The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1890-01-23
TRUTHFUL rARs.
Somo Pretty stiff Yarns Concerning Fog
from the Fo'cas'le Chest.


somo Pretty stiff Yarns Concerning Fog
from the Fo'cas'le Chest.
I was sitting on the stun'sails secured
on the starboard 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 a 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 to
reach the height Of the improbable.
Three Of the most inveterate yarn
spinners Of the crew were seated on the
fo'cas'le chest, just opposite me. They
were Jack Kelley, the captain Of the port
fo'cas'le watch; Tom Hutchins, the chief
boatswain's mate, and Bill Williams, the
signal quartermaster. It was diamond
cut diamond with them always, when
yarns were being swapped, and I knew
had a treat in store the moment Will
Jams said:
"Well, boys, we'll be on the coast in
time for the March fogs. Hope they
won't be 30 bad as I 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.
"It was in June," said Williams tive
had left Key West, bound for Mobile,
with important dispatches, 80 we could
not hold up for anything, and the morn
ing after we sailed the fog metus. Well,
it was 80 thick that we had to have Q
man with a shovel at the pinnacle to
scoop the fog away, SO that the wheels.
man could see how to keep his course"
"And you call that thick fogY' said
Hutchins, with tone of contempt in his
voice. "Well, it don't compare with one
met coming from the Mediterranean,
in the Brandywine, in the forties. !
was an apprentice then, and it was my
first cruise, and, of course, l was anxious
to get home, 50 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. Itcleared of about II
in tho morning, and the sailing master,
as we called the navigator then, came uI
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 oil sail set, and fair ten knot
breeze to help u.s."
} "That was something Of fog" said
Kelley, land yet don't know that i
can quite come up to one that I made th'
acquaintance Of when was sailing IL
, the merchant service just before the war
had been home. up the Kennebeck, ant
! they had just finished a new 8,000-tol
] clipper for the New York tea trade. Sh'
7 had taken in ice to carry as ballast, ant
> I was asked to help take her round. w,
+ set sail, with strong north wind blow
, ing down the river, and just before W
9 got to the mouth we met fog. Gu
( skipper was an old cruiser in that lati
= tude, however, SO he kept on. noticed
r the ship had curious sort of bobbin
!, motion, but the fog was so thick 20,
Q couldn't even see the water, and as tn
sails kept full, though the wind slack
8 ened, and we kept going ahead, why,
r didn't pay much attention to it.
Q "Well, we sailed along for nearly
+ week, with the fog as thick as pudding
and then all at once we gave dive an
dropped nearly fifty feet. The shi
swayed and cracked, and we were a
o knocked off our feet. Luckily she wa
Q new craft and the damp weather ha
r kept her rigging taut, or her masts mus
have gone by the board. When sh
n quieted down and we could get on ou
Y legs once more we looked back, an
Z there was thick wall of fog, that W
II had tumbled from, and you can believ
J. it or not, just as you like, but that shi
o had been sailing on o fog bank for
% week, and when she reached the edge Q
% it she jumped of and dropped"
n "It's time hove the log" said Viii
d Jams, and with that the party broke ur
Is and Kelley, with an air Of great satisfat
% ton, walked over to the rail and CAV
!, the jib sheet critical examination
}. Ocean.