The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1883-09-04
Passing Hat Island.

uollcI SIOppeQ Cncln DuC fog. But
down stream work was different;; a
boat was too nearly helpless, with stiff
current pushing behind her; 50 it was
not customary to rur down stream at
at night in low water.
There seemed to be one small hope,
however; if we could get through the
intricate and dangerous Hat Island
crossing before night we could venture
the rest, for we would have palmer sail
ing and better water. But it would be
insanity to attempt Hat Island at night
SO there was deal of looking at watch
eS all the rest OF the day, and a con-
slant ciphering upon the speed we were
making; Hat Island was the eternal
subject; sometimes hope was higk taid
sometimes we were delayed by a bad
crossing and down it went again. For
! hours all hands lay under the burden
or this suppressed eXcitemcnt; it was
even communicated to me, and I got
to feel 50 sOlicit0uS about Hat Island.
and under such an awful pressure of
responsibility, that | wished | might
have five minutes on shore to draw a
good, full, relieving breath of air and
start over again. We were standing no
regular watches. Each of our pilots
ran such portions of the river us he had
run when coming upstream, because
OF his familiarity with it; but both re-
manned in the pilot house constantly.
An hour before sunst Mr. Bixby took
the Wheel and Mr.. W--------- stepped
aside. For the next thirty minutes
every man held his watch in his hand
and was restless, silent and uneasy. At
last somebody said, with dOomful
sigh:
"Well; yondcrs Hat Islnd-and we
can't make it.
All the watches closed with a snap.
everybody sighed and muttcred some
thing about 1t being too bad, too bad
all II we could only have got here half
an hour sooncr!" and the place was
thick with the atmosphere of disappoint-
ment. Some started to go out, but
loitercd, hearing 10 bell-tap to land
The sun dipped behind the horizon, the
boat went OH. Inquiring looks passed
II ON one guest to another, and one who
had his hand on the door knob turned
back again. We bore steadily down
The bend. More looks were exchanged
ana nodS OF surprised admjration-but
no words. 1nScnsibly the men drew
together behind Mr.. BiXby. rs the sky
darkcned and one or two dim stars came
waiting became oppressive. Mr. BiXby
pulled the cord, and two deep, mellow
notes from the big bell tloatcd off on
the night. Then a pause, and one more
note was struck The watchmnn's
voice followed, from the hurricane
"I.abboard lead, there! Stabboard
lcad.!
The cries Of the leadsmon began to
rise out of the distance, and were gruf-
fly repeated by the word-passcrs on the
hurricane deck.
"M-a-r-k threc!~--M- Lark three.
Quart -thre"?---! !!&!f twain!----
Quarter twain!----M-a-r-k lwain!---
Quartcrlcss''-
Mr.. Bixby pulled two bell-ropel, and
was answered by faint jinglings far be-
low in the engine room, and our speed
slackened. The steam began to whistle
through the gauge-cocks. The cries of
/ the leldsmcn weut on-and it is Il weird
sound, always, in the night. Every
pilot III the lot WAS watching now with
fixed eyes and talking under his breath.
Nobody was calm and easy but Air.
Bixby. lie would put his wheel down
and stand'on Il spoke, and as the steam
er swung into her-to me-utterly in
visable marks--for we seemed to be in
the midst Of wide and gloomy sea he
would meet and fasten her there. Out
CT the murmur of half-audlble talk ono
caught IL coherent sentence now and
thCn--Such as:
'Therc; she's over the first reef all
right"
After pause another subducd voice:
"ller storms coming down just exact
ly right, by Georgel'
"Now she's in the marks; over she
gocsl"
Somebody else muttcred:
"Oh, it WAS done beautiful--beauti-
fulp'
Now the engines were stopped alto
gcthcr and we drifLcd with the current
Not that could see the boat drift, for
] could not, the stars being all gone by
, this time. This drifting was the dis
malest work; it held ones heart still.
Presently | discovered Il HACKER gloom
than that which surrounded us. 1t was
The head Of the island. We were clos
ing right down upon it. We entered
its deeper shadow, and 50 imminent
seemed the peril that l was likely to
sutfocate; and had the strongest i'm
pulse to do something, anything to save
U'o fcoocl. bit SIlll hf. DlXDy SLOOu
| by the wheel, silent, intent as cat,
and all the pilots stood shoulder to
shoulder at his back.
"Shc'll not make it," somebody whis-
pered.
The water grew shoaler and shoaler,
by the lcadman's cries, till it was down
TO-
Observation-Disclosures feet
--lG.i-g-h-t feet t!----Seven.a .and"----.
Mr.. Bixby said warningly through
his speaking tube to the engineer:
'Stand by, nowl"
AYE, aye, sirE"
''Seven-and-a-half Seven feet. Six.
and"---
We touched bottom! Instantly Mr..
Bixby set lot Of bells ringing. shouted
through the tube, "Now, let her have
it-every ounce you've gotl" then to
his partner, "Put her hard downI
snatch herl snatch herl' The boat
rasped and ground her way through the
sand, hung upon the apex of disaster Il
single tremendous instant, and then
over she wentl Aid such q shout as
went up at Mr.. Bixby's back never
loOsened the roof Of pilot-house be-
forel