Captain Harry Anderson Enjoys Dinner With Fellow Mariners
Lakewood's Captain Harry Anderson, 101 years young and presently a resident at Rocky River's Harbor Court, recently enjoyed a fine reunion dinner at that facility with other former lake captains from the Cleveland Cliffs organization. Captain Anderson came to this country on a ship from his native Sweden as a young lad back in 1919, and has been sailing on the seas (and lakes!) ever since.
A former Cleveland Cliffs Captain himself, Anderson has been Master of a number of their ore-carrying ships, including the Cliffs Victory, the Cadillac, the Frontenac, the LaSalle, the Pontiac, the Walter A. Sterling, the Edward B.Greene and the William G. Mather.
Captain Harry has been a longtime volunteer on the Mather's decks, the ship that is presently a well-known dockside museum berthed by the Science Center near East 9th Street downtown. Children loved to visit with the distinguished Captain with the white beard and the impeccable Cleveland Cliffs uniform that he wore on the Cliffs Victory in 1969.
Known as "Heavy Weather Harry," a supervisor once discovered with amazement that Captain Harry had never "went to anchor" on a trip. This phrase meant to stop the ship for weather conditions. The Captain told me that by keeping a careful eye on conditions, he was always able to circumvent the worst of storms without stopping by making careful corrections as he sailed along.
During World War II, Captain Harry served as a Second Mate with the United States Merchant Marine taking Liberty Ships (small freighters) across the Atlantic with supplies for the war effort. Danger from German aircraft and U-Boat submarines was always present, but his ships arrived safely every time to their destination.
Sail on safely Captain Harry. May the ancient naval blessing of "fair winds and following seas" continue to serve you well!