Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1893-08-02

take the outlook, and l took my seat
on the heel of the bOwsprit as a mat
ter OF form. AS we were not moving,
no other sailing craft could move,
and the few steamers crossing on our
line could see our lights and avoid us.
Something happened, however, be-
fore had been on duty an hour. The
Josephine was rising and falling on
the CLASSY swell, ard swinging her
head to every point OF the compass
by turns, and was scanning the sea
and the Heavens in the most per-
iunctOry way, when an object sud-
denly came in view. 1t was black
spot against the darkness and after
rising to my feet and watching 1t for
Il few minutes l made out, as
thought, the dismaSted hull Of Il small
vessel 1t was coming down toward
us. and when sure cf this hailed the
the mate. He came forward with the
glass, and after look he said
well. that beats my time. 1t is
the hull OF Il dismasted schooner, and
stands up high and dry. There's
lot OF rattle around her bows, and
believe IA whale is tangled up in it
and towing the wreck"
He sent me to call the captain, and
in Il .cw minutes all hands had caught
for while on our starbOard bow, and
not over quarter Of a mile away.
Then it crossed our bows and came
down on our port side to the quarter.
where it lay so close that every man
could see what it was 1t was then.
at the suggestion of the captain, that
we rails ID our voices in shout to see
ii anybody was aboard the strange
craft. We were answered almost i'm
mcdiately by the barking of dog,
and the captain said:
There are men there, and they
may be starving and suffering. Well
lower q boat and pull out to her."
"Heavens! sir, but you wouldn't
think of it?" whispered the mate.
'She's being towed by who knows
what. See! There she moves again!
And just listen to that bowling"
1t was true that the hulk was NOV
ing. She moved across our stern at
slow speed and ranged up on the
other quarter, and the dog ceased his
barking and sent forth such mourn.
full bowls that every man was unset.
"What do you make out under her
bows?" asked the captain OF the
mate. as he handed him the glass
after long look
"Whv, sir, there's the bowsprit,
the fOretOpmast and a big tangle of
ropes" was the reply. 1t looks to me
as if all the foremost rattle had some
how slowed around under her bows
and I'm certain that whale is tang
led up therein. can see flecks OF
foam as he churns away, and you can
hear a ripple along our side from the
sea he kicks up"
The dog barked and howled by
turns, but we got no other answer tc
our repeated shouts.
Men" said the captain, as the
wreck began moving slowly away,
'.its our plain duty to board that
hulk l could never forgive myself il
l left any one to die Of starvation.
won't order any one to go, but II
call for volunteers.
Not sailor responded for Il min
ute. l waited to give the men {
chance, and as they hesitated Ivolun
teercd. Two others then came for
ward, and their action shamed tn,
mate into saying:
VERY we'll, sir. I'll take Jone.
and Harris and pull Off and investi
gate"
Why he left me out do not know
but l was quietly ignored, and thu
two middle aged men whose names
had given, had the oars as the boa
moved away. The captain called af
ter the mate to be sure and board tn,
hulk. and if he found her in goo(
condition to cut the rattle loose ant
report. The wreck had been NOV
ing away from us pretty steadil.
for ten minutes, and as the yawl lef
US could hardly make her out. TIL
mate was to show light when h.
boarded her, and for the next hal
hour we were straining our eyes t.
catch it. Then we figured that h
had missed the hulk and was pullin!
} back to u.s. and although we had on
our regular lights. which could hav
UcCu Sctu lOl uWO VI uLiCC '"
sent up several skyrockets and burne
7 flare as further guides. But tn
, hours wore on and brought no It'd
ings, and when daylight came W
swept the sea in vain for sight {
, either hulk or boat
A breeze came with the sun. an
we began search which lasted a
| day without result There were onl
two working hands, ana as meL
l ure of safety we had to get the hi
' sails reefed against what might come
5 The breeze was light, and as we wei
t under shortened sail we did not cove
+ any great distance during the day
| not over thirty miles, This statistic
S us. however, that calamity had o.
: Cured. The wreck could not hay
! been over half mile from us whe
the yawl pulled away. 1t would nc
G take over ten minutes to pull to he
y What could have happened to tn
t boat? II not able to board, 81