Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1886-06-17
A MAN OVERHEARD.
BY AN OLD MARINER.


The truth of my story can prove
by the captain and crew of the ship Lo-
tus, sailing out of Liverpool. / was a
foremost hand aboard, and along in
the sixties we made a voyage around
Cape Horn and up the Gillian coast to
Valparaiso. That's a long stretch from
Liverpool, but all went well, and when
we had rounded the Horn we had not
yet lost so much as a square foot of
sail, nor had sickness nor death come
aboard. We were, as was afterward
told me, about thirty-five miles to the
west of Chloe Island, which is about
half way from the Horn to Valparaiso.
when the wind failed us one morning,
and we lay rising and falling on sea
as smooth as your hand. To the south
west, as heard the mate say, after he
had been aloft with the glass. he had
made out what he took to be dismast-
ed hulk, but as she was so far away the
captain received the report with little
or no interest.
L HC Ntllll luslSNt dDoul " " SlOCh
in the afternoon, when an ox-eye came
off the land and gave us sudden and
vigorous shaking up We weren't ex-
actly caught mapping, but yet there
was a good deal to be done aloft, and
was on the forctopgallant yard when
a tremendous lurch of the ship, aided
by some carelcsSness of my own, sent
me flying to leeward. / went clear of
the ship by many feet, and if there was
any alarm raised, which did not hear,
there was no possible show for help in
such confusion as that. 1t seemed as
if l went down for full half mile, and
/ was near gone when | broke water.
The squall had kicked up a heavy sea,
and | was half smothered for the first
five minutes.
AT that time was about as vigorous
man Us you might meet with in the
merchant service, and moreover, | was
an excellent swimmer. From the mo-
mcnt of getting my head above water
| was determined to save myself This
may seem strange to you, for l knew
pretty well where we were as 1 went
off the yard. and l knew that wind and
wave were now setting me out into the
broad Pacific. The sguall darkened the
heavens until it seemed as if night had
come. | suppose it was over with in
half an hour, but it was followed by
rain, and the only sight | got of the
ship was as she drove away, phantom
like, into the north.
had the sense to take things cody,
and the only struggle l made was to
keep my head above water. A change
Of wind followed the squat. 1t must
have come on to blow from the north,
though l had lost my compass points
and knew the change only from sailors
instinct 1t was only after had been
in the water for an hour that hope be-
gan to die out. | had an idea, you
know. that the ship would return for
me, though, as | told you u while ago,
it was hardly to be expected. l knew
that anot her hour would finish me, and
was trying to conv nee myself that |
might as well give up then and there
and have it over with, when a pecu-
liar sound made me turn on my face
and lift my head. The sound was the
beating of the waves against some float
ing object. Aye, gents, the ears of an
Old sailor can detect us much in the
wash of the waves as those of lands
man can in the voices of his fellows.
knew that there was some floating OBJ
jeCt near me. | knew it was not a ship,
nor a ship boat, nor a mast. 1t was
right there before me as | raised nv
head, and with a few strong strokes
was alongside. What was it? Nci-
Their more nor less than one of the patent
life preservers carried aboard men-of-
war, and so arranged that the launch
ing of it strikes hight. In case poor
fellow goes overheard at night the
light guides him to the buoy, and he
can hang to it by the beckets provided
until the same light guides a boats
crew to rescue him. This buoy, or pre-
server, as | aftcrward learned, bore the
lettering: