The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-06-17
nERoIsM on rHE AXE

DeSp-A Woman BeforS the Mast,
chicago htz Ocean,
Gas | was passing along the lumber
market the other day / saw q woman
standing on the quarter deck OF q sChoon'
ner, There's nothing unusual about q
woman on q vessel, but l thought this
particular woman was aa old friend" said
q vessel owner, "But after / scanned her
closely l saw l was mistaken. There was
q remarkable resemblance between her
aud q young woman who, years ago, be,
came q heroine to lake Aailors by a single
feat Of bravery, There are many sailor
men who remember the romantic story OF
Jennie FautS, a beautiful young Toledo
girl, who ran away from her home and
shipped on board a vessel bound for Chi.
Cago as o foremost hand. I have forgot.
ten the name Of the schooner and the ex.
act year when the adventure l am
about TO relate took place. Suffice
to say that one day, g schooner
was lying At a dock in Toledo harbor,
q young man stepped aboard and ap.
preaching the captain asked him for a
sight There was an unmistakable air Of
femininity about the young sailor, and the
captain didn't overlook 1t, but he merely
asked the applicant II he could steer and
do q sailors duty. Receiving an answer
In the affirmative, he turned the young
man to at some light employment on
deck, The work was performed satlsiac.
torily, and the young man was put on the
articles as James Cobb. When the
schooner sailed, the captains wife and
little girl were aboard, The trip as far as
the Straits were uneventful, with the ex.
Ception Of the fact that the captains wife
also noticed the young sailor who was on
on the articles as James Cobb, The
woman's eye saw things which the mem.
bers Of the crew could not see, but she
kept her thoughts, whatever they were,
to herself.
Young Cobb was an exemplary sailor.
He stood bis trick at the wheel and per.
formed all duties assigned To him by the
officers In q cheerful fashion which made
him q favorite. He occupied o bunk In
the foreCastle when the weather was bad,
and 1t was q notable fact that he preferred
TO coil up on a tarpaulin and 60 TO sleep
when the weather was fine. When the
vessel passed Waugoshanee and was
standing for the islands, a heavy northerly
gale swooped down upon her. ItCsme on
In the evening Just about dusk In the
shape Of a.fquall. The vessel was close
on the wind at the time with everything
set, and the men were lounging forward
smoking their pipes, preparative to resum-
ing the regular watches, The captain with
his vile and child were on the cabin, the
little thing standing up with her hands
on O rope attached to the main boom.
Cobb, the sailor, was at the wheel watch
ing the trio. When the squall struck the
vessel the mainsail iibed with tremendous
force, and the little girl who had hold OF
the rope was carried overheard and thrown
far away from the vessel. The mother
swooned away when she saw her cbild'g
fearful danger, while the captain and
father seemed 10 lose his head completely.
Suddenly he saw Q form on the rail, and
then there was q splash sounded In his
ears above the roaring Of the storm. II
was young Cobb who had jumped into the
seething and foaming lake to rescue the
child.
Without q helmsman the vessel be.
haved badly, and for q moment 1t seemed
that she must be driven to the bottom;
but one Of the officers, who was on the
deck, took in the situation quickly enough
To restore order and discipline among the
crew and get the vessel into condition TO
weather the gale. The captain was too
unnerved TO tell the story Of his child's
fate, and the heroic but suicidal act OF
young Cobb, and his wife had not recover.
ed her senses. Finally when the vessel
was free from the danger which had
threatened her when the squall struck
somebody made inquiry for Cobb. The
crew was mustered on the quarterback by
the mate, and then It was discovered that
the young sailor was missing. The fact
was reported 10 the captain, and for the
first time the crew learned the facts Of the
fearful accident when the vessel was first
struck. II was dark then, and too late To
make an effort TO rescue the brave young
fellow, and, besides, rescue was out Of the
question, for the vessel was driving along
at q fearful rate before an ever-inCreasing
gale, and the seas had already begun 10
make their way to the sChooner's deck.
The boys shook their heads silently, and
gave up their Bhipnate for lost.
When the captain had by persistent OF.
fort restored his wife To consciousness, he
had recovered sufficiently TO 90 on deck
and look after his vessel. He stood be.
side the man at the wheel, while there was
a lull In the gale, peering into the binna.
Gle box, when he tancied he heard q faint
halo astern. He Strengthened up and
listened, but In an instant q heavy gust Of
wind shut out all other sounds. He then
looked astern and noticed q rope running
over the weather quarter. He seized Il
and found that 1t was perfectly taut, and
with oil his strength he could not pull II
towards him, Without knowing what
held Il he called two sailors to assist him
In pulling the line aboard. As they pull.
ed, their wonder increased. What could
be- on the end Of the lineY Finally the
captain saw the end was reached, and he
looked over the stern 10 see what he and
his men bad been dragging aboard, His
heart stood still when bio looked down aud
saw upon the crest Of an angry wave two
human forms, which were being raised 10.
ward him. "Pull for your lives, men,
he shouted, and seiEing the rope himself
he hauled In the slack, and an instant
later the sailors were lifting the apparent.
" ~lifeless bodies Of young Cobb and The
captains child over the rail. They were
taken down 70 the cabin, and while the
gale was bowling around the vessel the
captain and big wife and the mate Dot 10
work 10 find II o spark Of life was left In
either form. Then they discovered what
the captains wife had auBpeCted-that
james Cobb was not James Cobb, but d
woman,
The captain and his wife worked long
and hard, using every known method 10
restore lite 10 The bodies Of persons Appaf.
emily drowned. Alter al hour had elapsed
the little girl gave signs Of returning 10
life, aud thena faint beating Of the sup.
posed Cobh's heart showed that she was
not dead either, Finally her eyes opened
and her consciousness returned. When
Ale recovered abe related that when she
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