Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1894-07-05
LITTLE CIIERUB,

Surely never was there more gallant
skipper than Captain William lines OF
the ralsish freighJer British Prince, and
never harder boatswain than Charles L.
Lastadiub. The skipper is from New
cRstle-on-Tyne and has followed the SEQ
33 years, OF since be was l6 years old.
He has fine brown beard, and the re-
sonentvoice that comes through It might
be heard above the strongest gale that
ever thrummed on the British Princes
rigging. The boatswain is young
Swede, who has suffered shipwTeok more
than once. But tbe eaptsip and all the
ships company never thought Of him ss
a foreigner. but as q fellow sailorman
with q big heart
The British Prince wheo laden has less
freeboard than the common froighter
from Mediterranean porsa Sowhen she
breasts the wintry soas she somstimes
bUriss her fo'eastle head in the fernent.
She had q rough voyage from Gibraltar,
end her coal got so low in the bunksrs
that Captain Innss decided to put In TO
IS. Michael, in tho Azores, fo1 fresh
supply. There he found stsneher steam-
ships than his that had lost litoboats and
headgesr and had many inches Of water
in their holda
The British Prince made good vesthsr
Of II from tho Azores Until she wes about
400 miles east OF Sandy Hook. A gele
came bowling 0ut of the southwest,
eorabing up seas that. IA the picturesque
language OF the skipper, looked like
granite eliffG" Darkness was Just set
ting in. The cook wanted some fresh
water end. hks most eookk, being a
landsnan and somewhst taEnids be asked
the boatswatu 10 ges II for him Tho
pump of the fresh watOr tank IS on the
main deck under the foreeastle head. It
was hazardous. to attsrnpA to get as it
while the seas were boiling as they were,
but water must be had, and sailorman
and Beetswaiz Laatsdlus determined to
got IL The Aailormsn got bucket, and
running forward lodged under the fore
castle head. Boatswain Lsstadius went
out on the sytng bridge to take tho buck
ct from tho sailorrnsn vhsu the chance
ofered,-tAAt Ia, whsr there was little
probability et a esa coming immedistsly
aboard forward
Tho flying bridge ise bosrd walk With
rope railing run between , inch iron
stanehSons. connecting the 70 ssStls head
with the forward part Of the hurricane
deck. The main deck is seven feet be-
low. Tho boatswain intended to reach
down, grab the busket and rHn eft along
the flying bridge TO the hurricane deck,
leaving the ssiloyrnan psisr the shelter
Of tho fo'eaStls head 70 taks another
chance bstwssn ssaa
81 had Just got ready, said the boat
swain, "to take the bucket, when the
ship gavsa plunge Hooked up, and there
over the port boy ] saw such such sea
as / hope may never see again Iknew
1t was coming aboard, apd l knew l had
no chance tp got evt Of ITS Yay, II ran
aft, thought. IL Would pick me up be-
fore got OF tho bridge and carry me
away. 30 thought the best thing to do
was to make fast to stanehion of the
flying bridge. Sol wound my arms and
legs around it, hugged as hard as knew
how and lowered my head to take the sea,
Everything seemed to give way when
the sea hit me. ! might Just as well
have caught hold OF o rope yarn as that
stanchion thought II was all up with
me and the British Primes until / found
myself on the crest of wave striking
out for the ship. which was riding as il
she hads shipped only bucketfuL ]
struck tho water maybe five fsthoms of
the starboard bow ! saw the form Of
the second ofieer-Thonnas Jones--on
tho bridge as I swept along the ships
side He grabbed ltebuoy from the
rack, and / saw 1t come sailing toward
me. 1t was q good shot, or | might not bs
telling about 1t now. The buoy almost
ringed my head. grabbed it and forced
it over my shoulders and under my arms
GAS | was swept ait along the star
board side Of the ship / saw Captain
Innes running forward. He saw me
too, for he shouted; Keep up stou
heart. Well save you if we can Bu
it was getting very dark land I was three
ships lengths astern before anything
could be done aboard the ship. Ny hear
sank, and gave myself up for lost.
had been striking out for tho ship, bu
when / saw her going ahead / stoppadal
effort to save myself, But it takes lons
time to stop and reverse engines, ant
/ pretty soon I saw the ship backing to
ward me.
THAT made my heart bound, and
yelled with all my might and tried Il
make some headway against the seas
which sometimes turned me over ant
over. Twas afraid that the ship woult
back against me, and that would b
sucked under by her propeller AM
drowned or killed BY the blades. / say
the propeller whirling In the air when
ever ths ship went dswn into the trougl
Of ths sea. IShoutsd Don't back on tol
Of me- as / thought thay couldn't so
me In Tho darkness.
j 1.-THE ship drew nearer and nearer, tn
captain Asuplnk AAV VA sAV nsAA DOnA'
hand All the men had gathered at tn
starboard rail, and as the ship passed m
they hove lines and buoys to me- an
shouted to me to keep up heart. wa
once within half fathcn Of the star
board rail when q soa swept me forwar
and elear around the how on, the nor
slQ0 / was away astern Ii the dafknes
before tho ship could be stopped, and
almost lost hope again. But | kept sing
ing out and could hear the voice Of th
captain and the cheers O tho men con
ing down on the wind,
"The captain couldn't see mo, but b
took my bearings from the sound Of IN
voice BY star. and eoming around b
steamed down toward me, and goin
around me came up on my starboard.
was full OF salt water and SO played on
and cold that / hadn't much strengt
left when | saw,all the men gathere
-