Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-11-05

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-and aft
cap. betoken the rollicking, happy-go-
lucky nature of the deep-sea sailor
boy.
There is 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 latter-day
writers Of fiction. He was lost over
board from the Kilbrannan On wild
winter night 800 miles south of the
Cape of Good Hope. and his subse-
quent rescue at 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"
ct was O'Clock on the evening of
Feb. % last" said First Mate William
CoaIReet 1--WE were fifty-fve 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 l4.44 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 block from the
main sheet when the vessel gave a
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 life buoy to the
Lao as he was being carried past the
stern of the vessel on the top of a big
wave.
The ship was brought up in the
wind as quickly as possible and boat
lowered and manned. I 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.
I'VE pulled around for over an
hour and IS we lost sight OF the ship
several times and the night was getting
rougher and thicker I was about to
give up the search in despair, when
suddenly we heard feeble moan and,
straining our eyes, 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 it took some slapping and rubbing
to put warmth in his rigid limbs"
Galloway left his work on the fore
castle head when called by the mate,
reporter:
When | rose to the surface after
falling the ships lights went away
from me like flash. I heard some
thing splash in the water beside me,
but | could not see what it was. I
knew afterward it was the life buoy
Captain McCullum threw to me- I
am a 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 l 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.
1T was good job for me that the
water was so black. | think. or [ never
would have seen the white life-buoy as
it came to me on the crest OF big muir
ky sea. l reached out and rest
ed my hands on it, and it turned
over quite naturally and fell down on
my shoulders. and l got it under my
arms and stopped padding. 1t came
none too soon. for was tired out and
from the waist down l felt like dead
man. | shouted as long as could.
but my voice grew husky and WASH t
able to make a sound above a 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 | kept waving my arms,
thinking every moment that one of
them would drive it's beak through my
skull.
Il lost ali hopes of being saved
and / thought OF my mother and Sis
ters IL Glas low. 1t seemed to me
that / had been hours in the water,
and that the end must soon come.
Then suddenly l heard the splash of
oars and there right on top of a
tremendous sea- was the white hull of
the mates boat 1t 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. l could not bend my legs but
when we reached the ship the captain
gave me medicine and with plenty of
warm blankets and hot coffee l soon
began to feel myself again. 1 was
only laid up for twenty-four hours"
A Proud Moment.