The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-04-20

| of tho Old Days.
BAIL" he said. "You have a lot to
learn, young man. You have us much
sentiment in your construction as this
stick carry.
1.-The idea Of IA youth like you trying
| to tell mo thnt there is ms much bravery
and pathos attached to seafaring now as
there was when was master Of wind
TANNER You probably believe that you
arc correct in your statement; but, man
alive, you are making a fool of yourself.
Hero III these days you have lifeboats
big and stout enough to carry an army
of men. You have steam to manipulate
the falls, patent davits to swing clear.
No lowering away by hands and no get
ting them back over the side with every
pound of flesh a-pulling. New tangled
guns for throwing a life line, RATS that
won't go to pieces in the first chop of q
sea, cork jackets that need no instruction
cards, but which go on like mans
vest; pumps that arc rusty for want of
use, seamless plates and dozens of other
inventions iii these days. Where were
they i'll the old timesp
Let me tell you something. don't
say but that there are many brave and
| gallant mariners i'll the business now.
But the old shipwreck meant moro in
the matter of life taking than tho ship
wreck OF today does. Did you ever hear
tell OF n sailor of tho old school trying
to get into boat before the passengers
were out of danger? You needn't say
| you have, because you have not. Why,
the only ones who ever attempt any
thing of that kind are stokers and fire
men and rowdies who have tho impu-
dence to call themselves sailors.
i remember tho case of shore Ioafcr
named Holmes, who tried shcnanigan
like that He was afterward tried in tho
United States circuit court mt Philadcl-
phia and was convicted of manslaughtcr
lie was one of 80 shipwrccked persons
who took to the long boat, which was
greatly overloaded and constantly in
danger of sinking. Well, this beach rat
Holmes and some moro of Abraham's
men threw overheard 16 passengers, two
OF whom wero women, to Tighten the
boat Tho court held that Il sailor is
bound by law, if necessary, to sacrifice
his life to save the life of passengers
Furthermore the court held that whilo
two sailors might struggle with each
other for tho possession of the samo
plank which could save but one, if a
passenger were OH the plank even tho
law of necessity would not justify the
sailors i'll taking it from him. You do
not think much of that law? Well, it is
tho law of God. 1t is also tho law of
duty.
Did you ever hear of the case of
Captain huffman of the ship Aidar? He
was good sailor and gallant master
and no matter what many may think,
1T is possible to DO both. His ship foun-
tered, but he refused to be taken off.
do you knew why he refused to be taken
Off? There was an injured man OH board,
and while tho old timbers were going
to pieces under his very feet he k,lelt
down and said to tho man:
/ won't leave you, lad. On my
honor as a sailor WON'T
"On his honor as sailor he would
not leave him. Have you ever heard of
anything more touchingly honest? Cap
tain huffman went down with his ship,
but managed to hold on to his man and
to get to the bottom of an upturned
boat, from which they were afterward
rescued. 1t was month or so after that
when townsman asked Captain Nut
man what the name of the rescued man
was.
Why, I never inquired he said.
He just signed articles in tho regular
way. l may have heard it then, but
do not know it now. He was Swede,
that's all know of him.
The friend shook his head in aston
ishment as lie inquired:
What! A Swede? Take all that
chance for Sweden
why, yes, even for Swedo didn't
care whether he was Swcdo or n
Laplandcr. He was n good sailor and
would have done the samo for me had
things been reversed.
Nor is that all, young man. There
was shipwrcck about 1916, but the
name of the craft has escaped my mem
Dry. The crew took to one boat, which
was overcrowdcd. A noble Newfound-
land, the pet of tho ship, swan along
side the boat All the men turned their
eyes sadly npon him, but they knew
there was no room for him in that boat
The captain loved that dog better than
he loved his life, and he stood up in the
boat as lie took off his cont and said:
L cannot SEQ him die like this.
Give him my place ill the boat. / can
hold OH to the plank, and he cannot
There was IL chorus of dissent, and
ono OF the sailors struck the brute over
the head with the blade of an oar, while
another pulled his sheath knife.
Don't hurt him, said the captain
Kindly J,1t GrD,1,-