St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-12-26
OvERBo.RD GALE.
A Cabin Boy >natched From the
Waves and From Certain Death.


A Cabin BOY Snatched From the
Waves and From Certain Death.
A company of old sea captains were
gathered at Linton's grocery awaiting the
arrival of the mail during the late storm.
The boat was late in starting out that
morning, and all knew its arrival would be
quite delayed and some time elapSe before
the mail was ready for distribution so. ad-
justing his Quid. one of the captains re-
marked on the height of the waves then
laundering on the beach, which led the con-
versatiOn into the height of waves off Cape
Horn and the Cape of Good Hope, Each
one in turn told what he regarded the
biggest yarn. when one of the old salts.
after making dead shot into the middle
of the spittOon. said:
Il saw wave once off Cape Good Hope.
We were a scuddin' before the wind in a
heavy gale. l was stahdin' aft when the
ship went off and could see the next
wave. as high as the bOwln' crinkle of the
fortopsel." This reused the fourth and
oldest sailor OF the party. who having adj
juSted his quid on the port side. related the
following thrilling and wonderful incident:
In the year 1857 | was in the good ship
Minstrel homeward bound from India, and
just off the Cape of Good Hupe an accident
happened l shall never forget. For several
| days we had blowing and gloomy weather.
and to add 20 the gloom my steward was
taken crazy and had him below in irons.
| | put in his place the cabin-boy, bright
| lad who had shipped with NE. He belonged
| in Cleveland. .. We were beating by the
cape. with wind southwest. blowing gale.
| was i'm my room preparing for breakfast,
about $50. when l heard the cry: Man
overboardr You all know. who have
been ON the water, the feelin'
when one of our little number steps out
with so short notice. My first thought
was. 1t is Brother Henry tor all sailors
| have superstition that when two brothers
sail on a ship but one will come home alive.
| was on deck in an Instant, but every man
| in the ship was there before me and had
thrown overheard anything they thought
would help save the man. but these were
of no advantage to a good swimmer, and
would hasten the drowning of man who
couldn't swim.
1T appears that the cabin boy had gone
to the cook-house for the breakfast and
the ship at that unlucky moment went
down into one of those heavy seas which
swept the decks and took him over the side,
| reached the deck in time to see him pass
the quarter. and it seemed to me | never
saw the ship fly through the water so
swiftly. The boy was brave. cool lad,
and could see that he was battling man.
! fully with the waves. No boat could live
| in such a sea. and there was but one chance
in thousand to save him; that was to tack
ship. OF course this depended on the boys
keepin' above the waves.
ITO wear round would bring the ship so
far to le'ward of the boy that no human aid
could save him. There was no time to
| think much. so gave the order: Bout
! ship. every man to his station Sailors,
you know. are quick to feel. and IN cases
like this are quick to act. l was proud OF
my ship. and felt that she had no superior
| and but few equals in her sailin' qualities,
| but being under short sail and high sea
was very much against u.s. However. /
watched for smooth time. and, as by
magic, she came up and went around.
went I'D the mizzin riggin'. and could see
where the boy or his hat was by the large
flock of cape pigeons flying over him. as
they do when anything is thrown from the
ship, Being now to wndward of him we
could shape our course direct for him. but
how to get near enough to catch him in
passing and not let the ship strike him was
the next problem to solve. While standin
| on the rail and guidin' the ship 1t occurred
to me that if the boy was weak he could
not hold on to rope II it reached him.
so l ordered a number OF men to be
put over the side secured by
strong ropes fastened to the mast and
dashed to the waist of the ship. You know,
| Mr.. Linton, that merchantmen always
carry spars lashed securely to the side, so ]
hoped these men could catch him as the
ship passed. ] called out in firm voice.
ls'Boys. don't you miss him. and they knew
from the way Said it | meant it. He was
I now drawing near and the ship flying over
| the water. The man in the fore chains
missed him. then the next man, and the
next and an audible grOan went up from
everyone The fourth man, in the miZZer
chains, was a strong. bright fellow. and
with my heart in my throat | saw hin
place his feet against the ships side anG
push off from the ship just as the boy came
up on wave. 'Savedr hurrahed the men,
as they hauled him on board. Now, you
know it took good deal of strength fol
that young man to catch and hold the boy
as fast as the ship was going through the
water The boy. after getting on deck,
shook himself and quietly remarked, L de-
clare. I've lost my hat 10 cent straw hal
he had bought in Penang.
Il busted myself the next quarter of al
hour in getting the ship around and on hel
course again. and saw that everything was
snug. when up came the boy and said
Breakfast is ready, SIR Twas astonished
l supposed the boy. who had been in the
water near an hour, was in charge of the
officer below. rolling him on a barrel to gel
the water out of him. and rubbing him with
fannels, and for week would require care
full nursing.
Eat breakfast 1 asked him why he swan
away from the ship. He said: 1 found
had to swim before the sea to keep from
being rolled over, and when the big waves
approached l. dived through them Did
you suppose we could get your No. but
was determined to keep above water as
long as my strength lasted How neal
did the birds come to you" so near l had
to fight them off and scream to let them
know | was alive. One sassy fellow came
near picking hole in my face. '"-Martha'a
Vineyard Herald.
| The Clothes OF = al panese Girls.
| Baltimore News.
| Io,o,oea ,-cuon r,,a,, n fochion icit fFc