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Author Marc Songini will discuss his recently published book titled, The
Lost Fleet: A Yankee Whaler's Struggle Against the Confederate Navy and
Arctic Disaster, on March 9th at 2:00 p.m. at the Custom House Maritime
Museum. Songini's book is an interesting account of two important events,
the South's destruction of whaling vessels during the Civil War and the
Arctic freeze of whaling ships in 1871, each contributing to the demise of
the already economically depressed whaling industry.

In this book he tells the story of one whaling captain's life, Thomas
William Williams from Wethersfield, Connecticut.  Williams played a part in
both the attempt by the government to use New England whalers to blockade
the Southern harbors of Charleston and Savannah by sinking whaling vessels
filled with stone - a venture that was called the "Stone Fleet;" and the
retaliation of the South for this attempted blockade. We then follow
Williams' adventures to the autumn of 1871, when ships had to travel further
to hunt their prey and Williams' ship, the Monticello, a whaler from New
London, got caught in an Arctic freeze with six other ships. About 1,200 men
had to abandon their vessels and escape by whaleboats
to other ships waiting for them beyond the ice pack.

Marc Songini is a journalist who has lived in the Boston area most of his
life. The Lost Fleet is his fourth book and his third on the history of New
England. The book's detail and vivid scenes reflect the research of six
years; much of the information was derived from Songini's reading of ship's
logs, personal diaries, letters, and newspapers of that time.

This program, sponsored by the New London County Historical Society, is part
of its celebration of International Polar Year with a series of programs on
New London's connections to the polar regions.  The "Second Sunday" program
this month will be held at the Custom House Maritime Museum at 150 Bank St.

The program is free to members of the New London County Historical Society
and the New London Maritime Society; $5.00 for others.  Refreshments will be
served. Marc Songini's book, The Lost Fleet, will be available for purchase.