The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1892-05-13


mer. but also a great story teller His |
occasional departures from the conven
tional and generally accepted principles |
which govern yarn spinning have. it is
true. cast a slight shadow athwart his |
veracity but he is nevertheless listened |
to with respectful attention when he starts |
out TO entertain his friends with relations
of his adventures AS an oarsman and
swimmer, however, this renown is UNI
dimmed by his aforesaid reputation. The
inspector passes most of his spare time
during the spring and summer at the
Varuna Boat club house, at Bay Ridge
He is member of the club and the happy
owner of one of the handiest and most
perfect rowing shells. When he is not
on the water in his pet craft, he is in the
water in a bathing suit. Sometimes,
however. as on occasions of very cold
weather, such as that of the past week.
he goes down to the club house for the
fun of the thing and sits there surrounded
by other members Then he tells stories
This happened day or two ago. The in
spector had had his dip and had emerged
from the water He hastily donned his
clothes. carefully brushed his iron gray
hair. glanced at his 800 presentation
watch and sat down among the other
members.
WAS the water cold. inspectors" asked
one.
"Cold2 should think it was. 1t re-
minded me-
Then the other members drew their
chairs nearer and entreated him to tell
them what the chilly state of the water
reminded him of
1T reminded me of very queer and
unpleasant adventure during the war.
The chairs edged a little nearer and one
or two Has. long drawn out, were heard
above the noise Of the moving of seats.
But the story is strictly true, he went
on, and / should not relate it if it were
not for the fact that there are several
gentlemen living in Brooklyn who were
witnesses OF the events | refer to. One
of these is Sergt. Holbrook Of the
Central squad, stationed at police head
quarters, and another is Capt. Folk, of
the Twelfth precinct.
Then followed several assurances that
not a single Varuna flannel shirt covered
breast that could fora moment entertain
doubt of it
In 1862 began the inspector. II joined
Company Z, Of the One Hundred and
Seyenty-tkird Metropolitan regiment. 1t
was police regiment. and Holbrook and
Folk belonged TO it also. On the 18th of
December we shipped for New Orleans on
the steamer Continental. l,l00 strong
The steamer was pretty crowded, as you
may imagine, and comfort and cleanliness
were at q discount. But perhaps chief
among our discomforts were the plentiful
ness of salt pork and the absence of sea
water soap or fresh water to wash in.
We lived on the salt pork and tried To
wash in salt water with fresh water soap,
and | tell you there were good many
dirty faces and pairs of hands on board
on the second day out 1t had been rain
ing pretty hard up TO the third day out
from New York harbor and | was OF
duty on deck. as dirty as the rest, wheI
we reached the Gulf Of Mexico As
marched up and down the deck of tn,
steamer, which was pitching and rolling
heavily, ! noticed that the yawls which
; hung from the davits We're half full o
rain water determined to have wash
and slipped below and got a towel an,
piece of fresh water soap Blu
| found it tough job Just as
would get my hands nearly into tn
fresh water in the boat, as | leaned owe
the gunwale, tho roll Of the steamer t
leeward would swing her away from me
And there had to wait, leaning half owe
: the side, until the roll tho other wa
! swung her back again Then off sh
: would swing again. just giving me tim
to dip my fingers into the rain water
1 This went en- for some minutes and ha
: scarcely done more than wash my hands
= so | made up my mind to make a Dol
! dash for a clean face, | put the soa
= down, scooped my hands together an
I waited for the return swing of the yaw
: determined to scoop up some rain waite
and throw it over my face The steame
somehow suddenly stopped rolling for
few seconds, and began pitching, wit
g the yawl just a few inches out of m
t reach. Leaning over the gunwale | mad
one supreme effort to reach the water
}. the yawl But unfortunately, at tha
n very moment the steamer rolled the wa
n had not expected and before | had tin
It to express an opinion about it ! found m,
\ self several fathoms under water ! la
pitched over the gunwale and slipped b.
tween the side Of the steamer and IL
yawl AS soon as / realized the situi
Ii ton | was impressed with its seriou
ness. This was as began to rise to I'll
I. surface, which did slowly, and with diff
Guilty, as l had on my full uniform and
heavy pair of top boots. A storm VIZ
< rising rapidly. and the steamer was goir
10 at fourteen knots, so that by the time
H. rose to the surface. in a trough betwee
two waves that seemed to be as high {
mountains, | could see nothing of tt
steamer. In another second ! was lift
w on to the top of a roll, and there saw Il
steamer quite distance away. tried
x shout, but my voice failed me, and n
d heart pretty well failed me too. In q
other moment ! was again on top
"a a wave and glanced toward the ship.
ne could Just see two or three faces loo5i
al -sl I