The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-06-07
Cae neuJenaQJ.

We'll, OF course I'm not r6Sp0nSlbl6 now,
but I'm an older sailor than you, Captain
Stone, and I tell you if you want to clean
Cape Hatteras another two points east viii
do no harm. Do but look at my chart;
left it open on the cabin table. And the
coffee will be ready now" And Captain
Wilson led the way from the poop to the
cabin. followed by the commander.
There was passage about five yards
long leading from the deck TO the cabin, 9
door at either end. The captain stopped a;
the first door, closing it, and picking from
behind it an iron Delaying pin which d
had placed there. The younger man wen,
forward TO the cabin, where the chart lay
open on the table. ''Stonep
He turned at the sudden, peremptory ex-
clamation of his name. His arm appraised,
the heavy iron bolt in his hand, in low, but
hard, eager, quick words, MY ship shall
never go to Philadelphiap' said the cap
tain. He did not strike. 1t was unneces-
sary. Montgomery had thrust the gag
into the young lieutenant's mouth; he was
bound hand and foot, bundled into berth,
and the door locked Three out of the fif-
teen were thus disposed of. There was
still the watch on deck and the watch be-
low.
The construction of the Emily St. PierrA
was Of a kind not unusual, but still not
very common. The quarters of the crew
were not in the forecastle, but in round
house amidships. The name does not de-
scribe its shape. 1t was an oblong house
On deck, with windows and one door. From
the poop or upper deck at the stern oven
the cabins and statereoms. and the passage
before mentioned, there was companion
stair on the port side leading to the deck at
the waist, while similar companionway
at the stern led down to the level of the
deck, which could also be approached di-
rect from the cabins through the passage.
In this space behind the poop was the
wheels, slightly raised for the steersman to
see clear Of the poop, and there was
hatchway leading to the lazarette hold, a
small supplementary hold usually devoted
to stores, extra gear. coils of spare rope,
and so on. Nothing that might be done on
this part of the deck could be seen, there
fore, from the waist of the ship, nor vice
versa, except by the steersman, who was
elevated by a step or two above the level.
Coming on this part of the deck from the
cabin Captain Wilson called to the three
men who were about, and, pointing to a
heavy coil of rope in the lazarette, ordered
them to get it up at once-Lieutenant
Stones orders. They jumped down with
out demur, suspecting nothing, as soon as
the captain showed the hatch aside. They
were no sooner in than he quickly replaced
and fastened the hatch. The three were
securely trapped in full view of the helms
man, whose sailors instinct kept him in
his place at the wheel
eff you utter word or make a move"
said the captain, showing a revolver, "I'll
blow your brains out" and then he called
aft the lookout man, the last of the watch
on deck. The man came aft. Would he
help to navigate the ship to England? No,
he would not He was an American Then
would he call the watch? He would do
that. And eagerly he did it, but the next
moment he was laid low On the deck and
bundled unceremoniously into the lazarette
with his three companions, the hatchway
replaced and secured, Captain Wilson
standing on guard at it.
Meanwhile the watch below had been
called and was astir. When sailors tumble
out they generally do so gradually and by
twos and threes. The first two that came
aft were quickly overpowered, one at
time, and bound. The third man drew his
knife and rushed at the steward, who fired,
wounding him severely in the shoulder. 1t
was the only shot that was fired. Finding
that cook and steward and captain were all
armed, the rest of the watch below quietly
surrendered and submitted to be locked in
the round house, prisoners Of the bold and
resolute man who, in the course of an hour,
had thus regained possession of his ship
against overwhelming odds.
The first thing was to wash and bandage
the wounded shoulder of the man who was
shot, the next to put all the prisoners in
the round house under lock and key. -Four
of them out of twelve volunteered to assist
in working the ship rather than submit TO
the tedium of imprisonment. The irony
of fatel Not one of them could steer ex-
cept one, and he imperfectly. And the
courses are set, and topsails, lower and
upper, are drawing, and the topgallant
sails too Pray heaven this wind may last
and no strongeri
The lieutenant was admitted to the cap
tain's table under guard and on parole.
The meal over, he was ushered into his
stateroom and locked in. Once day only
for the captain is captain and crew COM
bined-bread and beef and water were
passed TO the prisoners in the round house;
no more attention than absolutely neces-
sary could be spared to them.
For thirty days they sailed with westerly
gales behind them. They made the chan
mel in safety, and the code signal was
hoisted as they passed up the channel On
the morning of April 81, exactly one month
since her course was altered off Cape Hat
teras, the Emily ST. Pierre threaded the
devious channels which lead into the broad
estuary of the Mersey, the anchor fell with
plunge and an eager rattle of the leaping
cable chain. and the ship rode stately on
the rushing tide.
Much was made of Captain Wilson dur
ing the next few days. All England rang
with applause of his brave exploit Meet
ings were convened, presentations were
made, speeches were delivered to an extent
that might have turned the head of less
simple and true hearted man. Large sums
of money were subscribed, of which plucky
Matthew Montgomery and honest Louis
Shelvin. the cook, got their share. But
probably the happiest and proudest mo-
ment of his life was when the captain stood
on deck on the day of the arrival, his wife
by his side, beside her the owner of the
ship, Charles h Priobeau, of Frazer, Tren- |
holm g. Co., while ne narrated in simple !
words the story of his exploit. His big
beard was torn and ragged, his eyes blood
shot with WEAKNESS and lack of sleep, his
face haggard, weatherbeaten and drawn; |
but be was a man of whom all England
was proud-a man to inspire her her with /
the faith that the race Of heroes does not !
Journal.
Only Ten Years
He-Do the De Courtney's know many /
rao,,Ia IN New York;