Democratic Sentinel, Volume 20, Number 38, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 September 1896 — An Enormous Crew. [ARTICLE]

An Enormous Crew.

In Nelson’s day the stately Foudroyant carried 700 or 800 men, but with the aid of a couple of donkey engines, kept out of sight as much as possible, Mr. Cobb hopes to be able to navigate her with about fifty. When she is quite finished she will sail to the principal seaports of Great Britain, and after that cross the Atlantic to be shown to our American cousins. As many of the crew as possible are old man-of-war’s men who have served in wooden ships, and when all is ready they will wear the uniform of Nelson’s day, from the White trousers, on which they themselves sewed vertical strips Of canvas to make them look smart, to thq stee-ple-crowned bowlers of shiny ifarpaulin, which they call “sky-scrapers.” All who wish to see what ships looked like in the day when Nelson swept the seas should take this opportunity of visiting the Foudroyant. It was in the Foudroyant that Nelson had the satisfaction, in direct defiance of his com-mander-in-chiefs (Lord Keith’s) orders, of capturing the Genereux, the French ship of the line which had captured Captain Berry in his fifty-gun ship, as he was carrying home the news of the victory of the Nile. The French very magnanimously released Captain Berry on parole. And the Foudroyant is consecrated to Englishmen not only as Nelson’s flag ship, for in her captain’s cabin expired the gallant. Sir Ralph Abercrombie after winning the land battle of Aboukir.