The herald., 1894-03-22
LITTLE CHERUB.

Surely never was there more gallant
skipper than Captain William Innes Of
the ralSish freighter British Prince, and
never harder boatswain than Charles L.
Lastadius. The skipper is from New
castle-on-Tyne and has followed the sea
SO years, or since he was 16 years old.
He has fine brown beard, and the re-
sonantvoico that comes through it might
be heard above the strongest gale that
ever thrummed on the British Princes
rigging. The boatswain is a young
Swede, who has suffered shipwreck more
than once But the captain and all the
ships company never thought Of him as
a foreigner, but as a fellow sailorman
with big heart.
The British Prince when laden has less
freeboard than the common freighter
from Mediterranean ports. Sowhen she
breasts the wintry seas she sometimes
buries her fo'castle head in the ferment.
She had rough voyage from Gibraltar,
and her coal got so low in the bunkers
that Captain Innes decided to put in to
st. Michael, in the Azores, for a fresh
supply. There he found stancher steam
ships than his that had lost lifeboats and
headgear and had many inches of water
in their holds.
The British Prince made good weather
of ii from the Azores until she was about
400 miles east cf Sandy Hook. A gale
came bowling out Of the southwest,
combing up seas that, in the picturesque
language of the skipper, looked like
'granite cliffs" Darkness was Just set
ting in. The cook wanted some fresh
water and, like most cooks, being a
landsman and somewhat timid, he asked
the boatswain to get it for him. The
pump of the fresh water tank is on the
main deck under the forecastle head. 1t
was hazardous to attempt to get at it
while the seas were boiling as they were,
but water mast be had, and sailorman
and Boatswain Lastadius determined to
get 1t. The sailorman got bucket, and
running forward lodged under the fore
castle head. Boatswain Lastadius went
out on the flying bridge to take the buck
ct from the sailorman when the chance
offered-that is, when there was little
probability Of a sea coming Immediately
aboard forward
The flying bridge is board walk with
rope railing run between inch iron
stanchiors. connecting the fo'castle head
with the forward part of the hurricane
deck. The main deck is seven feet be-
low. The boatgwain intended to reach
down. grab the bucket and run aft along
the flying bridge to the hurricane deck,
leaving the sailorman under the shelter
of the focastie head to take another
chance between seas.
81 had just got ready" said the boat
swain, ''to take the bucket, when the
ship gavea plunge. Hooked up, and there
over the port bow | saw such such a sea
rs hope l may never see again. knew
1t was coming aboard, and knew had
no chance to get out OF its way. If ran
aft, | thought it would pick me up be-
fore got of the bridge and carry me
away. So thought the best thing to do
was to make fast to stanchion of the
flying bridge. SO wound my arms and
legs around it, hugged as hard as 1 knew
how and lowered my head to take the sea.
Everything seemed to give way when
the sea hit me. l might just as we'll
have caught hold Of rope yarn as that
stanchion. l thought it was all up with
me and the British Prince until found
myself on the crest of a wave striking
out for the ship, which was riding as if
she had shipped only bucketful. /
struck the water maybe five fathoms off
the starboard bow. / saw the form of
the second oficer-Thomas Jones-on
the bridge as l swept along the ships |
side He grabbed lifebuoy from the
rack, and l saw it come sailing toward
me. 1t was good shot, or might not be
telling about it now. The buoy almost |
ringed my head. grabbed it and forced |
1t over my shoulders and under my arms.
"As | was swept aft along the star
board side of the ship I saw Captain
Innes running forward. He saw me,
too, for he shouted: Keep up a stout |
heart. Well save you If we can.' But
it was getting very dark, and was three |
ships lengths astern before anything |
could be done aboard the ship. My heart |
sank, and / gave myself up for lost. l |
had been striking out for the ship, but |
when saw her going ahead stoppedall |
effort to save myself. But it takes long
time to stop and reverse engines, and |
pICbby 6OOA 4 6NW tuO sup DdCk1uk W.
ward me.
''That made iny heart bound, and !
yelled with all my might and tried to
make some headway against the seas,
which sometimes turned me over and
over. was afraid thas the ship would
back against me. sna that would be
sucked under bY hsr propeller and
drowned or killed 5y the blades. saw
the propeller wRifling in the air when
ever the shEy wtsft asesgn iabo tins trough
Of the SEA. "a aISUssk cd. sJDn't back on tor
Of nes;sas = ahclg8s sAsY nnefah't see
ms In thsaGfknessK {. ~. .''..-s--"-- .-.'
''The slip dksw 1antrsr aha nearer, the
captain keersng mo ON tia sssrboard
hand. All tbs men had gathered at tho
starboard rail. and Is Chs sl1ip passed me
they hove lines and sDuoys to me and
shouted to me to keep up heart. was Z
once within half n faHhora of the star.