Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1879-09-13
NO. 221.
Gales ano Sketebes.
THE BOAT, BABY AND PILOT.
BY CHARLES BARNARD.
Continued from yesterday.)

Continued from yesterday.)
The first-class passengers listened in re-
spectful silence, and began to falter back
into the saloons. The steerage was less
reasonable, and many refused to stir, but
a stout cuff or two brought them to obed-
ience, and presently the decks were more
quiet. The wife kept her post beneath
the bridge. She was warmly clothed and
accustomed to the weather. She would
wait and see what happened. The black
jib was now up and bellied out in the
fierce wind as if ready to fly from the
bolts. Slowly the ship begins to fall off
in the wind. Another steam winch began
to rattle and the boatswain' $ whistle piped
shrill commands. As the ship swung
round, the tremendous seas struck her
with awful force. A monstrous green
wall, crested with foam, came rushing
towards them. 1t broke with thunder
ing jar against the ship, and tons ofwater
burst upon the deck. Barrels and timbers
hoated wildly about on the deck, and a
cataract of water poured into the sea on
the other side. The wreckage fell into
the black water, and the sailors, clinging
to their engine, were knee deep in the
flood. Still the sea puffed furiously, and
the immense black sail tapped and shook
with noise like thunder. 1t suddenly
became rigid and swollen and the ship be-
gan to drag slowly ahead.
To escape the flying spray, the wife
stepped back toward the wheel-house. As
she did so another wave strnck amidships,
and skud and spray drenched her in mo-
ment. She clung to the railing, and
looked in the window of the wheel
house.
A young man stood at the wheel, calm
ly watching the electric signals from the
bridge. The placed seemed familiar. 1t
was not unlike her husbands wheel
house. She noted the telegraph, the COM
pass, and the other numerous contrivances
for signaling all parts of the ship.
Suddenly an overpowcring wave struck
the ship, and with laundering roar came
down on the deck. A loose rope on the
mast Just before the house was thrown
backward, and with crash one OF the
windows of the house fell in. The steers
man put up his hand to his forehead, with
"a half-suppressed cry. A flying fragment
had struck him just over the eye, and the
blood gushed down his face.
With spring the wife entered the room
and tried to take the wheel. The man let
90 his hold before she reached it, and it
HtW dfouiiu llhc
'Give it to me. l can steer"
wheel and turned it back quickly. A loud
voice roared down the speaking tube:
keep her up! keep her up -
"Aye, aye, sir. There's haxdent.
Send down man."
A moment after the big captain opened
the door, and stood for moment in
A in a
tube filed the room with hoarse COM
mand:
.'Southing by one.'
"Southing by one, SIR" replied the wo-
man, calmly and slowly letting the wheel
slip through her fingers.
whats all this ?" cried the captain.
"Nothing bad, sir,'' said the woman,
without taking her eyes from the compass
before her. 'sThe man was hurt and
took his place.
The captain looked at the steersman,
and then he quietly took the wheel from
her.
Call the second officer, and tell him to
bring man.
"Yes, sir" said the man, wiping the
blood from his face. 1.-The blood blinded
my eyes, sir
Call the officer-will youp''
81 am perfectly accustomed to steering,
and l saw the mans trouble. He was
quite blinded, sir.'
The captain grimly turned the wheel
and made no reply. the second officer,
followed by sailor, appeared.
Take the wheel. Mr.. Hodgeton, get a
pea jacket for this lady, and bring her to
the BRIDGE
She quickly guessed what it meant, and
put on the rough coat with undisguised
pleasure Then the officer meekly led the
way to the bridge.
From this lofty lookout she could see
the whole ship, and look far around on the
wild range of waters. The captain beck
oned her to come behind the canvas screen
to escape the scudding clouds of spray
thrown out by the waves as they struck
the vessel.
think yoh"c,e. broken our shaft. Do You
"Yes, SIR she replied, simply.
you are perfectly familiar with this
coastp'
"Yes. sir; was born on Long Island !;
I've sailed in New York bay these years.
Which way is she heading now ?'
lone east of southeast. am going to
run Oh this tack till midnight, and then
turn back and make the Hook by day
light"
$50 you might, sir, but this wind won't
hold The probabilities for the Middle
States say clearing winds to the west"
The captain leaned over the rail and
called to petty officer below:
CLARK, find to-day's paper, if you can
Some passenger may have one."
; The paper was quickly found. and her
memory of the signal service report proved
correct.
my plan would be to run before tins ms
till the wind shifts. and then come up the
Jersey coast when it"
just here the ship gave fearful !urch
in the sea, and with deafening crash the
gaff on the foresail snapped short off and
fell to the deck. A wave broke at the
bows and in binding clouds of spray at the
smoke-stack. The lookout ahead clung
to the mast for his lite. They put their