The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-08-01
A RACE ON AN OCEAN LINER.
MARSHALL T.. WILDER TELLS HOW
THE ST. LOUIS BEAT THE
CAMPANIA.

Pnre saw a Chapter For His Few
NoveI-"Thank God, 1t Was an
American Done It"'
New York, July so wish to say, to be-
Gin with, that this is no race! The steam
shin companies expressly forbid racing,
tbe captains are down on it, and old ocean
has never countenanced the laying of
race course over its surface,
Rut all the same, when we of the st.
1ouis went to bunk Thursday night we
l-new there was something in the air. And
mat the something" was a great Cunard-
er coming up behind us-we knew not when
or where!
On the great race tracks a jockey does
his best from start to finish, as long as he
knows there are others behind him. But
on the ocean it is not race unless you can
see the rival ship bearing down upon you
and you are trying to beat it.
But we knew it was coming!
It was short nights sleep we put in
Thursday night. The last night aboard
ship! Everybody knows how it is! There
is hacking to do with ali sorts of cunning
tricks to deceive the custom house Off
cials-tricks by the. way, that never de-
ceive them at alb. And there are good
bvs to be said, hands to be shaken again
and again. Last words spoken once more,
and all that foolshness gone over and
over again--as every one does aboard ship.
And when at last we lay down it was for
what they call in Holland "a snooze,"
on.y a doze and nothing more.
At ( Friday morning We were all out on
deck 1t was gray and misty, black you
would have called the ocean, and the
sky murky in the dim, thick glow of the
before-sun-rise sea.
We are bound for port-for home! Yet,
strange to say, none of US were looking
towards AMERICAS shores. But backward
Had we all turned so "blarsted English
that we could not leave Englands jubilat-
ic shores without regret? No, IL was some
thing more.
The captain voiced it at last. Looking
through those wonderful glasses back
ward he saw something looming up black
and white and red all at once. There she
is" he said quietly.
Atonce every glass was leveled that way
We could see nothing but great gray
mass on the horizon. But we knew, as the
captain knew, as every stoker below
knew. that it was the Campanla steaming
up behind us, and that we were lin" for
an ocean race.
You who have seen horse races and
their quick and exciting denouement can
have no idea of the slowness of an ocean
race 1t is like watching the minute and
the hour hands of a watch as they sepa-
rate at y o'clock. They draw apart, but
unless life hangs upon their movement
YOU do not notice it. And so with the great
Campania coming up behind us. You had
to hold your glasses a minute to your eyes
before you could see her tunnels Then
another minute before you could distin-
guish her bow Next time you looked you
could catch the first splash of her foam
as her sharp bow cut the waves. But it
was an hour before you could see the
great tidal waves spreading back from
her stern as she scattered the waters on
each side of her.
Meanwhile all was excitement on board
the St Louis. IT'S race" exclaimed
one of the passengers (and a very distin-
guished one at thaO.
IT'S a race divided into four parts. The
first quarter is where you're getting ready
to sight the ship. The second is when
you see her and are beginning to put on
extra coal The third is when you're COM
ing up TO Fire Island, and the home stretch
is the thitry- nine miles from Fire Island
TO the lightship. Now get ready to cheer
for We've got to beat her.
But the Cunarder was drawing nearer!
IL was plain that she was trying to beat
US. Her great bow became clearer and
clearer and for a few sends IL seemed
to us as though she were going to laugh
al us on the home race.
That's nothing. Don't be scared"
called out an experienced old ocean trav-
er. The sun has lifted and that brings
her closer. She isn't gaining much on us"
Meantime the captain, gallant Captin
handle, was hurrylng hither and
thither His orders were not
70 keep steam up, but to
keep steam off To stop coaling, not to
con- up. But how are you going to re-
strain whole ship full of would be stokers
and 80 pleasure-seeking souls? l verify
do believe if the good captain had given
orders to reverse the engines and put out
the fires he would have been seized and
lut in chains right in sight of land, as Co
Mmous was in that eventful voyage OF his
~ years ago.
But the captain knew better than to go
beyond his power. Instead Of fruitlessly
waving his hands and shouting he bore
MN self IN dignlfed. even beaming, way.
ana some one whispered that the captain
Wound not cry were we to win the race!
All. captain!
hLt The Cunarder was gaining on US.
We could all see that
WHAT'S the matter:' called out some
We've got to stop to take up a pilot, ="
yAl4dIhed the experienced traveller. But
can tell you he'll meet with quick treat
hent il he doesn't hurry"
i'lt nc pilot did hurry. lie was brave
tio' NO. 4 and when he saw us coming
.'H mead on he srasped the situation and
,op, and was ready for us
thNe crossed the ocean twenty times
''- never In the course Of my travels nave
seen ~ quick a landing. The pilotboat
"1As as near US as she dared. the st
'9'.s kept on all the speed she could. and
.i@<-zzz- splash--h-h-quick as a
'i',A. The pilot was up the side OF the
.tlp and aboard We had the Nap al -
Wheel ''' wa" At 'iie
,t.. .l DO the second we lay alongside the
s'...'at We lived an eternity Of anguish.
ttp9se the pilot should take Il in his
mo deliberate Suppose he should not
1,,'l ana But there was no time for
A., rom out the port holes came TWEEN
~ ..a.s' And one composite voice yelled
MIA. u was the stohers imploring the
'... 20 waste no time.
~ laInpania had TO take up her pilot.
,1'se And here is where she lost.
p'oi was taken on the same pllotboat
CUT, I-. And & took time 10 turn around