The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-03-28
A HERO.
From Temple Bar.

From lGubAG bdAs
one fine evening in December 1 pulled
Of in the coaling company's smart gig to
the SOOO-ton tramp steamer Corona, then
rolling on the long Atlantic swell just out
side the breakwater OF Las Palmas har-
bor. Grand Canary. As the white gig
flashed through the clear green water
there was ample opportunity to look at the
vessel. and her appearance was by no
means pleasing. With her full bows,
square quarters, huge upright funne. and
rusty sides she was not an attractive OBJ
iect as loaded down to the last inch with
nitrate from South America, she wallowed
in the long sea slopes that swept round the
end of the breakWater. Climbing over
the low rail and forcing my way through
a pandemonium of swarthy Spanish coal
beavers, dealers in fruit and tobacco and
vendors OF canaries, the latter alternately
coaxing and abusing their feathered mer-
chandise in the vain hope of making them
sing, 1 met Capt. Cranton.
She's not exactly a floating palace-but
with fine weather viii take you home all
right. and you can see what deep tramp
is like at sea-" said the latter.
Just then a dilapidated looking English
man. cad in greasy dungaree, with bat
tered engineers silk cap on
his head. thrust to one side
gesticulating Spaniard who
was LLNluk TO force a DuNGh Vi udEu Dd~
nanas and a half-dead canary on a grin
ming fireman, and touching his grimy fore
head asked:
Are you Capt Cranton. STRIP
Yes" said the officer; what is It you
want?"
Il want to see II there's any chance of
working a passage home I'm a boiler
maker and have served as fourth engi-
neer. I'm starving here" was the an
swer.
HINT what are you doing in Las
Palmas. then-deserted, / suppose?" said
the captain.
mo. sir; II was this way. I shipped at
Liverpool aboard Of the CoquimbO to load
coal at Cardiff for Rio, and the night
afore she sailed met Tom Stevenson,
who served his time at Dunlop's."
Never mind steyenson-go on" inter-
iected the skipper.
well. we went to have partin' glass
OF twO-not too much, sir; about a bottle
OF whisky atween two Of us-an when
they turned us out at II, Tom. he sits
in the gutter. and SEE he, 1 won't go home
till morning I said, Don't be fool,
Tom and a p'leeceman comes, 50 / goes
off and makes down 20 the coal tips. IL
didn't seem quite the right tip, but / sees
a big four masted boat with yellow fun
mel. and SEE /. That's the Coquimbo-I
knows the ugly look OF her. So 1 crawied
aboard and goes TO sleep In the fo'c'sle.
When I awakened up she were rolling
heavy far out al sea, and when 1 got on
deck / says to myself. It's another san
culinary African boat SO 1t was; and
they made me scrape paint, and when we
got here the skipper he SEE. Clear out,
and be thankful you amt locked up by
the consulr-and 1 landed without a
cent?
The captain hesitated and looked at the
man once or twice. while the latter spat
calmly on the deck; at last he said, half
20 himself, the chief wants another hand
with that broken down engine OF his
then. raising his voice. FAN right, I'll take
you 90 the chief engineer approves; go
and see him. Mind. I'm not going to sign
you on and pay more than you're worth
Tor stamps. but II YOU behave I'll give
sou n trihe 10 20 ashore with"
While ] leaned over the rail- smoking
and watching the foam crawl past-crawl
/ ~ the proper wOrd-tne chief officer came
along. and m reply TO my query. said;
What kind Of a boat is she2 Well you
can gec-ab0ut as hard an old tramp as
WIS ever launched into the German
ocean. besides we've been knocking about
} Tor months. and there's shells and gTs So