The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-09-06
MADE THE MACKEREL DRUNK.
ONLY RESORT LEFT FOR CREW OF
A Nantucket PACKET.
The Vessel Was Being Carried
Along at Top-KnOt Rate ON Top
of n school of the Fish-They Fill
ed the Hold, and Ship Would Soon
IInr-a G.,r,.. IL, AI,o. Haitian,
From the Boston Herald


Have Gone to the Bottom.
From the Boston Herald
Nantucket,-There is. was and presum-
ably always will be good fishing out here
at Nantucket. Fish, all sorts of them,
are as plentiful as ants and other creep
ing things that live in the dusty roads of
the mainland.
OF course we nave path to lead us to
Nantucket. 1t is as straight as the cap
tains of the steamboats, can steer it, and
the lane is one of Nantucket's best cards
in seeking popularity.
Speaking of fish tempts one to digress,l
and perhaps the public will be interested
among pillows that once washed the
shores of Spain. The story was told me
by an old whaling master, who is very
particular as to the punctuality of his
attendance at church. The narrative goes
in this wise:
Il was in an old packet, the Willie Cof-
fin, running between New York and this
port. 1t was about So years ago. when
packets were in style, and their owners
shore, carrying more freight than we did
passengers. This town of Nantucket was
a hummer then. 1 feel sad to recall the
real big place we had in people ana
wealth.
1--WE loaded potatoes at Noank early in
June, and were bound over the shoals
for home. The wind was southwest, good
lively air, and it drove us along at a six
knot clip.
THE packet ran out by East Chop and
Cape Pogue and Norton's Shoal in SPLEEN
did style. The old man. that's the eap'n,
said the girls at home. were pulling us
along by their apron strings.
THAT expression was a favorite one
in my boyhood when a homeward- bound
craft had fair wind and was hyperin'
along. i was forward of the windlass, ly-
ing on coil of rope. The old man had
the tiller,l and the cook was cleaning up
the dinner. All at once the packet began
to slow up. Her bow was lifted, jibed
over and went off on the other tack. The
vessel had-no boom tackles, so she gybed
very sudden like.
THE old man sang out for some one to
'heave the lead and find out how much
water was under us. He evidently had
the idea that we were on top a wreck
iand that the dereiict's rigging had caught
our keel and was holding us. The cook
hove the lead and found five fathoms.
The old man put up the wheel and tried
to pay the vessel off, She wouldn't go,
but came intoithe wind and looked at US.
We couldn't understand what had hap
pened, for the schooner could be depend
ed on to mind her rudder.
The tide was running with us east
about two knots an hour, but in a few
moments we We're stemming the current
and appeared to be going away from
Nantucket right into the eye of the wind.
THE old man grew red in the face,
| l. IL. 4
Ter to starboard and showed it to port
trying to get the packet out of irons
She wouldn't mind even little bit. We
were forging along directly for the shoal
and against the tide.
" Get down them sails right lively,
sung OUT the old man. We let down the
mainsail jib and foresail with a run 1
| tell you my hair stood on end with fright
The cook was as badly off as the rest of
US 1t was a case of scare all around
| We were going like a steamboat into wind
| and tide.
" Stand by to get the anchor down.
was the next order from the poop deck
Let her go was followed by changing
of chain and splash. About fifteen feet
of cable went out through the hawse pipe
as the 309-pound mud hook went out of
| sight. That last resort didn't fetch the
packet to a standstin. She was going
toward Cape Pogue like a smokeboat
| in over the forward rail, as she surged
along. The old man. became wild with
excitement Something is playing highly
| with u.s. he blurted out, as he sprawled
| down into the cabin and fetched up
against rum cask, which we kept on
hand for sickness and other purposes.
I'VE were headed directly for Squash
Meadow shoal, and if the packet did not
stop or shift her course she would strike
| the sand in three feet of water.
presently the old man came on deck
| He had book in one hand and a glass
of rum in the other. l knew at a glance
what the book was, for l had seen ii at
the head of his bunk. 1t wasn't a tide
| book, nor Bowditchs Aid TO Navigation ,
| had seen him read it on Sundays 1t
was a big volume like an old-style pho
tograph album, with gold coIored clasp
He placed the book just aft the rudder
post 1t was opened. Then he called US
aft.
"'Roys,' he said, we are In a trying sit
uation; we are in a ship without rudder,
and there is lee. shore under our bow
We are doomed to destruction on top of a
current that never knew about It's
an earthquake broke in the mate and
Nantucket's sunk
The old man collapsed at this declara-
! ton. So did / but the Vineyard hasn't
sunk exclaimed the old man. as he point
ed with shaking finger at the outlines of
| land on the lee bow.
- Some internal thing has us, anyway,
exclaimed the old man.. "A minute ago we
were drawing along past Tuckernuck with
fair tide and wind. Now we are going
back toward Gay Head, into the wind and
tide; we can't get our anchor on bottom,
and the rudder is as useless for steering
as cows tall
"'Yes,' added the cook, she's going
against the laws of nature Som thing has
upset the world, and ] think Davy Jones
has booked us. There were tears in cook
ey's eyes as he spoke. and his weather
| beaten face was blanched with fear
I" Sound the WELL ordered the old man.
l went to the pump and thrust the rod into
place, and then withdrew II. 1t was wet
about four inches above the box, so I
knew we were tight. AS tinkered with the
rod heard peculiar sound in the hold
l listened. There was a peculiar rushing
noise below deck. "A new danger beset u.s.
Rushing aft, l told the old man we were
making water, and that the pump was
| clogged.
up went his hands in despair as / told
| of my horrid discovery. The old man, the
] q 4.