The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1882-08-03
The Ocean Pilot.

A pilot is man who has made him
3 If thoroughly acquainted with certain
waters where naviga in is dangerous
ad who directs vessels in safety
through those bad places. A ship cap
tain may understand perfectly the
proper course from ono continent to
another and how to handle his vessel in
the open sea, but he is not expected e.
know every rock and sand bar crouchinp
under the treacherous waves, and all
the twistings and distinctions OF the
narrow entrance into foreign harbor
Indeed, the naval regulations vii not
permit captains to act, though they may
think they know the channel, since if
an accident happens when there is no
pilot on board the insurance money
will not be paid.
Pilots, then, are important men, and
they know it 80 well that they cha, ge
very high prices for their services (gen-
orally rated according to the draft of
the vesseI, and admit few young men
to their ranks to be tr ined.
Their method of wolk is very excit-
ing. A dozen or so together will form
the crew of trim stanch schooner
provisioned for fortnight or more,
which can outsail anything but O racing
yacht, and is built to ride safely through
the highest seas.
But these fine schooners and the
brave men they carry are rare ly in port
Their time is spent fer in the offing of
the harbor, cruising back and forth in
wait for incoming ships, and the New
York pilots often go two and three hun.
dred miles out to sea. There are other
pilot.boats waiting, also, and the look
out at the reeling masthead must keep
the very keenest watch upon the borizon.
Suddenly he catches sight of white
speck which his practiced eye tells him
is ships top-gallants, or blur upon
the sky that advertises o steamers ap.
proach. The schooner's head is instant
ly turned toward it, and all the canvas
is crowded on that she will bear, for
away off at the right second pilot
boat, hull down, is also seen to be
aiming at the same prize, and trying
hard TO win. The man whose turn it is
to go on duty hurries below and packs
the little valise which holds the few
things he wants to take home, and the
crews letters !; if it is steamer which
is lying there with slowly turning
"hISlo GAl biSbdlo uyiuHy uS SLAVES
himself and puts on clean white shirt;
but common sailing vessel is not so
honored.
The storm may be howling in the
full force of winters fury, and the waves
"running mountains high" as We say,
but the pilot must get aboard by some
means. It takes rough weather to
make it impossible for his mates to
launch their yawl and row him to where
he can Chamber up the strangers side
with the aid of a friendly ropes end.
But often this is out of the question.
Then whip" is rugged beyond the
end of lee-yard arm, carrying q rope
drove through snatch-block, and hay
ing bowline at its end. The steamer
slows her engines, or the ship heaves
to, and the pilot,schooner, under per-
feet control, runs up under the lee of
the big ship, as near as she dares in the
gale. Then. just at the right instant,
man on the ships yard hurls the rope
it is caught by the schooner, the pilot
slips one leg through the bowling
moose, and e second afterward the
schooner has swept on and he is being
hoisted up to the yard-arm, but gener-
ally not in time to save himself good
ducking in the combing Of some big
roller.
Now the pilot is master-stands ahead
OF the captain even-and his orders are
absolute law. He inspects the vessel
to form his opinion of how sho will be-
have, and then goes TO the wheel ur
stands where best he can give his orders
to the steersman and to the men in the
torechains who are heaving the lead. He
must never abandon his post, he must
never lose his control of the ship, or
make mistake as to its position in re
spect to the lee-shore, or fail to be equal
to every emers ency. If it is too dark
and toggy and stormy to see, he must
feel, and if he cannot do this he must
have the faculty Of going right by in
tuition. To fail is to lose his reputation
If not his life. This is what is expected
of pilot, and this is what they actu.
ally do in hundred cases, the iull de.
tsils Of any one of which would make q
long and thrilling tale of adventurous
fighting for life.-Ernest h,gersoU, in
Vide AaUuke.