The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1877-03-24
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
For The Crcil Wing.
HARD YARNS BY AN OLD SALT.


LearI"G Porf-ShtP IN FUc-Coo''eess Of
c""hn@"der-Str'"ge"t AeIs"res-l'r1
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E r. tS!'o" Il l'0sr"' Dgar IeStthf" -
D"" h"'''S " o"r 10 H"H'r"bSe i"sHt0h.
Mr.. EDITOR or THE CECIL WHIG:-If
the following warns were spun in n horse
| stable the narrator vouId doubtless have
his brains kicked ont that is. provided ne
had any to kick OUT, and vet they are stub
born facts, no fish stories
We have the best of authority for saying
THAT they who go down to sea in ships
! there see the wonders of the deer, and are
made to reel to and fro like a drunken man.
and are at their wits ends
In the Fall of 1888 the spinner of these
warns sailed from Norfolk. Va in what WAS
then known as A sloop of war, carryino u
thirty-two cannonaCes on a sinule deck,
propelled entirely by canvas. the use of
steam being a new propellinr power at that
period Cor sea going vessels, Oar dpstina-
ton was the Pacific Ocean. via Cane Horn
and then around the world, by the wav of
China. visiting all the different oronns of
islands sprjukled about in the p1citit and
Indian Oceans Most of IN. ,ftir.rs at
tached to the ship have since paid the great
debt of nature. and their names are no
longer found on the roll of the naval ragis-
ter. Three of them died within the last
six months. hOldinp the rank of Roar. Al
mir,l
Wctook our ienarture from Game Henry
under favorable circumstances HEARING with
US the rood wishes and pravers Of nnr
friends. and those near and 6Sa,- ms for
a PROSPEROUS cruise and :, s,fa ra.urn Ia
orr homes
Every thinr nassed off smoo,klv for SOW
er,l DAVIS Most of us .h,,,ua+.I r,r ,ho
first tim.. wa had inst ba,,,n f., I.,,,,,, o,lI,
othar and had hrrnme Iacnr,iI,l - ina
prosrects ahead when in tho tirSt ,v,tch
of The EIGHTH NIGHT as half of tho sbir'
comuanv were sIaening soun6Iv ;o thair
bammocks, and nearly all tho Gffi .ars rn
uoSing in their state rooms the awful cry
of fire. was heard SOUNDING tbrouoh rbe
shin. awakening every soul to the rpaiiza-
ton Of danger many of us had never he
fore been called upon to encounter. There
were no back door, of escopp. no Hacino
from the dancer. \ ton of ror,ler Ind
slumberiur under orr feet in ;ia r,..,raz;rr
1t WAS ell her death by fire o.. ,yatar,, ,rravp
which at first presented themselves. aud
but for the coolness and bravery of the
sbjp's officers. hacked bv a nortin,, of thr
crew. such inevitably yonId hav. bean our
fate The fire was burstin,, from, the mai,
hatch with nyprv annaarancn If svea,,;n,.
every thiuu before il but throurb rba rooI
ness of our brave commander. the Gallant
W adSworth, - who jmmpdia,ely pave or
ders Ito beat to unarters. Thus uneIIino
and lrinring t, order a diSordered crew H.,
large portion of them beinu laudsnan} who
had never been to sea before and cave or
ders TO cut or shoot down The first man who
should leave his quarters 3ritEo,.f 0rGsrs
Then drtaI;iur an officer win , .unad If
men TO see what could he done towards
extinguishipg the fire. Another s,nad 10
shorten sail. Another to prepare the boats
for being hossed out; PROVIDING them with
water, provisions and nautical irstrumeuts
in case we should have to resort to them
and then the Gunner to the MAGAZINE TO
stand by and drown if at a moments notice.
TIE nary detailed ia suhiun If rossihIa
the fire soon discovered hat = barrel rnn'
tanning spirits of tu,pan,ine. had been
pierced bv some one with a rimbIef. To alb
stract a portion of if. and had. h, the care.
less Use of an omen nuht set fire. 70 The
leakage, which had surrad all over and
,ronnI the casl, KNOWING at ,1,rcn
that if the fire reached the contents of the
cask. that certain destruction for,he slim
WAS su1e. a boa1swaju's mate from Nav
Jersey, by the name of Lewis Dnnham
rushed into the midst of the flames seizsd
the barrel Nv the chimes raised il IN his
breast This clothes takinp fire, and sta,-
qered with it to the berth deck where il
was soon enveloped with blankets taken
from the mems hammocks. Tins accom-
plished, the fire in the hold was soon mas
tered by water from the force-pumps. 1t
was miraculous escape.
incidents occurred which excited our risi
bilities. surrounded though. as we were, by
dangers from which there seemed no sure
escape. One Young midshipmau called out
Justify for the steeraue bov 70 brine him
his full dress uniform, coat and can when
an old tar resrectfuIlv torch;nr h;s tor
paulin, asked him if he wanted 70 90 10
h in fnll rio, hoping thereby to sfcurt.
an office there a youn.r seaman Was
found ont on the end of the 0yino iih boom
with his cInthes bag hanri,,,r LSIow mn