Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1891-12-26
sTRANoER THAN FICTION.
TruthfuI Tale That smacks OF the
sssalt Sea Brine

trict the big British ship Kilbrannan
is busily engaged discharging cargo
OF sulphur at Fremont street dock,
says the San Francisco Examiner.
Among her crew is an apprentice
William Galloway. He is brown
faced Scotch laddie who says .mither'
for mother, and everything about him.
from the frayed bottoms of his jeans
trousers to the wiry-looking tufts of
hair which peep from beneath the
front peak of his little fore an aft
cap betoken the rollicking. happy-go-
lucky nature of the deep-sea SAILOR
boy.
There is a story connected with
young Galloway and it is more won
derfuL and thrilling in details than
many of the tales of marine disaster
evolved from the brains of Iatter-day
writers of fiction. He was lost over
board from the Kilbrannan on a wild
winter night 600 miles south of the
Cape Of Good Hope. and his subse-
quent rescue at a time when search
for him was about to be abandoned
gives color TO the old forecastle legend
that there is a cherub sitting aloft
who looks out for the life of poor
Jack.
1t was 8 o'clock on the evening OF
Feb. % last said First Mate William
Coalfeet. I'VE were fffty-ive days out
from Philadelphia bound for Hioga.
Japan. and when Capt. McCallum took
the sun at noon on the day mentioned
we were in latitude 44.01 south. long,
itude 14.44 east. AT the = time the
accident occurred there was strong
westerly wind blowing. 1t was dark
and bitter cold and the sea was run
ming very high.
Galloway was half way up the rat
lines. unlocking a block from the
main sheet when the vessel gave q
lurch and he lost hold and fell into
the sea The captain. who was stand
ing aft near the wheel. observed the
accident and threw a life buoy 10 the
LAD as he was being carried past the
stern of the vessel on the top Of big
wave.
The ship was brought up in the
wind as quickly as possible and a boat
lowered and manned. / took COM
mand of her and away we went as fast
as we could in the direction we sup
posed the lad to be. We heard him
shout several times as we were lower
ing the boat but he had yelled him
self hoarse and we had nothing TO
guide us as we pulled aimlessly about
in the heavy sea-
We pulled around for over an
hour and as we lost sight OF the ship
several times and the night was getting
rougher and thicker / was about to
give up the search in despair, when
suddenly we heard a feeble moan. and.
straining our ewes. we deserted Gallo
way clinging to the life-buoy in the
trough of the sea almost under our
bow. We soon had him on board,
and 1t took some slapping and rubbing
TO put warmth in his rigid limbs. 50
Galloway left his work on the fore
castle head when called by the mate.
and told his fearful experience to the
reporter:
When / rose TO the surface after
falling the ships lights went away
from me like flash. | heard some
thing splash in the water beside me.
but | could not see what it was. I
knew afterward 1t was the life-buov
Captain McCullum threw TO me. I
am good swimmer and managed to
ride the big seas that came along, but
it was terribly cold and my legs be-
gan to feel like lead. The water was
as black as ink. and when / sank
every now and again between two big
seas thought the big walls of water
would meet over my head and never
let me get to the top again.
at was a good job for me that the
water was so black. I think. or never
would have seen the white life-buoy as
itcame to me on the crest of a big muir
ky sea. | reached out and rest
ed my hands on it. and it turned
over quite naturally and fell down on
my shoulders and got it under my
arms and stopped padding. 1t came
none too soon. for was tired out and
from the waist down felt like dead
man. | shouted as long as could.
but my voice grew husky and ! wasn't
able TO make a sound above whisper.
Then / heard big wings tapping
over my head and knew that the al
batrosses and mollyhawks had found
me They swooped down again and
again. and 1 kept waving my arms.
thinking every moment that one OF
them would drive its beak through my
skull.
Il lost all hopes of being saved
and thought of my mother and sis
ters in Glasgow. 1t seemed to me
that had been hours in the water
and that the end must soon come.
Then suddenly I heard the splash of
oars and there. right on top Of u
tremendous sea was the white hull OF
the mates boat. II looked as if it
was going to jump clear over me and
tried hard to shout at them. They
heard me. and the boat dropped down
beside me, and l was soon hauled on
board | couid mot hand my lpgs btit