Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1879-09-11
NO. 219.
Gales ano Skettbes.
THE BOAT, BABY AND PILOT.
BY CHARLES BARNARD.

|
gine 200 horse power. a good sea boat
81 feet over all, 200 tons burden, cop
pered below, and a fine sea green above
tn. water-line. House on deck for en-
o ne, Captains quarters, cook room, state
room, etc, with wheel-house on top
| forward
| a short, well made and rather plain
,ung woman. Gray eyes, a bronzed
complexion, and quiet air of reserve,
S lggested Il girl matured by the salt
breath sea. Her father had been pilot,
her home the southern shores OF Long
Iland. her husband owned this boat, and
0 it she had lived since her wedding day.
BY name, both boat and women were
known as Jane" with an affix "Thomp-
son. for tile wife.
She was quite alone and stood silently
turning the wheel this way and that. and
picking her way among the ships anchored
or moving in the stream. She was now
opposite Twenty third street, and, as the
rain and mist swept away for moment
she saw scene of wild and stormy
grandeur spread wide before her. To the
right, New York. To the lett, the trees
and lawns of the ''Elysian Field, and the
heights of IIoboken, the black docks OF
the oil and coal companies, the anchoied
forests of masts clustered around the Erie
landings, and the chimneys and steeples
of jersey City. Before her, one of the
pathways of the worlds commerce. A
tangle of boats shot like shuttles across
the warp of the river, weaving the web OF
trade. Wind and tide struggled in white
capped waves, and over all fell the rain
in circling, fittul showers. The confusion,
the uproar of the warning whistles, the
speed and restless power of the moving
vessels. might well have blanched the
c eeks of man. The captains wife saw
it all with calm gray eyes, and with
steady nerves carried herself unharmed
along the watery way. The towering
river boat swept past. and the people
looked i'm wonder at the woman's face
gazing ont of the wheel-house window.
The door of the wheel-house opened,
and the captain entered A seafaring
man. tall. bushy. bearded and manly. He
quietly took the wheel. and the wife sat
down on the leather-covered sofa behind
her.
'.The Frenchman is out and the National
has started. The Canada has whistled,
hut the rest seem quiet. suppose the
White Star will go below?n
yes" said the man; ''it's low course
of tides. She'll go down and watt
The wheels flew around quickly, and
the scene outside seemed to sail round
from lett to right as the boat turned in
toward the old dock of the White Star
steamers. The bell rang and the boat
stopped. and lay rolling from side to side
on the water The black bow of the
steamship lowered high above the yellow
water, and the four masts seemed to
stand an indefinite distance inland. Clouds
of black smoke were pouring from the
huge funnel. and angry putfs of steam
spur.ed from her rusty black sides. A
deep roar burst from her whistle The
boatswain's whistle piped shrill on deck.
An eager crowd of people gathered at
the head of the pier.
II suppose we'll have to take the mails
and the late steerage DOWN." said the
wife.
That's the order" replied the the cap
tain rs he rang the bell.
The engine in deep gasps shook the
boat as she gently moved ahead and
turned aside to escape the steamer. The
immense mass of the steamship moved
slowly forward. There were cheers high
on deck. halt unheard in the dismal drone
of the whistle. Slowly the majestic crea-
dock, and hundreds of head peeped over
tain's wife stood up. leaned out of the win
dow and gazed up at the enormous mass
moving past. The condenser was throw
ing steaming torrent of water from her
side, and it fell i'm a cataract on the tow
boat as it passed. Swirling, binding
clouds of steam puffed in her face, and the
hnt in nf ha do
the boat rock. She gazed all unmoved,
and then she looked down on the dock to
see if any one was left behind. gentle
jar. and in a moment they lay quiet at the
wharf.
The mails and steerage are always late.
The advertised sailing hour has been an
nounced for two months, and yet half
hundred people were collected on the pier.
Returning emigrants, well-to- do farmers
and mechanics. broken-down exiles, glad
to escape from the hun ying, anxious Amer
lea. Young men taking their wives out to
see the old country, widows and children
seeking the security and peace of almost
forgotten England.
The captains wife watched them from
the wheel-house window--a motley COM
pany. burdened with valueless treasures
and the tinware of their steerage table.
They crowded on board the Jane. and sat
down on the deck in all the rain and drizzle.
One young woman, in faded black, led a
crying child by the arm, and tried to sup
port Il baby with the other.
Poor woman! She Looks all dragged
out I've mind to take her into our
state-room, john"
"Yes, would. She'll have a tough
time of it going down"
With real sympathy, she opened the
wheel-house door. and stepped out on the
roof of the house.
'Let the woman with the baby have my
room, Jack"
"Yes, marm.''
The sailor offered tarry hand 70 the
woman as she stepped upon the plank.
and. glancing up to the mistress said
cheerily:
AVE, aye, marm, I'll mind her"
She seemed timid and held back.
"Never We fear, mum; come right
along. Tip-top quarters for yer here"
She still hesitated.
"Wait, I'll come down for the baby.