|
Caribbean Consulting Merchandising w Marketing w Distribution w Profitability
Captain 'Freddy' Johnson in the garden of his home on Booby Hill. Captain E.A.Johnson, also known as 'Twenty-one knot Johnson' is Saba's best known Captain, not only because of his unique career, but more so because of his wonderful memoirs. He was born on Saba on June 15th, 1884. After a long and eventful life, he retired to his native island. In 1950, Mr. W.J. Goslinga, inspector at the Department of Education on Curacao, released a mimeograph copy of the life of Captain Ernest's reminiscences spanning the years from 1900 to 1920. The interviews by W.J. Goslinga and the mimeograph copy of the life of Captain Johnson were never published. Those few who are fortunate to have a copy of these memoirs can enjoy a glorious era in our island's past when our Captains of the oceans' seas were our role models and heroes.
Captain Johnson relates how he left Saba on January 20th, 1902 on the schooner 'Priscilla' under Captain Vanterpool for Humacao, Puerto Rico, to load cattle for Guyana. Four days later he arrived in Barbados to fetch water for the cattle, where he joined the schooner 'Daisy' under the command of Matty Winfield of St. John's and sailed the same day for St. Lucia to load a cargo of cord wood for Barbados. Later that year he joined Captain Lorenzo Simmons of The Bottom and worked some months on the Windjammer the 'Minerva' transporting prisoners from Cayenne to Devil's Island and Maroni. This indicates not only how Sabans got around but also that Saban schooners provided most of the trade between the West Indies at that time. That for which Captain Johnson is most known however is a unique sea saga which took place off the coast of the USA just after World War I. Captain Johnson, on the 'SS Atlanthus', was able to save the crew of the submarine S-5. She sank nose down in 170 feet of water off Delaware's Cape Henlopen. Due to the fact that the submarine was 231 feet in length, her stern rose to a 70 degree angle and was out of the water. Through the heroic efforts of Captain Johnson and his crew and after considerable time and effort the officers and crew of the submarine were rescued. Later Captain Johnson attended a ceremony in Washington DC where he received an engraved gold watch commemorating the historic event from the Secretary of the Navy in the presence of four Admirals. Captain Johnson is buried close to his home on Booby Hill. © Will JohnsonReturn to listing of Saba Sea Captains
This page was last updated on 06/29/2008 |
||
|
|
Captain Ernest
Alfred Johnson
Caribbean Consulting is a member of Caribbean Hotel Association (