American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1879-08-16
WITH A COAST PILOT.
Perils of the New Jersey Coast-Hov a
Yankee Captain Saved n British Steam
er and the Thanks He Didn't Get

Horhs OF the new Jersey COast-HOw a
Yankee Captain Saved n British Steam.
| or and the Thanks He Didn't Get.
! From the New York Graphic.I
"Walk up into the pilot-house, said
the Captain.
So the party, men and women, walk
ed up and into the pilot-house. It was
10 O'Clock at night and we were steam
ing up the coast. On the left long,
low dim line of lights indicated the To-
cality of Atlantic City. The breeze was
light and at times low banks of mist
swept athwart our course Every thing
about the pilot-house was silent, prac.
teal and respectful. The man at the
wheel had no eyes, no ears, no hands
for aught save his course and the wheel
spokes. The lookout on the forward
deck below was entirely absorbed in
what he could see and what he couldn't
see ahead, the engine was busy sending
the boat ahead and the boat was busy
being sent ahead on the bosom of the
dark, deep Atlantic.
DeepP No, not SO deep just here as
one might imagine. "Try the lead,
Mr.. Glover" said the Captain.
"Seven and a half" sung out the
landsman.
"Seven and a hail." quoth the Cap
tain. 6 Nothe-east now.''
Nothe-east, SIR" said the helms
man.
"All right below, sah," said darky
from the deck, looking up at the Cap
tain.
"Sam, Sam. come back" said the
Captain to the retreating darby. els
that big, fat man asleep still on the mat.
tress in the cabin, aftP'
"Yes, sah.''
Sam, you're a liar. You haven't
been aft, and there's no big, fat man on
board"
'Isn't it grand, impressive, somber,
ETC." sal the lively passenger to every
body.
Eevery body said it was.
Lively then quoted much poetry.
" Captain" said he, shave you read
Byron's description of ship"
eyes," said the Captain, still look
ing forward. "Give her the lead, Mr..
Glover"
Sc She walks the water like a thing of
ife," began Lively.
Sometimes they do and sometimes
they DON'T" said the Captain leaning
out of the forward pilot house window.
Then pause. A voice from below
cried. "Ten and a half, SIR" ten
and half" quoth the Captain. "Keep |
her nothe, nothe-east,'' said he to the |
helmsman.
"Nothe, nothe-east, quoth the helms
man.
"What is it he says about knowing
somethingP' whispered one of the lady
pilot-house visitors.
He said, Keep her nothe, nothe-
east, :" replied her companion, who did
not know much about it himself.
"Dear me, how mysterious and de-
Gghtful it is up here" again whispered
the lady.
"And how respectful every body is
to the Captain. Only don't see what
they want to say things over so many
times for.''
We were passing over the shoal |
something or other # or may be lit
tie to the south or it might be the north
of Barnegat Light. It's hard enough to
geography on land, let alone
names, localities and boundaries under
water.
Presently over the water came the
dull, booming sound at short intervals
of moo! moo! moo!
What's thatP" said Mr.. Lively.
Before any one answered there came
a shock which caused the boat to trem-
BILE from stem to stern.
"Bless me, what's thatP" said Mr..
Lively again.
The Captain answered, &c The noise is
that of the automatic fog horn on the
buoy about a mile and a half to the
and the other is only wave
striking the boat under the sponsors
or false guards
who carried away that fog horn not
long agoP" he asked.
"Carried it awayP" all of us remark
ed, in simple ignorance. "For whatr''
$50 that there should be no warning
and vessels get on this shoal for them
to make money out of. This is one of
The most dangerous shoals off the coast"
"Good gracious!'
A mist now settled over the surface of
the water. Reaching cord overhead,
the Captain pulled it, and in response
came the deep, hoarse notes of the
boats whistle, warning whatever craft
might be ahead.
"We'll take a plumb sound here, Mr..
Glover" said the Captain.
"Aye, aye, SIR"
Then a pull on small handle, the
deep note of a gong below in the engine
room, the slackening revolution of the
wheels, and every thing became almost
quiet and the boat moved along very
slowly.
Eleven and a half, sir!"
"Eleven and half!''
Two pulls and the wheels revolve at
their old pace.
"Well," said Mr.. Lively, 81 never
before had an idea of the care and eau
lion necessary to navigate steamer at
night
Then somebody spoke of the Euro
pean steamers and some one alluded to
The seamanship of the English steamer
captains.