Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va) 1886-1890, 1889-12-26
1RuTt1rul- TARs.
Some Pretty StG Yarns Concerning Fog

from The Fo'cas'le Chest.
was sitting on the stun'sails secured
on tho starboard side of the to'gallant
focasle one night during our run from
Cape Horn, when the trades blew stead
ily. and The watch had nothing to do but
spin yarns. We We're homeward bound
from three years cruise in the orient,
and had settled down to the monotonous
life of run up tue trades. Yarn spin
ming was the principal occupation of the
men, and they let no moment that could
be filed with this pass unimproved,
their great endcavor seeming TO he TO
reach the height OF the improbable.
Three of the most inveteratr yarn
spinners of the crew were seated os the
focaslc chest, just opposite me. They
were Jack Kelley. the captain of the port
focasle watch; Tom Hutchins, the chief
hoatswain's mate. and Bill Williams, the
':.-a-:i G,:ariesmoSer. II w&s diamond
cut diamond with them always, when
yarns were being snapped, and knew
| had a treat in store the moment Will
Jams said:
Wei, boys, we'll be on the coast in
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? We'll, let us hear about
it, said Kelley,
1T was in June" said Williams; eve
had left Key West, bound for Mobile,
with important dispatches, so we could
not hold up fer anything, and the morn
inc after we sailed the fog metus. Well,
it WAS so thick that we had to have Il
man with shovel ut the pinnacle 10
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 4 tone of contempt in his
voice. We'll, it don't compare with one
l met coming from the Mediterranean,
in the Brandywine. in the fortics. |
was IN apprentice then, and it was my
first cruise, ard. Of course | WAS anxious
To get home. 50 cvcry day 1 got the
ltthpultl- VII. We Nttt S'lI'5 'ti'!iS
about ten knots, with the wind on the
quarter and all sail set. when. just after
meridian, we bucked up against 4 fog.
The wind kept fair, however, and the
sails We're full. 50 we thought nothing of
ii, though we did not get a sight Of the
sun for i've days ltclcared oil about II
in the morning, and the sailing master,
rs we called the navigator then. came up
and took the noon sight, and I'll be eter-
nal!y smashed il we were 10: exactly in
the same place we eat noon five days
before. That COMPOUNDED fog was so
thicls tina; it had just held Us fast, and
we with all sail set. and fair ten knot
breeze 10 help Us.
That was something Of Il fog said
Kelley. and Vet l don't know that il
can quite come up to one that made the
acquaintance OF when WAS sailing in
the merchant service just before the war.
| had been home, up the Nernebeck. and
they had just finished a new 3,000-ton
clipper for the New York tea trade. She
had taken in ice to carry as ballast, and
l was asked to help take her round. We
set sail, with 4 strong North wind blow
Ing down the river, and Just before we
got to the mouth we mot 4 fog. Our
skipper was IN old cruiser in chat lati-
tude, however. SO he lseut on. noticed
the ship had curious sort Of bobbing
motion, bat the fcg was 50 thick YOU
couldn't even see the water. and as Tie
Sails kept full, though tie wind slack
eneI, and We kept going ahead, why, |
didn't pay mach attention to it.
We'll. we sailed along Tor nearly =
week. with the fog as thick as pudding,
and then al aL once w <. - : = ~ mi
,diropp--4 nearly fifty feet. The ship
swaycd and cracked, and We were ali
knocked Oft orr feet. Luckily she was
. new craft and the damp weather had
kept her rigging taut. or her mast; must
have gone by the board When she
quieted down and VIC could get Oh our
legs once more we looked back, and
there was 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 a fog bank for
week, and when she reached the edge of
it she jumped of and dropped.
Its time l hove the log said Will
Jams. and with that the party broke up, |
and Kelley, with an air Of great satisfac-
ton. walked over to the rail and gave
the jib sheet u critical examination
Ocean.