Evening star., 1898-12-24
THRILLING CHRISTMAS.
Waves and Wind, with q Dash of
Superstition.

The most thrilling Christmas / ever
spent" said Lieut.. John Kenny of the
eighth precinct, as he drew his chair nearer
the stove and lighted fresh cigar. was in
1915. l was mate aboard the good ship
western Sea, which was plying between the
West Indies and Boston. She was an old
craft, and it was said that in her early days
she had been used as SLAYER. We were uu-
der command Of Capt Chisolm and braver,
bieger-hearted man never looked into a
binnacle. We left Port au Prince with a
load of dogwood, bound to Boston. and fin
ished the cargo at Maraguin, in Haiti. We
started out with a fine quarter breeze and
for day everything went merrily along
Then We ran into squall a hundred miles
off Bermuda. 1 remember an old salt said
as soon as the squall struck us that il Ber-
muda would let us pass We had better look
out for Hatteras.
THE gale deyeloped into a tornado and
for three days We had to heave to off Cape
Hatteras. We sprung leak the second
day, and until the sea Gained we were at
the pumps day and night. Finally it be-
came necessary to ship our load, and every
bit of cargo was thrown into the sea. 1t
was just eight bells when l finished my
turn at the pump on Christmas day. slid
10 the leeward OF the mainmast to protect
myself. L heard Capt Chisom encouraging
the men. He did everything to brighten
them up-sang to them, told them stories
of adventure and prayed with them. Capt.
Chisolm was good man, and when he died
the men before the mast lost a true friend.
L was particularly impressed with one story
he told while encouraging the men, and L
have never forgotten it. 1t is a good argu-
ment for those people who believe in the
supernatural and trust their destiny to an
All-wise Providence This was his story:
ABOUT five years ago, boys, / sailed with
three-master from Florida with a load
OF pine. 1t was right here off Hatteras that
a gale struck US and threw the ship on her
beam ends. l had a crew of Spaniards and
Cubans, and a meaner, dirtier set of sailors
never shipped before the mast. When the
boat capsized the crew all scrambled out on
the weather side and cut away the spars.
The boat righted herself after a time but
the waves were running mountain high and
sweeping her from stem to stern. There
was one particularly bad man in the lot,
VINO. by reason of exposure and the terrible
battle he had had to save his life, was COM
pletely exhausted, and his comrades showed
consideration enough for his poor miserable
life to take him aft and lash his body to
the cabin.
miles away a Yarmouth brisantine
from Nova Scotia, bound home from the
west Indies, was sailing in a light breeze.
AT IL o'clock that night the captain, who
mad been sleeping, came on deck and COM
manded the man at the wheel to head So
west, and to hold that course until daylight
The crew protested because that wasn't the
nomeWard course but the captain insisted,
and the boat was headed so'west When
daylight came the captain was on deck and
sighted our wreck. A boat was lowered
from the brig and the first man taken from
our disabled craft was the exhausted Span
lard lashed to the after cabin. The captain
of the brig said he would take an oath be-
fore Almighty God that fifteen minutes be-
fore II the previous night, which, strange
to say, was Christmas eve, while asleep in
ms cabin. the man whom We had tied to
the cabin came to him in his sleep, and,
picking up a slate. wrote: Steer so'west
until daylight, for Gods saker''
The rehearsal Of this story did the men
lots of good, and they redoubed their yigor
and the next day found harbor."