablest of the world’s ship masters. In his retirement maritime commerce suffers a distinct loss. The old salt had been in the service of the great line of steamers siuce 1857 and made no fewer than 590 trips across the Atlantic. His last voyage was made in the Campania. It was his one desire to sail the sea until he had made a record of 600 trips, but an accident caused his temporary retirement and his ambition has therefore been thwarted. Captain Hains was one of the most cautious of the skippers that command the great ocean liners. It Is said of him that it was his invariable rule on approaching land in hazy weather, no matter what his temptation might have been to break a record, to stop the ship absolutely and to take “up and down” casts of the deep

sea lead. He would never rely upon any patented apparatus without repeatedly verifying the results. Throughout his thirty-nine years’ experience he has added his quota to the fine record for safety and speed now held by the big company of which he was one of the most faithful serrants.

CAPT. W. H. HAINS.