Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1881-01-20
OFF CAPE HORN.

OFF CAPE HORN.
It was about six bells in the first watch,
one night when we were off the pitch of the
horn in the Pacific ocean, bound home,
that the first huff came on deck to look at
the weather; and, having taken his squirt,
he thought it was getting thick to windward.
He consulted with the skipper, and between
the pair of them they thought best to short
en- sail. Fore-and- maintopmen went aloft
and reefed the foretopsail accordingly, and
were lying down, when Sam Stanley,
in tieeting on the futtock- shroud, took hold
of ratlin like lubber; it parted and he
came down on the run; and as James Will
son, one of the fo'castlemen, was standing
on the hammock netting, he knocked him
down on deck and himself fell overheard.
Iheard-as being aft could see nothing
heavy fall on deck and splash in the
water, and the next instant came the start
ling cry, Man overboardw The first lieu
tenant was luckily on deck, and instantly
taking command, his GOODNESS did the nee
essary handsomely.
"Life-buoy there!" said he; and before
the words were out of his mouth, both the
buoys and fifty pounds of ward room beef,
which hung at the same davit, were in the
water; and SO Sam Stanley had board and
washing and lodging into the bargain.
Lower away the larboard quarter
boat" he continued, as calmly as if he had
been setting studding sail. "Man wealth
er-main and maintopsail braces! Lower
away the third cutter!"
The maintopsail was backed instantly,
and the two boats manned and lowered, but
before they reached the water, new trouble
presented itself-the plugs could not be
found, and without them the boats, of
course, could not leave the ship, as they
would fill and sink; SO there was an agoniz-
ing delay to search for them, which at the
in two or three minutes, and the boats at
last left the ship, each havinga midshipman
and lattern-the former for a bother, the
latter for use-and as it was quite dark, so
that nothing could be seen, we waited anx-
iously to hear.
In minute or two we heard the officer of
one of the boats sing out, ''There he
is. men; pull away In an instant after
he added, "Hang it, it's only buoy" And
so it was for more than an hour. At one
moment the mid would sing out that he had
found him, and the next contradict himself
and on board everything was in an uproar
for "man overheard and that alone, will
bring the watch below on deck without Or
ders; and we stood about in anxious sus-
pense, our hopes being dashed as often as
raised. At length the search proving en-
trely fruitless, the boats were reluctantly
recalled, and all the comfort they give us
was that they had picked up one buoy.
Wilson had in the meantime, been picked
up and placed under the surgeons care,
who now made report to the captain that
his head was seriously injured by striking
lo1& he fo11 hut
that he was doing we'll. AS it was nearly a
calm, we lay with our maintopsail aback all
night, hoping that as one buoy was missing
Stanley might be on it, and that when day
| light came, we might see something of him
or it, to change the dreadful uncertainty to a
| certainty of some kind; and in order that he,
| if alive, might be aware of it signal lanterns
were sent up to the mast heads and guns
were fred every few minutes. Daylight at
| length began to appear, and it was hailed
| by us with an intensity of joy which, home
ward bound as we were, the sight Of the
highlands of Navesink would not have
equaled Look outs were sent aloft by the
dozen to see if they could make out any
thing. After long and anxious survey of
the ocean in every direction, the look outs
answered the oft-repeated hail of the first
lieutenant with the chilling declaration that
nothing was in sight. The order was then
reluctantly everyday down from aloft;
man the lee brace;"- we braced up
again and went on our course, giving Stan
ley up for lost.
Just as the sun rose the look out on the
foretopsail- yard hailed the officer of the
deck, saying that he could see the other life
buoy in the suns wake, and he believed
there was something on it, This news
spread new life, and two boats we're instant
ly lowered, to pull in that direction. When
the boats came near enough for us to see
their motions, the crews rose and waved
their hats, as if giving three cheers, and in
spite of the discipline of man. f-war, the
cheers were repeated by all hands so heart.
lily that the sloop- of-war trembled to bel
centre. They came alongside, and Stanley
was brought over the gangway, evidently
exhausted, but still alive! AS soon as he
had been overhauled by the surgeon, an6
had freshened the nip with stiff glass Of
grog he came on deck to tell us about it.
He said he got on the life-buoy the mo.
ment it struck the water, but being stunned
by the fall, he could not hail the boats tt
show where he was, although they were
sometimes so near as almost to touch the
buoy with their oars. He said he heari
everything that was said and done, saw the
lights we sent up, and knew that we wer,
lying for him-that gave him some com
fort; and the wind being right aft, he hat
drifted the same way we had, and was lit
tie ahead of us, because, said he, will.
YOU were hoye-to was under way"
Now, Sam was like most tars, given t.
making mistakes on the subject of property
and had ''fisted'' good lot of other fellows
:. dunnage. So one of the tufts asked him:
''Well, Stanley, what was you thinking
about while you was on the buoy last night
expecting to be used up by John Whale.
why, sir, says Sam, giving the taffrai
7 of his trowsers a hoist, II was thinking VIII
would pin the frocks and trousers I hat
, slowed away on board"
About four bells in the forenoon watc]
the wind began to blow again from tn
{ northwest, and we made sail for the horn
and at seven bells, the surgeon reported t.
the Captain, that in consequence of som
internal bruise, Wilson was much worse
and could not live the day out. This intel
ligence took very little hold Of us, for it wa
common thing, and no trick at all, TO
men to die on board; and accordingly
: was little minded, and the conversation
which followed this announcement in tn
mess-room of the forward officers, may b
taken as fair sample of sailors feeling OF
. Cue suuJeCt.
, "What's to pay, Piper" answered tn
sail-maker, coolly; 'has the doctor hulle
one of the poor fellows at last, or have hi
fe-halliards parted at the tie? Send hin
some rafting stuff, so that he can set Vi
brace backstairs shaft, and cross his roya
yards, aud call all hands up anchor"
, eve shan't have to man the capstan TO
{ him, interposed the gunner, as he mixed
pannikin of grog, stiff enough to floa
grapeshot; I'VE shall man the lee gangway
l and Old Pipes will call all hands to bur
the dead"
ct say, Mac said the masters mate It
the pursuer's steward, "how does Wilson
name stand on the books? You'll have
foot up his account shortly, and give hir
| his discharge from the States service; he
, going to ship under Commodore Davi
, Jones, aboard the ship Pacific, ten thous
, and guns, besides stern and bow chasers
His time is about out-he's done with IA
tons and grog."
tSVVa11 TIL lo bopooJ co1,c nor1v To ot