The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1897-07-07
HE SAVED THE SHIP.

1 Ia
"That's rather a purity story, that
of Hun7s i'm The Journal the other day
about how he brought the Sibery
through gale in lSS3," remarked
Engineer Blowit to some boon COM
panions who had gathered in the en-
gine room of the famous old side
wheeler Exile, forty-niner," built As
palatial passenger boat and later
winning fame As a grain carrier.
al happened to be at Eagle harbor,
OH MichipocOten island, when he
brought the Sibery into port and can't
say but what HUFF has played it purity
modeslike in tellin the yarn. lie give
it straight, though, barrin his leavin
out few things which mebbe he didn't
think important, though some of 'em
was to the owners. Ye see, when they
tied the boat up at the dock in Eagle
harbor, thet's OH Michipocoten island,
there was the prettiest layout of ice Oh
'er y'd ever want to look at. WY,
twas even with the rail over the deck,
and the purtiest fluted pillars of it run
right down them open matches and
stove in skylights and other open
places right down to the keel. Wy, il
war a sight TO behold, fine as anything
at the ice pallis, all made without
hands. Wy, the fellers that pack ice
in Eagle harbor, Oh MichipOcoton is
land, Jest tumbled over each other to
git ia bids on the layout, for l tell ye,
boys, two foot ice, every blamed inch
of it As clear and sparklin - the hoh-
moor dimond, amt often found al
ready histed on deck 50 We en- git ii
without wettin yer feet See? Hui
shouldn't "a left thet out, even if he
didn't make the Ice himself, with a
patent freeZin machine, specially when
they sold the ice for enough to pay for
all repairs besides addin somethin to
the owners bank account after payin
a handsome salvage to Huff for savin
the ship.
"Thet header he took after the coal
maui, axes not bein handy To git at
Jest then, kin swear to, for he show
ed me the lump on his head, caused by
strikin the fireroom floor, havin mis-
calculated the depth of water, thinkin
il was ten feet when it war only six.
II war pretty bad confusion, right on
the place where the phrenologers loca:e
the bump of self esteem. He was very
proud of thet lump, We bet. Well, We
can bet that we fellers in Eagle harbor,
Michipocoten island, appreciated the
gallant feat and lost no time in roundin
up the whole crew before the bar and
wetting 'erl down solid with somethin
hotter'n lake water in November, ex-
cept the miserable eap'n who took to
the steam pipes in the hour of danger,
because, s'pose, he's jined so many of
them blamed societies what roast their
men on hot gridirons and things be-
fore they let 'em in on the ground floor
to enjoy the enormous benefit of payin
assessments thet he jest natehully took
to them pipes, as it war.
"When Huff told Us how the whole
crew went below, wheelsnen and all,
and FED the fire with coal what they
picked 10y hand outen the water which
war pcurin in on 'em 10y the hundreds
Of tons, havin to swim 10 git il, the iine
old boat jest nayigatin herself all the
time, with her steerin machinery all
out of gear and useless, Wy we Wet 'em
down agi'n with stuff ho.ter'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 naughty and
eommandin tone told the miserable
coward of cap'n to leave him alone
and never speak to him ag'in We jest
hoorayed, for / en- tell We that an en-
gineer what knows his biz like Hut
does can stand at the throttle and nav
igate a ship by instinct better'n the
swellest cap'n afioat.
"W'y, | en- tell We, an engineer has
t. know somethin besides how to give
,ders, and man thet can't run YES
sci without bein on deck and seein the
whole LAYOUT don't know his biz L
never could see the use of cap'ns on
steam vessels what have No. ] engin-
eers except to swear and put on airs.
A. for mates, two good firemen are
better'n a dozen of the overbearin
cusses. See? What cap'n would n
thought TO dive down under water and
smash that bulk head what was keepin
the men out of the fire pit? Wy, like
a. not he'd "a had some fool plan and
gone 10 interferin with the only cool
head aboard the boat.
"Huff7s story is D. X, but l had n
little experience which lays 1t on IFS
beam ends some flatter'n the old Sibery
laid on her starboard with her weather
side 30 high out of water that the id
treacherous elements could only git a
little spray on 10 tibet deckioad OF ice.
Twas in war times, and We had load
ed with beans at Chicago for Buffalo.
Ye see, every bloomin farmer In the
country had taken to arisin beans for the
army as the best thing they could do
to help squelch the rebs- The crop
hadn't been over aud above good tibet