The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1878-10-03
The Tsilers. u the English Channel.

The Tsilers II the English Channel.
IT is no child play, the life of these
men who fly backward and forward be-
tween the ports on the mail boats.
"Many's the Emes SIR" said grizsled
old Dover man tO me, "that I've felt
convinced as we wouldn't get across,
the sea was runnin' so awful that it
looked like it was all up with us. But
we alters weathers it." If the sailors
on the stout little steamers have rough
times, what may be said of the fisher
men? Their lives are indeed adventur-
Gus, and often brave men are destined
to perish in sight of their homes. The
French, fishermen of BoulOgne, Dieppe,
Havre, Trouville, Honfieur and numer-
Gus other ports which muster large
fleets OTTER implore the protection of
"Our Lady of the Waves before they
set out on their excursions. They are
not SO superstitious as the Spanish
fishers, who have leaden images of
their patron saint, which they beat. dip
in the water and otherwise maltreat, if
he does not procure them weather to
their liking. But they nevertheless
take a certain comfort in feeling that
they started with an invocation. One
of the most beautiful sights on the
French coast is the departure Of fleet
of fishing craft, as they 60 out with the
tide from the shelter of their basins to
the rough and impatient channel. In
each deep boat are a dozen 5talwart,
red-faced fellows, their chins covered
with stubby boards and their brown
arms with curious figures in India ink;
they row gently in unison to keep their
craft going forward in proper direc-
ton, and they drown the noise of the
loosely tapping sails beneath the
CHEEKY accents of their song. Some
times the contrast between the tram
quillity within the port and the mad
rush of the waters without is so strik-
ing that it must startle even the fisher
men. These men are merry, some-
times careless, but generally good
sailors, and amply able to care for
themselves in any ordinary storm.
They are fond of song, of grog which
would make the more delicate French
men of inland towns and cities tremble
even to think of, and when their tenn
pers are aroused they are exceedingly
violent. On one occasion large num-
Der from the port of Boulogne, fancy
ing that they had received some mate
rial injury at the hands of fishermen
belonging to Scarborough, in England,
landed there and made regular as
sault. 1t is scarcely necessary to say
that they met with an exceedingly
warm reception. In general, neither
the English nor French channel sailors
are quarrelsome. 1t is only on rare
occasions that they fall out. Their toll
is almost incessant, and their life is
made up of goings out from the basin
and coming in. When they are return
ing with the tide, and with their boats
heavily laden with the spoils of the
channel, the Frenchmen chatter merri-
ly. Their wives and daughters, rum
ming along the sides of the basin, cry
out to them to know what luck, and, if
the answer be favorable, there is gen.
eral rejoicing.
After Victor Hugo had published his
magnificent work, "The Toilers of the
Sea-" in which he has immortalized
the wonders, the splendors and the
dangers of the channel, he received an
eloquent address from the "channel
sailors,'' thanking him for this fine ef-
fort of his genius. The signers were
both English and French, and among
them were the names of many obscure
heroes, men who had saved dozens of
lives at the imminent risk of their own,
yet who had never before sought even
to make themselves known. The old
poet received the address from the
hands of a certain Capt. Harvey, him
self channel sailor. Hugo wrote a
magnificent response in his grandilo-
quent style. Perhaps the least obscure
thing which he said of the brave fellows
was that they were the "great obsti-
nate ones of perpetual recommence-
ment.'' This phrase, studied out,
seems to imply Il compliment to the
courage which permits the fishermen
to 60 out time after time into the midst
of perils for which there appears to be
no adequate recompense.
The Capt. Harvey who is mentioned
above was one of the best examples OF
a heroic channel sailor ever known. In
1870, while making his customary trip
from Southampton to Guernsey, in the
midst of dense fog. his vessel, the
Normandy, mail boat of 600 tons
was struck by the Mary, an immense
screw steamer, coming from Odessa
On the Normandy there were sixty peo
pie beside the Captain, and, in les.
time than it takes to relate it, these were
all on deck, praying, bowling, weeping
and expecting mOmentarily to be
drowned. The Normandy was certain
to go down III twenty minutes. Capt
Harvey ordered the boats lowered, anC
personally superintendent the embark
ing of the women first, the children
next, then the male passengers, ther
the crew. Toward the moment tina
the last boat was being filled, the shil
turned and hogan rapidly to sink. Some
of the sailors urged him to jump intt
the boat, but he gently pushed then
before him, and it was found wher
every soul but himself had left the deck
that there was not another particle o.
room in any of the boats.
"Never mind me-" said Capt. Har
vey, and he vent down with his ship
standing firmly on the deck and looking
out into the fog with a sad, stern ex
preston upon his bronzed features.
There are thousands of men like him
toiling daily on the channel.-Cor. Bos
ton Journal.
A Fearful Indictment.
3 Al.