Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-09-01

A Sign That Saved the Lives of Two of
the Crew. for They Deserted When They
Witnessed the Remarkable Sight-Story
of n Seaman Who Followed the Rats.
Some years ago / formed one of the crew
of a ship called the Wooljammer. She was
an iron clipper. owned by a well known
London firm. We were lying in Port Lyt-
telton, New Zealand, alongside the break
water, having just completed taking in
cargo of wool, and were going to sail on
the following morning for home. l was on
anchor watch from 10 to II.
1t was a beautiful bright moonlight
night, and was sitting on the hencoop at
the break of the poop buried in thought,
when | was reused from my reverie by
hearing the clocks in the town striking
the hour. / went forward to call the man
who was to relieve me, but before reached
the forecastle determined tc do his watch
for him, as / was not bit sleepy and felt
10th to turn into stuffy berth So made
up my mind to do him a good turn and en-
joy another hour of quiet contemplation.
The harbor looked charming in the
moonlight, and the long range of hills that
divides Lyttelton from Christ church stood
out in somber magnificence against the
starlit sky. Across the bay l could hear
the faint clanking of the windlass pants of
some little coasting craft that was getting
II. L
the hencoop and began once more to build
airy castles.
AS gazed along the deck of our mag
nificent ship, now lying so peacefully at
her moorings, l thought how probably in
a months time this huge monster would
be tossed about as mere plaything in the
mighty sea off Cape Horn. One of the
stevedores told US that she was carrying
eleven more bales of wool this passage
than on her first voyage five years before;
he also said that he believed that, if they
had tried to screw another bale in, it
would have burst her sides out. 1t was
not altogether pleasant to think that a
ship which was loaded to such an extent
would have to battle with Cape Horn
sea, any heavy gale might cause her to
strain and start q bolt.
Just then / heard the short, sharp squeak
of rat, and looking down | saw several
running along the main deck They were
coming out of the hold by the after hatch,
which was off. To my surprise / saw that
they were going ashore, using the breast
hawser as a gangway between the ship
and the quay, and in n few moments /
found that they were not coming in twos
or threes, but by dozens. They crowded
in thick line from the hatchway, and all
followed the original leaders to the shore,
until it was evident that not one would be
left behind. was not particularly super
stitious but l had the dread all sailors
have of a ship that the rats leave, and
felt it TO be a bad omen.
called a couple of hands to come and
see the sight. For a good half hour
watched these creatures discriminating,
then one of the men remarked, as he
looked at the swarming jetty:
''Pickle me pink if l am going to sail in
this hooker now, an them rats have gone
ashore
We went forward and woke the rest OF
the men up in order that they might see
for themselves.
Now" said a seaman named I ok,
who's going ashore and who amt? Gus,
here's off, at the same time hastily max
ing up a bundle of clothes.
"Here's another" said 1, at the same
time packing few necessaries. The rest
pf the men did not seem to like the idea of
having to leave their clothes behind, and
determined to remain by her and chance
their luck.
well, so lon, chaps; if you will be
drowned, why, you must" and Dick and l
departed for the shore
On getting into the town we had to take
great care to avoid the police, as our
bundles would have attracted attention at
that time of night, and had we been run
in we should have been sent aboard the
first thing in the morning. By avoiding
the principal streets we were enabled to
get into the range of hills, where we found
a coy little hollow, in which we secreted
ourselves.
When daylight came we found that we
had n good view of the harbor, and at an
early hour we tug come alongside
our ship, and by 10 o'clock she was towing
down toward the Heads. AS soon as she
was well out to sea we returned to Lyttel-
ton, and as there was dearth of seamen
we had no difficulty in getting another
ship. Two days afterward we were towed
out homeward bound.
We made a good passage until we ap-
preached the latitude of the Horn, when
the breezes began to get stronger and
heavy swells showed that gales were about
| 1t was frightfully cold and we spent most
of our time in making sword mats for
chatting gear This is the usual work given
to sailors when rounding the Horn, as 1t
| helps to keep up the circulation. We ex-
pected if the breezes held good to be off the
| Horn on the following night, Lut during
| the afternoon the glass began to fall and
| it came OH to blow firm the southwest.
1t ble,y strong all that night, and by day
| light we were running before heavy gale
under close reefed topsails. was thank
| full that was not aboard my old ship in
| this gale as felt convinced that with all
| the extra bales of wool which had been
| screwed into her she could not stand much
of a dressing. About o'clock on that
afternoon sail was reporleu ol ouI
| weather bow We overhauled her hand
| over fist We could see her rise on the top
| of a huge billow aud plunge into the hol-
| low, writhing like living creature in
| agony, the water pouring from her SOUP
| pers and ports each time she rose on sea.
The captain and mate were looking at
| her through their glasses. Hello" said
the skipper, she's in distress. She's got
| her ensign upside down. l don't see how
| We can help her with this sea running.
| There. she's going to signal. Up goes her
| number" With some difficulty we made
| it out and was Mortified to find that 1t
| was my old vessel. the Wool lammer.