The daily gazette., 1882-05-01
THr Awfur. SALLY.
ana Her Famoas crulss From !

Morris to High Bridge.
Prentice Mn,ford In San francisco Chronicle
on Port Morris for years has lain an old
wrecking schooner fishing for tho treasure
as reported sunk below In the wreck of the
British frigate Hussar, which struck ON
these rocks during the Revolution, then slid
OF and went down. The wrecking schooner
looks old enough for the Hussar and is
owned by company. No one knows as TO
the success attendant on their operations.
They're mysterious lot. There's a great
deal of pumping and putting from steam
engine on board and diver clad In his sub
marine suit Ia occasionally hauled up and
let go again, and the small sliff plies busily
from the schooner to the shore, few yards
OF. That's all that's patent TO outsiders,
and thus has II been for years. ! have an
idea that the old wrecking schooner scoops
most of the treasure out OF the packets OF
sundry shareholders. Harry put the Awful
Sally In good sailing trim. The day arrived
when should make my first venture In her.
/ selected q day when I thought there would
be few loungers about the pier TO criticise
my seamanship. / knew ! should betray
maritime awlkwardness and wanted to
commit my blunders unseen. My wishes
were partly favored, No one was about
save Harry and boy who, as l seated
myself In the stern sheets Of the Awful
Sally and took the uller, irritated me by his
knowing inspection of my technique in
handling the ropes. The line was cast off.
/ was afoat in my own vessel. There was
scarcely any wind, yet she moved. The
shores went by quite rapidly. What
annoyed me was that sometimes the Awful
Sally went stern first, sometimes bow first,
sometimes broadside first, There wasn't
wind enough TO get steerage way on her,
and the tide was setting up this arm of the
Harlem at the rate of six knots per hour and
we were all going up with It. So let her
drift. The sun shone brightly, the rushes
ON the bank bowed to me as passed or
softly brushed the Awful Sally's sides, the
mosquitoes bit vigorously and we sailed ON
headed In many directions. A ragged,
| rusty bit of hoop iron was nailed on the
stern sheets Of the Awful Sally, where / was
most inclined 10 sit down. 1t tore my
pantalOons at regular intervals during
every cruise. ] resolved several times to
put this thing out of the way and prevent
further damages, but the fatality of delay
which affected everything concerned with
the Awful Sally probably prevented me
from carrying out my intentions.
| PREsENTIMENT OF DANGER.
I felt there was a narrow escape ahead.
didn't know what form 1t might take. But
the premonition was strong. Presently the
1
was rushing through the arches at rapid
rate, and the arches were too low for my
mast to pass under. Then the crew Of the
Awful Sally bestirred itself and called, GAL
hands |" What, however, to do l did moi
know. The Awful Sally had no respect al
all for her helm. Steer which way would
1t was all the same to her. She seemed u
have taken the bit between her teeth, and
sailed ON to ruin. ! endeavored as helms
l.. \
In skill, aud wiggled the helm rapidly to anc
fro. II made no difference. All of us weni
rushing on TO apparent destruction, and tn,
recent smiling aspect Of things was changed
TO one Of dire apprehension. pGEsail hum
limp and lifeless. Vainly | l..suIed In th'
sheet and let II go again l did not stir II
hopes 1t might In some way develop SOM
wind. But the wind hung fire. Meantime
! forgot myself, sat on the hoop iron, whicl
tore as before. Oars ] had forgotten u
take my oars. ] wiggled the helm TO an,
fro more furiOusly, and the rotten Fudder
head broke short off, and showed me the in
iquity Of paint and putty. All Of us-th
Awful Sally and I-were passing anothe
bOatyard. On the platform built over tn
water sat a man In charge lazily watching
me as helplessly | drifted on TO Harlem
bridge and destruction The tide set us 1
in toward the platform. The waters wer
smooth, but they did not look harmless O
innocent. | seemed in the coils of a grea
aqueous snake, and the slight swish and riI
pie Of the boils and swirls of the light-gree
current had an ominous sound indicative {
their irresistible power, which no cOntrivanC
or skill of man could stop or dam up. Near
time the ragged hoop iron tore on as ever.
ANNOYING INDIFFERENCE.
: Leaving the platform called out to th
I ,1,na ,al 10
of a lazy, Indifferent sort from my franti
and abortiye efforts as we drifted onward, /
throw me a rope. "My rudder head he
broken off, said, "and can't help IN,
self" He did not stir from his chair.
| found time to swear at the man internal
n while trying TO do OsOmething without doin
Z. exactly anything. The current bore ii
y Awful Sally nearer and nearer the pier.
! managed to grasp log. 1t was hard wor
9 hanging on against such a current, Ipdeel
9 3 to hang on was all could do. The mumer
e ] let go ], as the hawser, would be cast o
! and the Awful Sally would whirl away bO
g first, stern first, broadside first on the swell
x ing tide to Harlem bridge and destruction
4 ! was torn nearly in two by the strain. II
g gentleman on the pier came to its edg
v looked down at me cOmplacently and final
. remarked "Why don't you lower yor
d sail ~ explained to him that was ser
e s ing just then In the capacity Of hawst
K with heavy strain upon II and that Il
!. hawser had Just one pair of hands, and,
: they let go, everything went. He threw II
+ line. made the Awful Sally fast and s,
s. down to breathe and jumped up, rippe
again by the hoop iron.
"Where am ~ / asked.
"This is Kyle's boatyard," said he.
''Is Mr.. Kyle within call ~
81 could find him In the shop" he sait
He was building steam yacht expected
go 20 miles an hour for Mr.. Lorillard.
l found Mr. Kyle and made a bargai
with him to tie up the Awful Sally at h
landing for a month and also to repair I'll
broken rudder.
}. -sa
EIECTRIC IANpS