Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-09-20


Let Us commence all the same. said
Pescade, running down the steps into the
ring.
But at this moment there WAS great
shouting in the direction OF tue narbor.
The crowd was growing excited, and
moving towards the seaside, and then
was heard above the din the words:
The traDacolO! the trabacOloW
The time had come for the launch OF the
small vessel. The sight. always an at
tractiye one, Tas Os a Kind 10 excite tle
public curiosity. Aud the quays where
tue people had gathered were soon de-
serted for The yard IN which the launch
vas to take place.
/ Point Pescade and Matifou saw thac
there was no chance OF an audience AZ
present, and being anxious 20 and the
solitary stranger who Lad failed 70 MI
their arena, they left it without even stop
ping 70 shui the door-and why should
they shut it:-and walked of to the
yard.
This yard WAS situated at the end Of a
point Just beyond the harb0r, where the
beach sloped gradually 10 tue sea. Pes
/ cAde and ais companion, after d good deal
. of Glowing, found themselves in the
'front.' row Of spectators. Never, even
+ on benefit night, had they had such an
audience.
The shores had been cleared away from
the trabacOl0 and she was now ready for
the ceremony. The anchor was ready 70
be let 60 rs soon as the null entered the
water, 50 as 10 stop her running too far
cut into the channel Although the ira
bacOlO measured only about nifty tons, the
mass Was considerable enough for every
precaution 10 be taken against accident.
( Two OIL the wOrkmen Of the yard were on
/ deck aft near the stagstan that bore the
/ Dalmatian colors, and two others we're
! forward standing by the anchor
The trabGcOla was 70 be sent into the
water stern FIRST, as is done in all other
launches. Her keel resting on the s0aped
slide vas kept IN its place By n key. When
z TIE key was removed the boat should be-
gin 10 slip, and then with increasing
swittness she would rush down the ways
into her natural clement.
Hat dozen carpenters with sledge
hammers were knocking in wedges under
the keel forward, 80 as TO increase the
speed at which she would take the sea.
Every one followed the operation with
the greatest interest amid a general ST.
lence.
At this moment from behind the point to
the south there suddenly glided into view
yacht. She was a schooner Of about $50
tons. she was keeping on past the point
50 as to open the entrance into the har-
Dor. As the breeze was from the north
west she WAS clOse-hauled on the port
tack, 80 as TO take her straight to her an
chOrage. In ten minutes after she had
been sighted she mad come up as
rapidly as if she had been looked at
through telescope with continually
lengtbening tube.
TO enter the harbor the schooner would
have to pass in front Of the yard where
the trabacOlO was ready for LAUGHING;
and as soon as she was sighted il was
thought best 10 suspend operations for a
time, and wait till she had gone by. A
[ collision between the two vessels, one
br0adside one, the other coming at great
sp ed, would have caused a catastrophe
on board the yacnt.
The workmen, then, stopped driving in
the wedges, and the man ia charge Of the
key was told TO wait. 1t would only be
/ for minute ors0. On came the schooner.
| She could be seen to be getting ready to
anchor. Two Of the jibs were taken in and
the fOresail hauled up. But ehe went on
/ at a good speed under her fOre-staysa
and Spanish-reeled mainsail.
All eyes were turned on this graceful
vessel, whose white sails were now gilded
! by the Oblique rays OF the sun. Her
sailors in Leyantine uniform, with red
/ caps, we're running about at their Vari-
Gus duties, while the captain, near the
man at the helm, gave his orders in a
| quiet voice.
! the building yard. Suddenly a shout
arose. The rabacOlo began to move.
For some reason the key had given way,
and size began TO slide at the moment as
the yacht was passing with starbOard side
/ towards her.
A collision seemed inevitable. There
was neither the time nor tie means to
prevent II. Nothing could be done. To
/ the cries OF the spectators there had come
! in rQplV "A ahOut nj "a arm for tho
crew.
/ The captain put down his helm; but
1t was impossible for his ship to get by in
/ time to avoid the shock.
Tho trabacolO was slipping down the
/ ways. A white smoke rose from the iric-
/ ton forward and the stern had already
| plunged into the waters OF the bay.
! Suddenly man jumped out from the
! crowd. He seized rope which hung
! from the fore part OF the trabacolo. But
/ in vain he tried TO hold it back at the risk
! OF being dragged away. Close by them
/ was an Iron cannon stuck into the ground
4 like post. In an instant he slipped the
/ rope over 1t and let it out hand over hand
( at the risk OF being dragged round with
/ IL. He kept IL back and with super
\ human strength he checked it-for ten
seconds.
Then the rope broke. But the ten
J
/ plunged into the waves and recovered as
from dive. She shot across the channel,
/ grazing by hardly 8 foot the schOoner'S
stern, just as tho anchor dropped into the
depths and brought her sharply up by the
tension Of the chain.
The schooner wAs saved.
The hero OF this daring manmuvre WAS
no other than Cape MatifOu.
"Well done. Very well donel" OK
I claimed Point Pescade, running UP 20 the
giant, who lifted him in his arms, not to
/ luggle with him, but TO embrace him as
ne always embraced-that Is. almost 10 the
polut OF suhOcRtiou.
And then the applause resounded from
all sides. Five minutes later the schooner
mad taken up her position in the centre OF
the haroorj then an elegant whale
boat with six oars brought the owner
ashore. Ee was "A tall man about6O, with
almost white hair and gray beard cut in the
Oriental fashion. Large black eyes lit up
his face and a curious YiYacity displayed
! ltselfin his healtnily brown face. The most
striking thing about him was the air OF
nobility which distinguished him. As
soon as he set foot on shore ne walked up
/ 10 the two acrObats, whom the crowd was
| greeting and applauding.
/ The people stood back as he advanced.
/ As soon as he reached Cape MatifOu his
/ first action WAS not to open his purse and
/ take something from it. No! ne held out