The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-04-14
BROUGHT OFF THE CAT.
Composite Yarn OF u Thrilling Rescue Of
stnt c. rabby at Sea. - 4.

Composite Yarn of n ThriIIisg Rescue Of
siDta. q rabby at Sea. - =
From the New York Sun. -.sst.s 81
| AL was quiet on the Potomac last night,
except now and then when one OF the
siior-men spun TO inquiring reporters the
yarn of.the little tiger cat taken from the
abandoned Norwegian bark Birrette on
March 12th.a The Potomac lie an oil tank
| steamship. Not one of her very able sea-
men's yarns was precisely like another's,
and which one is true may not be known
until the derelict Norwegian cat is able to
tell its own story. Meanwhile, cornpos-
lite yarn may give the reader an impres-
sionist's idea of what really happened.
The Birgette. lumber laden, is still
drifting in the neighborhood of the steam.
ship lane. She sailed from Mobile on Jan.
11th for Queenstown, became entaugled
water-logged and helpless when, on Feb.
10, about 800 miles west of Queenstown,
the oil-carrying steamship Snowflake,
bound from Penarth, Wales. to Pbdadel-
|'phia, sighted her and took off her skipper,
Captain Christensen, and ID men.
/ The life-savers of the Snowflake forgot
| the little tiger cat, which had hidden itself
in the lazarette, and the Birgette. with
her rudder gone and only one bit of cam
vas set-a goose-winged lower maintop-
sai!-started drifting with her cat, the
biggest catboat afloat. li
The sentiments of that cat must be con-
iectured. Maybe il got a meal now and
then by capturing some of the rata that
may have been driven on deck by the
rising of the waves in the hold. On March
LIST the cat observed big steamship to
the south. Not being familiar with the
international code signals, the cat didn't
know lat least II hasn't said that 1t did)
that the big steamship was the White Star
liner Teutonic. Is. an.
Captain Cameron surveyed the old bark
through bis glasses, but he didn't see she
cat. The bark's decks were awash and
her port bulwarks were gone, but her two
lifeboats on the after skids were intact,
and all her lower masts were standing.
Then the cat had been IL days drifting Off
the Irish coast. 80
Later, the derelict had heavy weather
from all points Of the compass. Her main
and foremost went by the board, and the
shrouds of the mizenmast were carried
away. The cat, il is surmised, thought
that its only hope of salvation was in the
mizzen crosstrees, and IL doubtless lost no
time getting there. 1t saw several other
steamships pass, and maybe wished some
OF them had Egyptian commanders with a
proper regard for cats.
At last, on March u, at 4 p. m, In a stiff
gale that blew some of the fur off the cats
back. the Potomac's skipper. Captain
Leitch, sighted the Birgette 10 miles off
his starboard bow. 1t was 300 miles off
the west coast of Ireland. The skipper
thought there might be something aboard
the bark, and he headed for her. He saw
no moving figures on her deck, but up in
the mizzen crostrees there was animation
of some sort. 1t looked at first like bit
OF fiuttering canvas. rq
The skipper brought his binoculars to
bear on the object and this is what one
of the sailors says) found that IL was cat
waving its tail as n signal of distress.
The skipper suggested to First Officer
Dow biggin that it might be worth while to
tow the bark to Queenstown. incidentally
saving the cat. First Officer Dowbggin.
with the third officer and four men,
launched n lifeboat to windward of the de-
relict and dropped down until they were
little to leeward of her.
Then they bent TO their oars, came up
alongside and boarded her. They found
her decks flush with the seas and her rud-
der and sternpost gone. There was moth
ing aboard her worth saving except the
cat in the crosstrees If it was in the cross
trees. In the lazerette were several coils
of heaving line. One of tho sailors, who
had been a herder in Australia (remem-
Der, this is a composite yarn, made a
lasso of the line and cleverly threw the
loop end over the cap of the mainmast.,
The cat Immediately caught the line and
began TO descend with the skill of a top
sawyer. But 1t had miscalculated its
strength, and when IL was half way down
the line il slipped and fell. Do not forget
that this is q composite story.) First-Ofh-
Ger Dowbiggin, who was one of the best
.cricketers in the British Isles, caught the
cat. which had thoughtfully rolled itself
up in ball-like form. 80
Barring the bare places from which the
fur had been blown by the gale. the eat
was not ill-looking. 1t was wrapped in an
old coat this is n composite yarn, you
know and taken aboard tho Potomac,
which brought her here yesterday. IL you
don't believe this, you may go over to Bay
onns and see the cat, which has become
pet aboard the tank and is called getty"
whichis short for Birgette. Getty was %
days on board the derelict.
Pure rich blood Is essential to good
health, because the blood is the vital fluid
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