The sun., 1892-12-13
SlIIpWRECKED? NOT MUCH.
YARN OF THE BARK MONTREAL, ~
DAYS FROM SWEDEN.
Her Skipper Say. q Hurrscnne Stripped Her
Sails from the Gnsketa, and that He
Scudded As Hours Under Hare Poles.

Her Skipper Says o Hurricane Stripped Her
Sails from the Gnskets, and that He
scudded As Hours Under Hare Poles.
This is the yarn Of the bark that was not
wrecked. She ia the Montreal. n smart little
Nova Scotian craft. which finished yesterday
the longest voyage In her history. She was
sevcnty-seven days battling her way across
the northern ocean from Gothenberg. Sweden.
Sho came In ballast and that is one OF the rea-
sons she made so poor time. The other reason
was weather. which the skipper. Capt. Dexter.
blond m stached. nervy little man. who has
spent nearly all OF his life aboard ship. says
was phenomenally rough
Allowing for the natural exaggeration OF
seafaring folks who spin thrilling yarns for
shore-going consumption. tho story OF the
Montreal is still worth telling. That's what
the skipper thought yesterday and the guile
less young marine reporters who sat in his
cabin AND listened to him agreed that he was
right.
The Montreal struck the first Of the series
OF tempssts that didn't wreck her early
in the afternoon of Oct. 1S. about 800 miles
east OF Cape Race. The wind came out Of
the southeast. gently at first. but there
was no mstaking the meaning Of the murky
horizon in that direction and the sudden fall
OF the barometer. Mrs Dexter took peep
from the companion way. Anl. being some.
thing Of sailor she decided to stay below.
Capt. Dexter sent his men skurryinR aloft to
shorten sail as the wind was growing pretty
hrsk. BY > o'clock every stitch of canvas p1-
cept the lower main topsail was furcd and in
The wind had attained hurricane force at 9
o'clock. and the riot OF the seas gave the night
the color Of an early dawn. IT looked as II tho
fE se nrare s ofe Every ss .s
orman wore his sou w-ster and his oilskins.
and. when not otherwise occupied. clung to
CT Inn rnh ISt mt fipt NV fSNrn
handy. The helmsmen were dashed at the
wheel. and the wife OF the skipper was praying
! The bnrk was hove to under lower maintor-
sail. At 10 o'clock the topmasts bowed under
blast that whisksd the topsnll from the bolt
sea fowl Every one 81 the turled sails was
ripped from the yards in another fierce suuall.
deck and mingled with the ioamy tumult
nsterns carrying away every movable thing:
and and had tSe% M The forward ard eossts Rs.SM
would percolate into the sea- The crests Of
the waves were smo9thed down somewhat.
asern This was sratynT
bark would be popped by recurring sea.
At o'clock on the morning of the next day.
Oct. ~. the skipper decided to make an effort
10 outman,ruvre the persistent storm ny run
ming beforeit There were only two pieces OF
canvas in the sat- l9cker IAN nnd S IT vas out Of The
hardest north countryman aboard would have
ventured alot in such weather. while the
bark's topmastS were spearing for sea SER
ren,s. SO for rty-eight hours it was scud.
ding under bare poles for the stanch Nova
Scotian.
Then the gale had abated a bit. ana tho
weary sailors. who had been on deck CON
stantlv for three days. began to brighten up.
A smile came over the face of the skiprer's
wife. But it was dispelled that night. Oct II.
when another gale howled out of the black
ness to the northeast. Oil was resorted to
again to comb down the snowy names OF the
waves. and the skipper and his men spent
another anxious night on deck. liner
swept maIestically by. shooting an cleo
tric broadside from her many ports.
superbly careless of the raging waters. and the
men gave her a cheer for the aspiration OF her
aprea!ance, 50 the skipper saws. Perhaps
hs had read kipling's Ocean Tramp"
once we saw. between the squalls lyin' head to swell
Mad with work and weHriness wishIn they was We,
Some damned liners lights so by Ike grand hotel:
Cheered her from the Bolivar, swalurins in the sea.
But the Montreal was not swamping The
wind at last dwindled into moderate gale.
and the spare maintopsail and foresnil were
bent. Then the bark ran of to the southward.
caught the northeast trades. ard found her.
self on old Hattcras. the Cape of Storms"
bucking moro weather., .Thore she stays for
eighteen days: a-nllin' and A.backin."' until a
frendly puff from favorable quarter sent
her on her course.