Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1874-09-02
A CRITICAL MOMENT.
How Thorough Sailor Saved the Lives
OF the Crew of the Frigate Potomac
An Interesting "Reminiscences.

How a Thorough Sailor Saved the Live,
of the Crew of the Frigate Potomac
An Interesting "Reminiscences.
Commodore VIM. B. Whiting. of the
retired list of the United States Navy,
who now resides at Delafeld, in Wau-
kesha county, Wis, contributes to the
Army and Navy Journal the following
interesting incident which occurred
during his service as a midshipman on
board the vessel in question, more than
4O years ago:
In 1888 the tvphoon Of the Northern
Pacific was not so well understood as
1t now is, and that sea was but little
known to our naval vessels. In that
year the Potomac, commanded by
commodore John Downes, was crossing
It's waters on her cruise around the
world. Reuben r. Pinkham was her
third lieutenant, thorough sailor.
Born In q northern whaling port, he
had made several voyages to the North
ern Pacific as whaler, and was COM
paratively familiar with that region,
where the other officers were strangers.
He and Commodore Downes have both
been long dead.
The day was drawing to a close
Plnkham had the watch, and the Com
modore was walking the deck. The
wind, which before was fresh, had in
creased to gale, topgallant sails were
handed, topsails reefed, and spanker
brailed up; when all at once Pinkham
gave the order, "Man the weather
head-braces weather .main-brace-
weather main top-sail brace-lee Gro
jeck (cross-jack,) braces" "What is
that for, Mr.. Pinkham ?" asked the
Commodore. eve shall have the
wind out here in moment, sir" said
Pinkham, stretching his arm out and
pointing to leeward. With that the
Commodore ran over to the lee rail and
looked anxiously out in the direction
indicated. Presently he returned and
said; 81 see no signs of it, Mr.. Pink
ham; let the men leave the braces"
With that a number of the crew drop
ped the ropes, and Pinkham called
out, "keep hold of those braces every
man OF you, when the men resumed
their grasp. The Commodore's face
flushed with anger to find his direc-
lions thus disregarded, and he called
out IN a 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 so Of those
ropes. At that moment the wind did
not die away, but stopped, and the
sails Tapped against the masts. Rails
ing his trumpet to his lips, Pinkham
shouted: Haul taut haul off all, r"
and the ponderous yards swung to the
reversed direction. They had hardly
done SO when the wind came from the
opposite quarter, and struck the ship
like sledge-hammer. Sac bent over
before it, but, shaking the spray from
her bows, dashed forward unframed.
Commodore Downes said not 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 lieu
tenant to relieve him for few minutes,
as he wished to see him in the cabin.
Entering the cabin, Pinkham found
the Commodore seated by table with
a decanter Of wine and two wine-glasses
before him. Pushing one of the latter
toward his visitor, he said: "Take a
glass of wine, Mr.. Pinkham Mr.. Pink
ham, [ consider myself indebted to
you for my own life, and for the lives
all on board this ship. Had you not
hauled the yards just when you did,
and had the wind found the ship I'M
prepared, and taken the sails aback,
not all the power on earth could have
moved the yards, and the ship would
have gone down stern foremost. But [
tell you frankly had the wind not come
as you predicted, [ would put you
under arrest in minute" "Com-
nlodore Downes," replied Lieutenant
Pinkham, 81 did not intend any dis
respect, and I should be sorry if you
thought I did, but have been in these
seas before, and am familiar with these
sudden changes of wind. I saw IN
doubtful indications of such change
then, and knew that had no time for
explanation.