The record-union., 1898-04-03
THE PURsER's NERVE.
He Shaved While the Ship Was
Sinking.

II was cosey room, with antique
hangfnss and furniture and walls hung
with handsome works of art which
could be only iHdistinctly seen by the
light OF the Pickering fire on the hearth.
me little party agreed with the beauti-
1ul hostess that the room was Just dark
enough for a ghost story Il don't
know ghost story" said one of the
men, but the dramatic rescue of the
Veedam's passengers by the ST. Louis
reminds me of my experience on board
the old Gailia, when she was caught
In a hurricane in midwinter about TOO
miles from Queenstown The waves
broke In our decks and flooded the
tcabins, and nobody thought for little
While that any one on board the YES
sci would ever see land again. There
was no panic, no shouting no weeping,
and 1t seemed that all We're perfectly
prepared to go, though they looked
far from happy floundering about in
the water dressed in such garments
as they could grasp when they were
| aroused from their sleep by the crash
which sent tons of water into the ship
1t was about o'clock in the morning
the stewards had begun to set the table
for breakfast, and, as / recall the
picture, can see men and women
most of them with heavy wraps over
their nightdresses, standing on the ia
bic and dancing q forced minuet be-
tween the guard rails and the dishes.
AT one end of the cabin, while 9TH
crs were silently praying, stood a
young fellow with nothing on but a
suit of blue and white pajamas, hold
ing snap camera in front of him. If
you folks hold still g minute he
said, well. have a picture of this if
we ever get out of it, and for a mo-
ment people forgot the terrible situa-
ton, and l have always believed that
one of the women adjusted her water
soaked gowns SO that she might look
we'll in the picture taken under the
shadow of the destroying angel.
We'll, we got through it all right,
although we came to Liverpool in
sadly battered condition.
1 was an officer on the Ohio when
she knocked hole in her bottom. and
helped transfer the passengers and
cave what we could. When all had been
sent to the ship which came to our
relief we made ready for the last boat
load, of which / was to be one. We
had lot of money and valuables in
the ships safe, and / went below, took
a tabiecloth from the cabin table and
into this dumped the contents Of the
various compartments of the safe. 1
made bag of it, carried it on deck.
and when / came to where the boat
should have been / found that it had
gone, and l., with the treasure. was
left in the rapidly sinking ship. I can
thlnk OF any number of situations
which l would have preferred to mine
just then. The wind being against
me, l could not make myself heard.
put up signals, and no one would ever
guess what l did then. / wanted to
keep my wits about me and block all
chances for nervousness so / did what
requires mans full attention-beean
TO shave; and l doubt whether I ever
ala cleaner or better Job By the
Tune L had finished my companions
must have missed me, for / could see
them returning, and when they came
alongside there We're not many inches
TO step down from the sinking big boat
to the little thing that took US AWAY
tell you this story to show how nee
essary 1t is to have nerve on board
ship
And did he tell it for a true storvq,
asked the hostess
He swore to every detail"
Then he did have nerve Nav
York Tribune