Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1891-11-20

ing on they can climb around In the
rigging like 80 many monkeys. While
ut work with two other men nearly
one hundred feet above the deck l
US and shouting. but the furious wind
carried his shouts to leeward and not
word could hear. 1t had suddenly
grown darker, and tho "old man, I"
after trying in vain to make himself
heard above the roar of the storm.
turned away and stamped the deck
with his foot. then turning quickly
he began to motion frantically and
shout again.
In lull caught these words
Come down, quick! Down on deck
for your lives"
We now saw what he had seen for
some minutes, and wo made our way
on deck rs rapidly as possible A
change of wind was coming and all
hands were ordered to the braces. but
before a rope could be started. the
wind few into the southwest and the
storm burst upon us with redoubled
fury from dead ahead, catching the
sails al aback. and bringing the ship
up with tremendous shock.
For a few minutes the masts bent
and groaned under the immense pres
sure, as if they would go by the board,
but fortunately the helmsman had the
wheel over before the wind shifted.
and as the ship slowly obeyed her
helm the great sails began TO SILVER
and thrash furiously in the wind, until
finally with one great clap they filed
again and the ship slowly gathered
Roadway.
On the top OF the cabin stood the
captain. shouting his orders in trum.
pet tones. but no one seemed to pay
any attention to him. The three
mates were running around like hens
without any heads. each one shouting
different orders To the sailors this
was a regular picnic, and as they ran
from one place TO another. pulling
first here and then somewhere else.
their CHEEKY answers TO the orders
mingling with their pulling songs and
shouts of laughter, the confusion be-
came worse than ever
Fortunately for us the sail and yard
were secured before any damage was
done and things assumed a ship shape
appearance once more.
AS the gale was still Increasing the
big topsais were lowered and all
hands sent aloft to furl them. With
out any gear to gather them III the
sails filed up like immense balloons,
and at times slapped back over the
yard with terrible force. Once the
sail struck me with such force that my
hold was broken. and had not one OF
the mates grabbed me by the collar 1
would have gone over backwards into
the raging ocean below
1t was long hard fight before the
sails We're muzzled and We could re-
turn to the deck.
Towards sunset the clouds showed
signs of breaking. and as the blow
seemed to be over one watch was al
lowed to go below TO supper at time.
Slowly but surely the breeze mod
Grated. and before 3 Z. NJ. as the wind
was fair, the captain had all the big
sails set again.
The blow. although so short haG
been very severe. and it now furnished
us with "a new topic OF conversation.
Some of the sailors called it tho
tail OF hurricane, and later on, while
in San Francisco. we found out they
were about right as several ships ar
rived there dismasted. having been in
the same storm and not far from our
ship on that day.
The old shell-back who predicted
the breeze" on the night before Of
course laid this storm to catching the
shark and declared we were mighty
luckily lot OF sailor men to come
through it as we did.
Although all the sailors did not bs-
lieve in this superstition. it was USE
less to try to make this old man of tina
sea think differently. -Phila Times.