The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1897-04-21
WIND TANNING DAYS.
Az OLD MARINERS TALES OF
BRAVERY IN WRECK.


BAH" he said. ''You have a lot to
learn, young man. You have as much
sentiment III your construction as this
suck l carry.
The idea Of youth like you trying
-rrell me that there is as much bravery
auapathos attached to seafariug now as
tagrewas when was master of a wind
hammer! You probably believe that Won
are correct i'll your statement; but, man
alive, you are making fool of yourself.
Here i'll these days you have Iifeboats
biz 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
tIug 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
sea- cork jackets that need no instruction
cards, but which 60 on like mans
vest; pumps that are rusty for want Of
use, seamless plates and dozens of other
inventions in these days. Where were
they in the old times?
Let me tell you something. don't
say but that there are many brave and
gallant mariners in the business now.
But the old shipwreck meant more in
the matter Of life taking than the ship
wreck Of today does. Did you ever hear
tell Of a sailor Of the old school irving
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 r0Wdies who have the impu-
deuce to call themselves sailors.
Il remember the case of a shore Ioafer
named Holmes, who tried a shenandoah
like that. He was afterward tried in the
United States circuit court at Philadel-
phla and was convicted of mansiaughter.
He was one of 30 shipwrecked persons
who took to the long boat, which was
greatly overloaded and constantly in
danger of sinking. Well, this beach rat
Holmes and some more of Abraham's
men threw overheard Is passengers, two
OF whom were women to tighten the
boat The court held that sailor is
bound by law, if necessary, to sacrifice
his life to save the life of passengers.
Furthermore the court held that while
two sailors might struggle with each
other for the possession of the same
plank which could save but one, if
passenger were on the plank even TIE
law of necessity would not Justify ths
sailors i'll taking it from him. You do
not think much Of that law? Well, it is
the law of God. 1t is also the law of
duty.
Did you ever hear Of the case of !
Captain huffman Of the ship Ailar? He
was a good sailor and a gallant master
and no matter what many may think, |
it is possible to be both His ship foun-
deTed, but he refused to be taken off.
Do you know why he refused to be taken
off? There was an injured man on board,
and while the old timbers were going
to pieces under his very feet he knelt
down and said to the man:
1 won't leave you, lad. On my
honor as a sailor | won't
'On his honor as a 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 a month or so after that
when a tOwnsman asked Captain Nut
man what the name of the rescued man
was.
Why, never inquired, he said.
He just signed articles in the regular
way. | may have heard it then, but |
do not know it now. He was a Swede,
that's all | know of him.
The friend shook his head in aston
lshment as he inquired:
What A Swede? Take all that
chance for a Swede?'
Why, yes, even for a Swede didn't
care whether he was Swede or a
Laplander. He was a good sailor and
would have done the same for me had
'nIhgS been reversed.
Nor IS that ALL young man. There
was Shipwreck about 1916, but the
name OF the craft has escaped my mem
DRY. The crew took to one boat, which
was oyercrowded. A noble Newfound-
lana, the pet Of the ship, swan along
SIDE the boat. All the men turned their
eyes sadly upon him, but they knew
mere was no room for him in that boat.
me captain loved that dog better than
ne loved his life, and he stood up in the
boat as he took off his coat and said:
49, ! cannot see him die like this.
GlVe him my place in the boat. / can
mold ON to the plank, and he cannot
There was a chorus Of dissent, and
one OF LLn aai ln,-. .t,.,, az tl,n h111ta nrn1.