Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1897-05-06
HE SAVED THE SHIP.

"That's rather II purity story, that
of HUFF : III The journal the other
day about how he brought the ST.
berry through gale in 1883" re-
marked Engineer Blowit to some
boon companions who had gathered
in the engine room Of the famous
old side wheeler Exile, forty
ninCr,' built as palatial passen-
ger boat and later winning fame
aS Il grain carrier.
Il happened to be at Eagle har-
Dor, on MichipOcoten island, when
he brought the Sibcry into port and
can't say but what Huff has played
it purity notes.-the in tellin the
yarn. He give it straight, though,
barrin his lcavin out a few things
which mchho he didn't think i'm
portant, though some of ON was to
the owners. We see, when they
tied the boat up at the dock in Eagle
harbOr, thet's on Michipocoten is
land, there was the prettiest layout
of ice on 'cr I'd ever want TO look
at. wy, twas even with the rail
over the deck, and the purtiest fiut-
ed pillars of it run right down them
open matches and stove in skylights
and other open places right down to
the keel. Wy, it war a sight to
behold, fine as anything at the ice
pallis, all made without hands.
wy, the fellers that pack ice in
Eagle harhor, on Michipocoten is
land, jest tumbled over each other
to git III bids on the layout, for l
tell We, boys, two foot ice, every
blamed inch of it as clear and spar
kiln as the Kohinoor dimond, ain t
often found already histed on deck
SO yc en- git it without victim yer
feet. Secf Huff shouldn't "A left
tibet out, even if he didn't make
the ice himself with Il patent freezin
machine, specially when they sold
the ice for enough to pay for all re-
pairs besides addin somethin to
the owners bank account after pay
in handsome salvage to Huff for
savin the ship.
Tibet header he took after the
coal maui, axes not bein handy to
git at jest then, ] kin swear to, for
he showed me the lump on his head,
caused by striliin the fireroom floor,
havin misCalculated the depth of
water, thinkin it was ten feet when
it war only six. 1t war Il pretty bad
confusion, right on the place where
the phrenologers locate the bump
of self esteem. He was very proud
of tibet lump, We bet. Well, We
can bet that we fellers in Eagle har-
Dor, Michipocoten island, appreci-
ated the gallant feat and lost no
time in roundin up the whole crew
before tho bar and victim 'em down
solid with somethin hotter lake
water III November, except the mis-
erablo cap'n, who took to the steam
pipes i'll the hour of danger, because,
| s'pose, he's jined SO many of them
blamed societies what roast their
men on hot gIidirons and things be-
fore they let EN- in on the ground
floor to enjoy the enormous benefit
of payin assessments tibet he lest
natchully took to them pipes, as it
war.
when Huff told us how the
whole crew went below, wheelsmen
and all, and fed the fire with coal
what they picked by hand outen
the water which war pO,irin in on
EN- by the hundreds of tons, havin
to swim TO git it, the fine old boat
jest naNigatin herself all the time,
with her steerin machinery all out
OF gear and useless, wy we wet 'em
down agi II with stuff hotter'n them
steam pipes the cap'n set on, and
when he told how he riz up in two
feet of water or more and in a
naughty and commander tone told
the miserable coward of a cap'n to
leave HIM alone and never speak to
him ag' in we jest hoorayed, for /
en- tell We that an engineer what
knows his biz like Hun does can
stand at the throttle and navigate a
ship by instinct better Ii the SWEETEST
capn niioat.
ivy, | en- tell ye, an engineer
has to know somethin besides how
to give orders, and man tibet can I
run vessel without bein on deck and
seem the whole layout don't know
his biz. l never could see the use of
cap'ns on steam vessels what have
No. | engineers except to swear and
put on airs. AS for mates, two good
hremcn are better'n dozen of the
oVerbearln CuSses. Seer What cap'n
would "A thought to dive down I'M
der water and smash that bulkhead
what was kcepin the men out of the
fire pitt Wy, like as not he'd "a
had some fool plan and gone to in
terferin with the only cool head
aboard the boat
Huff 5 story is O. K, but / had
Il little experience which lays it on
its beam ends some fiatter'n the old
Sibery laid on her starboard with
her weather side so high out of wa
ter tibet the id trcacherous ele-
ments could only git little spray
on to tibet deckload of ice. Twas