Johnstown weekly Democrat. (Johnstown, Cambria County, Pa.) 1889-1916, 1889-12-27
TRuTHEuL lars
Some Pretty Stiff Yarns Concerning Fog
from the Fo'cas'Ie Chest

hOih NAie TO lie CneSt.
was sitting on the stun sails secured
on the star3oard side of the to'gallant
fo'cas'le one night during our run from
Cape Horn, when the trades blew stead
lily, and the watch had nothing to do but
spin yarns. We were homeward bound
from q three years cruise in the orient,
and had settled down to the monotonous
life of run up the trades. Yarn spin,
ming was the principal occupation of the
men, and they let no moment that could
be filled with this pass unimproved,
their great endeavor seeming to be tc
reach the height of the improbable.
Three of the most inveterate yarn
spinners of the crew were seated on the
fo'casle chest, just opposite me. They
were Jack Kelley, the captain of the port
fo'casle watch; Tom Hutchins, the chief
boatswain's mate, and Bill Williams, the
signal quartermaster. 1t was diamond
cut diamond with them always, when
yarns were being swapped, and 1 knew
| had n treat in store the moment Will.
Jams said:
"Well, boys. we'll be on the coast il
time for the March fogs. Hope they
won't be SO bad as | had them once in
the gulf, when | was on the blockade. in
the Tioga."
"And you had fog experience in the
gulf, did you: Well, let us hear about
it, said Kelley.
cit was in june" said Williams; eve
had left Key West, bound for Mobile.
with important dispatches, so we could
not hold up for anything, and the morn.
ing after we sailed the fog met us. Well
it was so thick that we had to have
man with shovel at the pinnacle tc
scoop the fog away, so that the wheels
man could see how to keep his course"
''And you call that thick fog?" said
Hutchins. with tone of contempt in his
voice. "Well, it don't compare with one
I met coming from the Mediterranean
in the Brandywine, in the forties.
was an apprentice then, and it was my
first cruise, and, of course, was anxious
to get home, so every day | got the
reckoning Well, we were going along
about ten knots, with the wind on the
quarter and all sail set, when. Just after
meridian, we bucked up against fog
The wind kept fair, however, and the
sails were full, so we thought nothing OF
it, though we did not get sight of the
sun for five days. 1t cleared off about II
in the morning, and the sailing master.
As we called the navigator then, came up
and took the noon sight, and I'll be eter.
nally smashed if we were not exactly in
the same place we were at noon five days
before. That confounded fog was SC
thick that it had just held us fast, and
we with all sail set, and q fair ten knot
breeze to help u.s."
"That was something of fog" said
Kelley, "and yet l don't know that il
can quite come up to one that made the
acquaintance OF when l was sailing in
the merchant service Just before the war
I had been home, up the Kennebecll, and
they had Just finished a new 3,0O0-ton
clipper FOR the New York tea trade. She
had taken in ice to carry as ballast, and
was asked TO help take her round. We
set SAIL with a strong north wind blow.
ing down the river, and just before we
got to the mouth we met fog. Om
skipper was an old cruiser in that lati
tude, however, so he kept on. noticed
the ship had n curious sort of bobbing
motion, but the fog was so thick you
couldn't even see the water, and as the
sails kept full, though the wind slack.
ened, and we kept going ahead, why, ]
didn't pay much attention to it.
"Well, we sailed along for nearly a
week, with the fog as thick as pudding
and then all at once we gave dive and
dropped nearly fifty feet. The ship
swayed and cracked, and we were all
knocked oil our feet. Luckily she was
a new craft and the damp weather had
kept her rigging taut, or her masts must
have gone by the board. When she
quieted down and we could get on our
legs once more we looked back, and
there was a thick wall of fog, that we
had tumbled from, and you can believe
it or not, just as you like, but that ship
had been sailing on fog bank for
week, and when she reached the edge OF
it she jumped off and dropped"
cts time hove the log" said Will.
Jams, and with that the party broke up,
and Kelley, with an air of great satisfac.
tion, walked over to the rail and gave
the jib sheet a critical examination
Ocean.