Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1893-01-20
PERILS OF THE SEA.
\ Terrific Voyage Of Five
Months In Mid
winter.
Nine Days Of lncessant oil When
Within One Day Of
Land
Dangers and Escapes Incident to
d Storm Oh the
Ocean.

All sailors know well that he who is
at sea hath not the wind in his hand .
but never had the truth SO thoroughly
rubbed in as several years ago in the
Irish sea, when my sailor life was very
nearly brought to q sudden end within
only a few miles of the ships destina-
ton.
1t was mldWinter when, after yoy-
age Of nearly five months, our ship was
approaching the Irish coast. Nearly
three months before we had rounded
Cape Horn, and as no land had since
been seen the cry Of Land, ho.'' late
one afternoon brought all hands hurried
~ to the rail, even to the half-clad
watch below. A little speck on the far
away horizon proved to be Cape Clear,
and as Dublin, the ships destination
only little over two hundred miles
away, we sailors were exceedingly
happy. One good days run would have
carried us to our long-looged-for port,
but at the end of two days only seventy
five miles had been made. Light head
winds had battied us, and the cry, 'All
hands tack shipn' had routed us from
our banks nearly every watch below.
About 10 O'Clock that night, with Bal
lycotton Light close aboard, the wind
shifted, and again the order Call all
hands to tack shipv' was heard The
watch below, routed again from the
slumber, growled Justify, but Oh learning
the wind was fair they hurried out and
soon had the ship Oh her course.
Soon after the wind began to freslen
and our hopes reaching port rose cor
respondingly. At d. III. the next day,
When L went to the wheel, the ship was
making elghtknots and had every rag
set. Some OF the sailors talked of eat
ing supper ashore that night, but the
old ShellDackS" shook their heads as
they looked at the weather and said,
Don't be TOO sure OF that, my lads.
The breeze increased steadily and an
hour later, the log showing eleven knots,
the captain ordered all light sails furl-
ed. Other sails followed i'll rapid sue
ceSsion and at daylight ali hands were
again called out TO reef topsails.'
Under other circumstances | should
have been pronounced Il Jonah for Civ
ing the sailors 50 much work while at
the wheel, but with the snip making
headWay for port the work was over
looked. While at work reeting u big
toWboat came up astern and wanted to
tow us in, but our kankee skipper dry
ly remarked: Il have Il fair wind and
plenty OF it, and guess l know how to
sail"
Having passed Tuscan Light, the
southeastern extremity Of Ireland, the
course was changed and we ran dead
D-fure the coming gale up Saint
, Georges channel.
! AT sunrise rom the looks of things it
! was eoing to blow heavily, but what did
we care with the gale at our backs and
! Dublin only Il few score miles away.
An exciting race began between the ship
and the Wifuy-auyancing storm. 4
happier lot of men is seldom seen than
Il ships crew as they are making port
alter Il long voyage, and we worked
with will as we cut the anchors adrift
anu got them ready for use.
! When this was done the watch to
.
low, as we had been on deck most Of
the night, but no one thought OF Sleep
! ing, 50 We began singing Tor the last
time (ilS sailors say Come Back TO
Erin and other Old favorites.
! The mates laughed i'll spite of them
selves, but told Us to turn il and get
some sleep, OF we would not be so happy
on watch that night
! We answered.: No watch for us to-
night, sir; the Dublin girls are pulling on
the tow rope"
! The gale increased rapidly and our
/ merrymakinS below was soon inter
rupted, Us ali hands We're called to furl
the big foresal. With only the lower
topsails set the ship swept majestically
on before wind and sea, but faster vet
came the storm, rolling up great walls
OF hght-green water, which rushed by
at terrific speed, all capped with snow
white foam.
: The dark, angry looking clouds shut
down over the raging ocean, apparently
touching our maStheadS, making it i'm
possible to see any distance, and as no
pIlot boat had been sighted, the captain
did not care to approach the coast.
About p. ~, with Dublin less than
! twenty miles away, fair wind and "a
gale upon us which was increasing
every minute, the race had to be given
us. We We're a disappointed lot of sail
orS, as, after running off shore awhile,
the ship was hove to, and without
much of any sea room we prepared to
ride out the gale
Sailor-like we fell back on the only
consolation left, and that was 1.-The more
days the more dollars or the more
money to spend when ashore.
AS the mate had foretold we were
not so happy as in the morning and no
one felt like singing. Overhead the
wind shricked and whistled through the
rigging until it seemed impossible for
rope and canvass to stand the strain.
The forecastle, although protected by
high bulwarks, fairly shook in the ire
mendous blasts, and the ship rolled ter
ribly in the mountainous seas which
constantly swept over her
Life lines We're stretched along the
deck. as one man had already been dis
abled by a heavy sea sweeping him
across the deck. At p. m. turned in
with my watch mates, but between the
roar of the elements and the uneasy
motion of the ship little or no sleeping
was done by the oldest sailors.