Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1897-12-11

suppose he ever thought that was to be
his last voyage, but it was. 1t happened
like this: We'd been lying out in the
river for over a week, when there came
a change i'll the weather and after a
cloudy and unsettled day or two the
wind got away to the sou west and began
to pipe up strong and i'll a few hours it
was blowinga heavy gale, Craft caught
in the channel ran for the nearest shell
ter Briggs and schooners came in with
torn sails and splintered spars, and one
or two of the fishing boats came to grief
on the bar. Before long there was a
pretty lively sea all round the coast and
it was washing clean over the pierheads
yonder. So you may guess that even in
side we felt it. The ketch, being light,
pitched and rolled at her anchorage like
a cork but we rode with good bit of
caLle, and there was no other craft near
US
1.-The next night the gale was at its
height. Heavy gusts of wind swept
across the harbor, whistling and Shrek
ing wildly among the rigging, and bring
ing up with them squalls of thick rain
that hid the lights of town altogether,
Il was on deck keeping watch, cold,
wet and miserable, when | noticed that
the cable every now and again seemed
to jerk and rattle as it had not done be-
fore So | went aft and told the mate,
who was smoking i'll the cabin.
by God, she's dragging! he shout
ed as soon as he'd been on deck a few
INn Sl,a11 no Sbnrn hpfpra
we know where we are. Bear a hand
here, lad Smart's the word now. And
he laid hold of the painter of the little
boat that was bobbing up and down
astern of us,
"Hand over hand we got it alongside
and | pluclled up courage to ask him
what he was going to do
"'Going to do? Why, I'm going
ashore to get help You and | can't get
out another anchor alone You keep a
sharp lookout, and when you hear me
call show light over the side And
with that he was gone.
Il didn't like being left alone you
may be sure. | was only Il youngster,
you must remember, and it was my
first voyage. | thought she'd go ashore
and break up while he was gone, and
then | should be drowned, and the next
moment | wondered whether he would
get back safely How long he was away
I don't know 1t seemed to me like
hours. | strained my ears to listen for
his voice, and during one of the mo-
mentary lulls i'll the bowling of the
gale heard yonder church bells strike
8. And still the anchor dragged and
still we drifted. At last / caught the
sound of shout far off. | jumped up
and waved the lantern over the side
Then came another wait, followed by
another sh out, this time clear and close
at hand. Again | showed the light, and
the next moment | heard the splash of
oars alongside, and the mate and a
stranger, both dripping wet from head to
foot, clambered on deck. Then we turn
ed to to get out a kedge. We got the
spare anchor up from the hold, bent on
stout hawser to it, and prepared to
lower it into the boat. Bob Tucker and
the stranger got into the boat and bade
me lower away when was told. But
exactly what happened in the darkness
and confusion | could never clearly re-
member. The gale seemed to have got
ten times worse 1t was difficult to
hear oneself speak If possible, too, it
seemed to have got darker. | could Just
family see the forms of two men mov-
ing about in the boat as it tossed along
side Suddenly | heard agonizing shouts
for help | looked over the side, and
the beat was gone,
Frightened? should just think
was frightened! l added my shouts to
theirs, but you might as we'll have
spoken i'll a whisper for all anybody
would have heard that night. rushed
wildly to and fro, throwing over ropes
ends and anything could lay my hands
upon. felt horribly helpless as l lis
tened to their cries getting fainter and
fainter until at last they ceased alto
gether, and | know that they were
drowned. can't tell you what l felt
for the rest of that night. | dare not &c
down below, and even on deck | fancied
l could see their faces close beside me,
and their cries were ringing in my ears.
forgot all about the gale and the dan
ger Of going ashore. But sure enough
we did go ashore. When daylight broke,
/ found shat the ketch was lying on hel
bilge on the mud. Then | got into the
rigging and shouted and waved my
arms until at last some one came off tc
me- The, wOuldn't t believe me at first,
but i'll the course of the day poor OLD
fuckers body was picked up and the
boat was found floating, bottom up
ward, by fisherman AS for the ketch
which had cost the mate his life, she
took no harm and was got off safe and
sound next tide.
THAT cured me of seafaring for {
time. | staid ashore for Il year or two
but then the old longing came back, ant
l went north III collier But never
see yonder church without thinking OF
poor old Bob Tucker and his fate. -
Chambers journal
A Resented Suggestion,