Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1886-11-06
no this place made nav War. and looked

down. heard the plaShlng OF water, ana
thought l could detect a sound like the in
coming of tiny jet, or stream. At first I
could see nothing, but as soon as became
used to the dim light / could distinguish
the dim outlines of the boy some distance
below me. He seemed to be sitting upon
the broken floor, with his feet stretched out
against cask. l called out to him, and
thong It he looked up.
Jack, are you there?"
And he answered me in q very faint and
weary tone:
Eyes; help me! For heavens sake, help
me! Bring men, and bring a lantern-tha
ihip has sprung a leak"
l hesitated and he added in more eager
lone:
make haste-I will try 10 hold it till you
come back"
l waited to hear no more, but hurried on
deck as soon as possible, and returned with
s lantern and three men. | leaped down
beside the boy, and could scarcely believe
the evidence of my own senses. Three of
The timbers were worm eaten to the very
heart, and one of the outer planks had
been broken, and would burst in any mo-
ment tie boy might leave it. whose feet
were braced against the cask before him.
Half a dozen little Jets of water were
streaming in about him, and he was wet to
The skin. l saw that the plank must burst
In the moment the strain was removed
from it, so | made my men brace them
selves against it before l lifted him up.
Other men were called down with plankS,
and 81 likes, and AIDES, and with much care
md much trouble we finally succeeded in
stopping the leak and averting the danger.
The plank which had been stove in was
six feet long by eight inches wide, and
would let in a sire of water of that ca
pacity. 1t would have been beyond our
reach ere we could have discovered it, and
We would certainly have sunk in very
short time. | knew it must be where the
iceberg struck US.
Jack Wiihers was taken into the cabin
and managed to tell his story. Shortly
after 1 put him into the hold he crawled
forward, and hen he became used to the
dim giimmer that came through the dead
lights, looking about for snug place in
which to lie, for his limbs We're stiff and
sore, he went to sleep, and when he awoke
he heard faint sound, like water stream
ing through a small hole. He went to the
open space III the cargo and looked down.
and he was sure that he saw small jet of
| water springing up from the ships bottom.
He leaped down, and in a few minutes
found that the timbers had given away, and
that the stream was increasing in size. Hd
placed his hand upon the plank and found
it broken, aud also discovered that the
pressure of the water without was forcing
it inward. He had sense enough to see
that if it gained an inch more it must ali
go and the ship be lost, and perhaps all
hands perish.
And he saw, too, that if he could keep
the broken plank in its place, he might ste,
the incoming flood So he sat himself
upon it, and braced his feet against tn
cask, and then called for help. But he wal
so far away, so low down, with such q
dense mass of the cargo about him, that his
voice scarcely reached other ears than his
own. Some of the men heard him, but
they thought he was talking to himself.
And there he sat with his feet braced 70!
four and-twenty hours, with the watel
squirting in tiny streams all over him,
drenching him to the skin. He had thought
several times of going to the Matching and
calling for help; but he knew that Thu
broken plank would be forced in if he lief!
it, for he could feel it heave beneath him.
His strensth was failing him; his limb
were racked with pain, but he would mol
| give it up. 1 asked him if he would moi
| have given up if | had not come as | did.
He answered that he could not have dono
it while he hid life in him. He said hi
thought not of himself-he was ready To
debut he would save the rest if he could,
and he saved us, surely saved us all from d
watery grave.
| The boy lay sick in the cabin for many
| days-sick almost unto death but / nursed
him all through his delrium; and whel,
| lis reason returned, and he could sit NJ
and talk, bowed myself before him. and
| humbly asked his pardon for the wrong
had done him. He threw his arms about
my neck, and told me if would be good to
him he would never give me cause for
otfense; and added, as he sat up again,
81 am not coward couldn't be a dog
From that hour l never forgot those
words; and from that hour | have never
struck blow on board of my ship.
make my men feel that they are men-that
so regard them, and that I wish to mako
them as comfortable and as happy al
possible; and | have not failed to gain
respect and confidence. [ give no undue
license, and make my crew feel that they
have friend and a superior in the same
person. For nine Years l sailed in three
different ships with the same crew. man
couldn't be hired to leave me save for an
officers berth
And Jack Withers remained with me-
thirteen years. He was my cabin boy !;
one of the foremost hands, my second
mate and the last time he sailed with me
he refused the command of new bark,
because he would not be separated from
me. But he is Il captain now, and one of
the best this country ever afforded. Such,
gentlemen, is my experience in government,
md discipline on shipboard.