, 1876-07-23
Some OF the Men of AuId Lang
Syne.
How Bill Caverly Brought His Fore
and.After into Buffalo Greek.
Ct. Patrick's Day i'll 1916, and
the Wreck of the Brig Rosa.
=, FEARFUL Time at the Mouth Of the St.
Joe-Oapt. Nelse Eaper's Bravery.


-sxnn s,ace of time, as upon our inland seas, -
.ho stnnsaltcd scas,'' as the marine man Of the
ar.n,. calls them Not only in the character OF
the vessels employed in 1ake-narigation, but in
.ha sty1e and manner Of the men who manned
md commanded them, is this change remarka-
Hut the pllmy days Of the feet and mammoth
steamers which, during the :" forties and
u sit5es.n challenged the admiration Of the
ror1d. have passed away forever: and sail-craft
sarc also seen their best days, as glance at
,,,o marine reports Of any day, this hot July,
~, fn1ly evidence. The great steam m-bargcs,
a;th the:r tows, are even now driving the best
~ mr. ylitc-winged racers from the track, and
forcino them into the stone or lumber or any
,thcr trade whereby they hope to make enough
10 pay expenses
Rnt am notwithstanding, and, without look
,,o into the gloomy future, turn my memory
bsck to the golden past
Rom within the sound Of the breakers dash,
'rnon the beach at Roclsaway, L. l., I early i'm
h;hed lore for Eailor-lnc which has not de-
r-e,sed after nearly forty years Of active SERVICE
zonc ha.f-dozen of which we're passed upon our
in1and seas: and here made the acquaintance
# class Of men whose sterling qualities very
som learned to admire, and whose true manli-
ness shall ever respect
uecH IN Long Island, in my boyhood days, the son
of any man who could lay claim to be consid-
crei Il wealthy ''-s25: 900 then was an indepeu-
dent fortune-owncd his gun and his bag OF
dsbine-tacklc, and stroye to obtain the mastery
Of ali the implements Of sea-coast life.
a Kanaka, could handle my sail-hoat as well as
the Oldest fishermen at the lnlets, and had
harmed from one of those old-time hunters how
10 call the wild fowl down within reach OF my
nnerripc Gun, while at blue-ish trawling had
few equals among all that hardy band OF long
shoremcn on the Roekaway sands
DIGREssEG,n
I'm II Well, must digress now and then to
ret at nv objective point was always an
earnest reader Of Cooper's sea-talcs, and none
interested me more than the Pathfinder" and
the colloquies between Eau Douee, the Young
iake-skippcr, lax and his passenger, 'Old Cap" the
uncle of Jaspcr's inamorata, the pretty Mabel.
You rccollect, perhaps, that, during heavy gale
Of wind on Lake Ontario, the schooner was in
Imminent peril, and the old 'tsalt,n Cap, urged
Doucc quietly ran his vessel down close upon
hirh.b1iff coast, and calmly dropped his anchor.
Cap stood by, expecting to see the light haWser
snapped like pack-thrcad; when, what was his
establishment to sec the cables lying slack under
the bows with scarcely Sra1n thu upon 5een
%-A0~
being the result OF the nnder-tow; for, as the
heavy seas rolled up against the bold headland.
tllcy formed an outer current, which rendered
lis Judgment perfect success, and drew forth
high encomiums from, the old salt, who con-
fesscd that man may "liyc and learn"
Coming. thus prepared, to find some sailors
On these fresh-water ponds. I did not under
rate the accomplishments OF my tresh-Water
brethren =
LIVELY SCENE.
Iariyed in Buffalo before the opening OF
navigation; aud early in spring the down
bound fleet were expected to arrive:
MessiS. % T Joy & Webster, 4 fore-and-after
WAS deserted coming down before fierce gale
from The southwest, while tho snoW-squalls
making complete breach over the beacon
lighthouse at the picr-cnd, and crowds Of anx-
ious people were watching the rcsult,-it SEEM
ine almost impossible for vessel to make
safe entrance through the boiling surges.
ssB1LL CAvERLEY."
Iknow myself watched the little craft-she
seemed so little to me, just from the deck OF
"thousand- -tonner with many misgivlngs rs
to her probable fate.
But down she came with the wild rs speed,
stcun " his craft, was stout fellow in his shirt
sleeves, though it was freezing cold: and could
hear his ssStarboard!'' .Port!" as his schooner
came flying up the creek; and Mr: Waltor Joy
exclaimed: !sThat's Bill Cavcrly!'' and so it I
was, and I made his early acquaintance, and
bear this cheerful testimony:
s'ue was good man and true!'' |
THE WRECK. |
In 1876, was Captain OF the old brig Rosa, t
bound, with cargo Of stone- Tor st. Joseph, |
Mich. This craft is still recollected by many OF |
the old lake-sailors; but I will venture |
description Of her, for the benefit Of the later !
crowd. She was a perfect prototype Of 1rying's
" Guat Vrouw,' described in :sknickcrbockcr,''
IS bringing the Hollanders over to New Amster,
dam, OF Gotham. "Shc was 80 feet long, 80 !
in calm as in gale. She made just as much
leeWay as headway, and she was pdrtscndr'y
great in a cdlm.a
So much for my bonny bird"
ST. PATR1cK's DAT,
b the year 1916, will never be forgotten By any
ea;lor who was then upon the Lakes. On the
preceding evening, I hauled my vessel down to
the picr-head, and the sails were loosed, ready
to get under way. 4 1oyclier evening it would
be difficult to conceive The wcsterlng sun
was sinking over tsWidow Bcrry's Point'' when
noticed that the barometer was rapidly fall
Ing; and told the Mate to haul the topsail-
rcci-taclles ont, and that would not leave till
midnight; for, as the sun went down, noticed
there was fleet Of schooncrs bound, Like NY
hairy - look about the western horizon. But
ing down m The creek With sschecriiy' songs,
made SAIL and away they flew.
DAVE MAcKINTOsH,
3 jolly skipper whom I knew, hailed me as he
passed, in this manner: "Hey, old salty! 'fraid
to 60 out tonight"
ny honest Mate seemed much chagrincd that
be was with man that believed in those glass
aumbugs II; and told him to get under way.
lay down for Il short time after our de-
parture, when the Mate called me; and, gong
on deck, found the wind had chopped around
To the ffffY33 p1rCfE. Willie