Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-01-29

he reeed aft and disappeared down The alter
companion Way.
heartily cursiDg the man who was riskiny their
lives In such foolish way. The quiet MAN
took up position near the wheel, and, 10 the
surprise OF the second mate. began to con the
snip. Now, this coming process consists Ia
watching the ships head, and moving the hand
In the direction the wheel should De turned, II
y often resoI TED 10 In a high Seaway, when the
motion OF the ship renders the compass card
unsteady. The onicer, mentally making nose
of the fact That the passenger Was seaman.
" emf forw ard to punch up the lookouts posted
forward. and b. haf scarcely reached the wal ,G
VII flashing light CLEANED OUT OF the gloom
al cad. boarse voice shouted Light, on" then
a COL used hubtub On the forecaStIe, WITH an
III per ative order TO pert the helm
Impu!stvely the men az the wheel began to
"hri 1t to port but were stopped by. the pas
senger steTniy shouting to do no such thing. A
nom nts reflection convinced them thai TO
q tor er course in those Tremendous seas would
o. II slant destruction and though the mate
was lraati,a ly shouting port hard a-porL, she
was he'd Ia her course simply because she could
10 leave It. Sheerlng wildly, she rulie1 up ths
sIope OF mountainous wave 10 fun sight of a
ships Ugh dead ahead. The next In stiaL there
was heafd Crashing and swapping OF Il noSr
Toward, then tremeud Jus sh lck, ToIioNei o.
loud despArihg cry-the tribute ,ture wr.n -
from humanity 10 its dire extremity. Anltn'r
crash succeed, by a grating soun1 unier iu
keel, and the Planet iurcheI heavily 10 eor..
AS she rolled back To the sfaro)ird sh, t,oI
WIG she er; al the Same time th5 salts be- n IN
d
cons and fiipp n& violently.
ST. sht eflhg, she cltmoI a oy sch. a III as
She sunk away into tn rr ,ugh, her for, AMI
man top mast snapped Off close 10 the cap
Then as she lay cdnted down Oh her Jr side. u
huge wave topped with foam and fairly gov
ing With lumInOu, sparSiinys emi5te1 from tn
PHOSPHORUS held In solution. came dow from
windward. There was terrific grandeur In
its grand sweep, and far as the eye could reach
lila k sides extended, with here and there
patch or foam tlecklng It's towering bulk. Other
VI NV oil h, INF nd
mounted up higher and higher, the crested top
tumpled over; then the ship rolled to meet It, aud
with an angry hiss 1t leaped over the rail, sweep
ing every thing before IL. When the watch on
deck saw that fearful sea about to break, there
was frai tie rush for the rigging, each think
Ing only OF his own safety.
The two m n at the wheel also deserted their
posts and chung to the mzzen rigging. the quiet
passenger alone remaining at the helm. AS the
tons oa tons or water leap2d over the rail- the
Planet listed over. and another wave, following
sW ftiy beniEd. laid the good old ship On her
beam ends When the crash OF the COLLISION
arou; ed the Startled passengers, the captain
came hurriedly on deck. and as he attempted to
gain his usual place by the back stay the sea
overlook him a4d swept him over the side to
the leeward. The mate, too who was in the
waist, was overtaken by the sea aud swept over
BOARD 1t was a thru ling moment, and the dis.
aster occurred In less time than II takes me to
describe 1t. Before one could have arranged the
details OF the disaster, q hard ringing voice was
heard, 10 the direction OF the wheel, screaming:
close that staTboard companion way. Lay ait
here | tell your
1t was the quiet cabin passenger. AMI there
he Was. up TO his waist In water hanging on to
the wheel, which he had managed Co Jam to
Starooard. IIatlesS and coarle5s, every one
within the sound OF his voice knew that he Was
captain, and good one, TOO. aud his next
words confirmed the conviction.
Cut the main brace and unresve tC. Lead 1t
along fore and aft and hall tauJ b quick
boys; Work lively, we have no time to spare!"
When the brace was secured forward aud
hauled as taut as it could be hauled, the next
order rang out hard and clear:
''Get an axe and sever the forward starboard
lanyards-you viii ind one On the break OF the
poop. Some of you find hawser and bend 1t
securely to the fore yard. Get the haw5er bant
en- ana then cut away. Take the wheel, two OF
your
The Planet lay broad on In the trough, and
each passing wave pressed her over more and
more. What damage she had sustained in her
huu could not oe just then ascertalned but the
shock that had sunk the other vessel must AVE
started sonnet hing forward, and the wonder was
she did not so down at once. After painful
suspense, the hawser was secured to the fore
yard, and then one by one the lanyards were
cut, her sluggish hea7ing snapped the FORE m aSt
close of. All the uop.namper lay to leeward
holding Cd by the lee-shrouds and back-stays
and occasionally pounding. Presently the or
der came:
Lay aft, you all, into the mfzzen rigging, Is
that haWser all clear forward?'
the haWser was reported clear, and the crew
the mizzen rigging. and. the wind acting on the
resistance their bodies offered slowly urged the
ship away from the wreck. forward, Bringing a
strain On the gear attached AS the strain grew
heavier, she began TO head up to the sea and
slowly righted. Then the lee rlggings We're cir,
the haWs er veered away until thirty rathons
stretched away TO the wlndward.
Now, then, my lads. let US see where We ara
hurI; SOUND the pumps. We ara ali right II
she does not leak badly
The pumps being sounded showed ne ,rly r1lr
Ill z t.l f.-siy
rugged. and soma or the staera,e pl;iaat r.
Were got Oh deck through the after bu'khe ri
ana SET TO work. An hours STEADY pum ,in.
showed slight gain which fact inf,ise1 II ~
hope that her damage Was mol as sario Is is
might De expected. All night l9ny the puino,
We're kept going by relays Of passengers. ami oy
morning lt was announced that the pugups
were steadily ga Mug on the watcc.
Things looked badly by daylight The bull
WafSs all gone, the deck swept clean and half
1 a ereW ne CAPTAIN and mate swaowe up
But with her stout three-inch hawser fas-
tened to the wreck OF her foreyard to windwar1
she rode out the gale as well, II not better, than
masts when the weather moderated and made
sail to the westward. The easterly winds
favored him and he made good time to the
there he sighted large steamer one morning.
heading east In an hour she was cables
length ahead, and slowed down to speak the
cEeaed ana r1Sty SNIP whose squat msts
did steamer. Then came the hoarse hail
Ship ahoy."
% AYE! aye!'
What ship is that? -
The Planet, OF aud for New York"
no Is the Planet commanded by?''
One OF her cabin passengers Waterman, OF
San Francisco"
"Watermau?"
YES bully Waterman. at your service"
The two vessels drified apart. TIE steamers
bell rang to hook her on, the paddles went
around, anu with wave or their trumpets the
two captains parted.
Here, then, was The most notorious bully that
ever commanded ship, man whose name
was famous and on every sailors lip from
Singapore TO the Golden Gate; every NEWSPAPER
almost, Ia those DAYS, had something to say
ger, and tDe ship never foa,ed that could out
sail htf, IsGr The IMAM ever breathed that could
CO" lne Caring SphlU OF this quiet gentleman!y
man.
The Planet at last reached New York and was
oe!lNeTto over 70 hPr owners. who did the hand
some thing by Waterman. The passengers had
a card in the papers pratstng up the quiet cabin
passenger anu ranking him with the greatest
heroes tnat ever lived. It was never really
known what vessel 1t was that struck the Plan
ct that terrible night, when she was .unnlng
free ut the rate OF sixteen miles an iour, as
there were one large steamer and dozen ships
at sea about that time which were never heard
from again. VINO can say how many have
been run down and run under through this
cracking on?"
n To-