“navigation of antiquity” — Leif Ericson Commemorative Silver Dollar Coin

Today, the Leif Ericson Commemorative Silver Dollar Coin remembers when The Viking, a facsimile of the old ship of Gokstad, left Norway headed for America and the Columbian Exposition.

From The Indian and Antiquities ff America by Barnard Shipp, published in 1897:

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When the Columbian Exposition at Chicago was prepared in celebration of the discovery of America by Christopher Columbus, the pride and patriotism of the Norwegians were aroused, and they determined to send to this Exposition a model of the old Viking ship of Gokstad, and demonstrate to the world, by their own daring achievement, how their ancestors discovered America nearly a thousand years ago.

Captain Magnus Andersen, with whom originated the idea of sailing a Viking ship across the Atlantic, applied to some leading men in Norway for their assistance, and a few gentlemen in Christiania were elected a committee to make a national undertaking of it, and they issued invitations all over Norway to support the scheme.

Thus support came from every part of the world where Norwegians were residing; rich and poor, high and low, old and young, even the little school-children gave their saved-up cents; in fact, all gave their share with a cheerful heart.

The ship was built at Sandefiord, true in every detail and dimensions to the old ship, and, once on the water, her standard went to the top, flying the name of ” Viking,” whilst hundreds of men were ready to become one of her crew.

The voyage of the Viking from Bergen, in Norway, to New London, in the State of Connecticut, deserves a particular notice, as it illustrates the navigation of antiquity, and proves not only the ability of vessels of that period to make long voyages, but the actual fact of their achievement.

The following is a brief sketch of the most important part of the particulars of this remarkable voyage:

In the month of April, when the Viking left Christiania, the capital of Norway, all the residents were down by the fiord to bid the ship and her twelve men on board “farewell” — best wishes of a “safe voyage, and kind regards to our brethren in America,” rang through the air, with no end of cheers from the natives on the surrounding hillsides — a sight carrying with it, as it did, such intense feeling of joyful, national pride never to be forgotten by any of those who witnessed it.

Yet the same thing occurred at every place where the Viking called on her way round the coast to Bergen, and it certainly reached its climax that beautiful Sunday morning, the 30th of April (1893), when the Viking left her moorings at the capital to go to sea.

A fresh northwesterly wind carried the ship swiftly along, and soon brought her out of sight of land. The next day brought changeable wind, with rain, which continued on for a couple of days, until on the 5th of May, after having passed the Shetland Islands, a southerly gale sprung up, with very heavy sea.

The sails had to be reefed, and pumping or bailing was kept up all day and night, as the vessel was taking great quantities of water forward, at times, especially about noon, when the sea had become extremely boisterous, and threatened to fill the ship; but she behaved splendidly on the tops of the mighty waves, and proved herself a good sea-boat, well worthy of the confidence that had been placed in her.

The rudder on the side was in every way most satisfactory, and during the storm it was proven beyond a doubt that its action was as perfect as any of our modern steering gears, and the men at the rudder had no difficulty in handling it.

The following day the storm was settling down, and a fresh southerly wind filled the Viking’s sails, while the sea had quieted down to such an extent that hardly a drop of water got on board.

On Monday, the 8th of May, the wind changed to northerly, with a sea rolling heavily. The next evening a strong gale of wind prevailed with a heavy sea.

The wind had changed in the morning to southwest, and kept on growing in strength, until at eleven o’clock it became necessary to reef, and at noon a terrific storm was raging, with mountain-high seas, which seemed to reach a climax at four o’clock, when sails were made fast, and the sea-anchor had to be put out, and by the aid of oil bags the ship was kept steady in the wild play of the waves.

Towards evening the storm began to calm down, to the delight of all on board, as little rest had been found during the day in their soaked clothes.

About noon the next day the sea-anchor could be hauled on board, and the square sail with three reefs hoisted to hurry the Viking along before a southerly wind, through the still somewhat heavy sea.

During the following week the Viking experienced comparatively fair weather, and everything went on splendidly.

The 17th of May, the Norwegian independence day, was a grand day on board.

Favored with the finest weather that could be desired, the ship was doing her ten miles (per hour?), and everybody on board was in the best of humor.

The 17th of May in Norway is what the 4th of July is to Americans.

Nothing important occurred until Sunday, the 21st of May, when, just as dinner was served out, the man on the lookout reported “A steamer ahead.”

The steamer proved to be the Amerithia, of Glasgow, whose commander, Captain Crayton, courteously undertook to forward the letters and telegrams of the Viking.

The next few days the wind varied, partly accompanied by fogs, and on the. 24th of May the steamship Accides, of Glasgow, was passing, exchanging signals.

Fog and icebergs were now beginning to trouble the Viking, and the thermometer was several times approaching zero, but fortunately everything went all right until Saturday, the 28th of May, when Cape Spear was sighted.

A towboat from St. Johns came out to the Viking, which had been taken for a dismasted schooner. The captain of the tug (Mr. Cross) most obligingly undertook to mail the Viking’s letters and telegrams.

On the following Monday Cape Race was passed, twenty- nine days after leaving Bergen.

The next two weeks went by slowly, on account of very little wind, and it was not until Sunday, the 11th of June, that land was sighted, south of Cape Cod.

Words cannot express what the men on board the Viking felt as they now for the first time sighted the United States.

History came back to them in all its vividness; Leif Erickson’s deeds flashed through their minds, and there he stood, all alive, before them, and suddenly they knew they had been the means of proving what was recorded in the Sagas was actually correct and true, and what they had done was only what their forefathers had done before them.

In a strong wind and with all sails set the Viking commenced to beat down the coast in company with a number of coasting vessels, and it did not take long to find out her superior sailing qualities, as she was gaining on many of her companions, who were wondering how this copy of a thousand-years-old ship could be such a seaworthy vessel that she could beat the modern constructions in sailing, even with the wind ahead.

The following Monday morning the Viking passed through Nantucket Shoals and down through Vineyard Sound, which was passed in the thickest of fogs and during the night, and it was only by the aid of soundings and the fog-horn that the “1893 Viking” safely found her way, so that she, on the 13th of June, could sight the Newport land, and the same afternoon she arrived at New London harbor, where her anchor was dropped at 5.30.

As the anchor went, there is no doubt a feeling of ease arose in every man’s breast on board the Viking, as now was, practically, the dangerous part of their voyage at an end, and, taken on the whole, their task had not been of such a terrible nature as had been painted by most people at the outset.

It is true every seeker of comfort will not find much on board the Viking to gratify his cravings for what he terms necessities of life, but the Vikings were, nevertheless, very well pleased with the simple and modest luxuries given them.

Their sleeping arrangements proved most satisfactory, though there was no room for any bunks to be fitted up, and each man had to look out for his own place where to lie down to rest.

His bed consisted of an oil-skin bag, into which was put a reindeer skin, and on the top of this was placed a bag made of three blankets, into which the man crept, thus splendidly protected against cold and water.

Even in the bad weather they experienced across the ocean, it was no difficulty for the steward to have all meals ready at the fixed hours and served in first-class condition, and what certainly speaks for the cook is that he, in fine weather, gave all on board a treat by baking fresh bread.

From New London all the way up to Chicago the Viking met with one endless greeting of welcome.

To pencil all the receptions, banquets and honors bestowed upon Captain Andersen and his men would fill volumes, and it must suffice to say that never did any nation receive a foreign representative more royally than the welcome the American people extended to the little Viking.

It may truly be said that never before did Norse blood make such a claim on its descendants as when the Viking ship arrived at and passed through American waters.

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The Leif Ericson Commemorative Silver Dollar Coin shows with an artist’s portrayal of The Viking ship.

Leif Ericson Commemorative Silver Dollar Coin