Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1885-06-23
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Fsu speed a.a ssaIIfal s.yigasisn
In Dtnse smslxe and TAsck Fog
Is. 2. Alta
he hsd iuxs picked up nornfng pa
per and read a itsna % the eject thai
owing 70 the denss fog vhich bad pre-
vailed on the hay the day PFeElouss the
f,srryhDat. I'd missed some Of their
frips- He laughed - be laid eosn fne
ua,,sr. and rsuarked. That 10 allow
shie. perhaps. 10 Saa Francisco bay, bat
a ezetaiu Of q Puget SQUAD steamer
zruId be without . situations IN very
sisos4 time If be missed trip on az
e,auf Of fog"
-Whnt DO you know akoat fog on Pu-
at sounds- said the Ala reporter, vhO
elhanoed 10 Be present..
The first speaker replied: "Well. j
have ssen ali the fog want 70 for some
time 10 eorne, and have run day after
day through fog DO dense and thick that
wS never sau The shore line at ell until
se locked a. some wharf along our
nsute. 1 rsnembsr ons particular sun
uler. when II seemed As II tie WHO'S
Sound country vas doomed to desola
ten By Ore, so universal and devastat-
ing were the fierce conEagrationss
which for mouths ragged throughout the
forests.
DKxzE roc AND SMOKE.
The immense volumes Of smoke ere
atsd by thess fires, voaId in itself, have
b.sen bad enouRh, bat In addition 90 this
aa unusual amount of foR vas expert
eiised that simmer, 80 taking the fog
and smoke together, the oldest captains
on the Sound said ID was the worst sea
500 they had sveF known. | vas 81 thai
tiiras an officer on enc of the boats run
ming between Tacoma. Victoria and way
p<vtz. We carried the mails and pas
seuRers, and had 10 make time fog or
nd fog. The only things that would ex-
sass lost time were broken machinery OF
heavy weather IN the Straits Of Jsan de
Plica. We called IN At i've way ports,
and il was psrpstually profound won
dsr and Ruaaxement % me how the cap
tain always foand these ports. no mat
ter how thick the fog. We always ran
81 full spee1, tbs steamer making some
thing between twelve and fourteen
knots an hour. Sometimes the fog was
20 black and impenetrsbls that 10 was
impossible from the pilot house 20 see
tho lockout on thu toothpick deck, not
fifteen feet away. Leaning over the
vesseI's side you ooald hear the water ~
II rushed away from the cloasing bow Of
the steamer, but see q you could not.
The hoarse blast Of the whistle sounding
it, frequent notes Of warning, the steady |
pattsr of tbs paddle wheels and the
sabducd voices Of the captain and steers |
msin are well calculated 10 AROSE. In the |
bnsast OF novice an uncomfortable |
feeling Of ave and danger.
IHx ckRTATx Ar HIs PosT.
'sThe captain stands al the window Of |
hin pilot house. one hand on the |
gong pull, the ogheF on the whistle cord. |
He watches bis compass aud click with |
tho eye Of an eaRle. He leans forward |
10 catch the echo Of the whistle. The /
tinse for running certain course ID mp, |
q few quick words 10 the steeFsmen and /
She steamer swings into the new course.
The tide u running strong aBd heavy, |
and though due allowance Ia made fer
u, the captain, nevertheless, thinks IL
may have set him httle closer 10 GER
tain point. may be, than be cares 10 20.
He can tell TO the fraction of minute
when be ought TO be OF the point. He
says something In . quiet voice to his
1rsl officer, who goes forward some
where, into she fog which envelopes the
vessel IN lie dreuehing embrace. The
1ffieer's voios comes back 10 as through
he fog, ~ In weird sing-sOng be reads
The lead line. Suddenly we hear the
l0und Of ship's bell dead ahead Of as,
md the captain himself springs to the
Eheel TO aid the steefsmen as they fair
= climb the wheel In the effort to nut
he helm hard over. We Just clear the
hip 40 we tiy past her, and We hear the
riRhtened call Of her lockout. The
mptain smiles arimly rs he says, Il
mess FL hit one Of those fellows yet
Presently the gong Ia sounded, and L
THR xsarsEs SLOW DOWN.
Until the steamer Just holds steerage-
Fay. IL Is impossible 10 see a thing;
ieck. Again the gong sounds. and the
usi over the starboard bow, but Won
ant see il, although you hear voices
md the wharfmen call out 10 you. The
nate hurls the heaving line of the head
inc ashore, and yen hear IL rattle as it
trikcs tbs wharf. Somebody on shore
inss out: All right. I've got Il, pay
at, pay out your bead line, and the
Iesssi Ii made fast 10 q wharf on which
aeIl seem 20 be oniS shadows, and Il is
mpoesibie 10 recognize faces until Won
re close enough 70 shake hAnds. when
his wharf ~ ieft We back eut into
be stream and she fog again and lay
lur course fer the next port. When You
lear u said OF . man Of Puget Sound
hat be y nrst-claas fog pilot. you can
'aai'e np your mind that be IL man Of
10 ersinary nerve and endurance. In
Igirle for moment the tremendous re-
lpoilsibiitty resting upon the captain OF
e'istiy steamer laden with valuable
reilsht and crowded with passengers.
q perfeetiy clear. calm weather 10 IL
led enough, but ] tell you when the
FEATHER shuts in black and thick with
ng, and TO the gloom OF the fog 10 added
he darkness Of night, do yon think il |
leuld b strange. indeed, II dark lines
Z care didn't early make their appear
noe on the countenance OF 3 man who
nosts that the iav and his fellow men
old him responsible fer the safety Of
be vessel, her cargo and passenQefspl
nd YET ne knows ~ muat, 81 all haK-
fds, pilot his steamer, running at the {
y Of her spesd through The awful
nlKx,sszs or THAT TKnnrnEx roo.
. In running in the fog the captain | /
Inst Be absolutely certain where he Il | /
u The time. He cannot think be q
l,out a. sach and such 4 point, be must Z
liosf u, better even than he does his | I
Iphahct. One inmate Of hesitancy OF | 1
1nht may wreck his vessel. II Is, In :
red no ehiid's play. The captain
lu&s newer for q moment lose eonn
tncs In himself during foQay weather.
he 00c1 Ne u gene. The man who a
day d considered the besl foe pilot on !.
uest Sound onee told mo that II he !
loald exar feel bis courage failing him !,
/ the least The fIsst thing be would do :
unlA Be 20 Como 30 an anchor, IL there 4
~ chAin o. rope enough On board e !
saeh bottom. 6ame people have an :
lee thai In clear weather The captain 4
szs9 have . very easy sime. because be 4
fftquelitly seen about the decks. :
ingtsn4 IN social way with the pas =
If1zsa4a far le{<nrNtN uutrlnes = a4a.v l y