Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1874-09-18


Commodore William b. Whiting, on tie
retired list of our navy, who now resides at
Delafeld. in Waukesha county. Wisconsin,
contributes to the Army and Nary Journal
the following interesting incident, which oc-
CURED during his service As a midshipman on
board the vessel in question more than forty
wears ago. In 1898 the typhoon of the
Northean Pacific was not as well understood
as It Is now, and that sea was little known
to our naval vessels In that year the 'Oto-
mac. commanded hy Commodore John
DowneS. was crossing its waters in her cruise
around the world Reuben r. Pinkham was
her third lieutenant, a thorough sailor; born
in a northern whaling port, he had made
several voyages TO the Northern Pacific aS
whaler. and was comparatively familiar with
that region. where the other officers were
strangers. lie and Commodore D0wnes have
both been long dead. The day was drawing
to close Pinkham had the watch and the
Commodore was walking the deck. The
wind which before was fresh, had increased
to a gale top-allant sails were handed, top
sails reeled and spanker brailed up, when
all at once Pinkham gave the order, MAN
the weather head-braces-weather main
brace-weather main-topsail brace lee
check (cross-iack) braces. ""W hat IS that for,
Mr.. Pinkham?' asked the Commodore.
I'VE shall have the wind out here in n mo-
ment. sir. said Pinkham, stretching his arm
ont and pointing to leeward. With that the
Commodore ran over to the lee rail and
looked anxously out in the direction indicat-
ed. Presently he returned and said, 81 sec
no signs of il, Mr. PinAh ham let the mon
leave the braces With that a number Of
the crew dropped the ropes, and Pinkham
called out, keep hold Of those braces, every
man Of you,' when they resumed their
grasp. The commOdore's face flushed with
anger to find his direction thus disregarded,
and he called out in peremptory tone, 'Let
the men leave the braces. sir Again the
crew dropped the ropes from their hands,
when Pinkham, shaking his trumpet at them,
exclaimed "Don't any Of You dare to let 90
of those ropes" At that moment the wind
did not die away, but stopped, and the sails
tapped against the masts. Raising his
trumpet to his lips Pinkham shouted Haul
taut haul of all. " and the ponderous yards
swung to a reversed direction They had
hardly done 50 when the wind came out from
the opposite quarter. and struck the ship
like sledge hammer. She bent over before
it. but, shaking the spray from her bows,
dashed forward unharmed. Commodore
Downes said not 4 word, but rushed into his
cabin; and presently the orderly came up to
Mr. Pinkham and said the commodore wished
him to send to the first lieutenant to relieve
him for few minutes. aS he wished to see
him in the cabin Entering the cabin, Pink
ham found the Commodore seated by a table
with n decanter of wine and two winc-glass-
es toward him. Pushing one of the latter
before his visitor, he said Take glass of
wine. Mr.. Pinkham Mr.. Pinkham, cor
sider myself indebted TO You for my own life
and for the lives Of all on board this ship
Had Won not hauled the yards Just when you
| did. and had the wind ioand the ship unpre-
pared. and taken the sails ahack, not all the
| power on earth could have moved the yards,
and the ship would have gone down stern
foremost But tell YOU frankly, that had
not the wind come out as YOU predicted, |
would have put You under arrest IN two min
utes.'' Commodore Downes," replied
Lieutenant Pinkham. Il did not intend any
| disrepect. and should be sorry if You
thought did. but have been in these seas
| before. and am familiar with these sudden
changes Of wind | saw undoubted indica-
/ tions of such change then, and knew that /
hal no time for explanation"
Mrs. Margaret Magee Of the yestal town
of Cynthiana, Ky, i no theorist. You
never catch Margaret acting as delegate TO
| Women's Conventions or petitioning for the
right of suffrage, or howling over the wrongs
Of her sex. But when Mrs. Margaret wish
cla