The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-04-03
ONE OF THE MINES DEAD
gHE sroRY OF A SAILOR WHO PER-
IsHED cN THE BATTLE SHIP.
Faithful Life Ended at Havana
From a ships Boy TO Able Seaman
An Ambition and what IT Led To.


AE the early days or fhat voyage, Wheh tiie
mammoth blue wall of sea came rolling
from northward, and the last little birds,
swept off shore by the gale and, exhausted
beyond fear. lighted about deck chair that
held a burden of reawakening personality,
Jan Nelson's was the first face to impress
itself among the many strange ones of those
who came and went in turn from the wheel.
stoli6 round face 1t was, above a heavy
little body always clothed in blue dun
garees." save when the squalls came; then
his wet red cheeks glistened above yellow
oiskins ard under a dripping sou'wester.
Soon ali the men were familiar, but he re-
manned marked among the others in the
general duties Of hauling, slowing, oiling,
tarrings scraping. polishing. and painting of
that voyage. A boys life on shipboard is
not an easy one, and besides that Jan car
ried a superficial appearance of stupidity.
His sluggish Northern movement and his
dumpy stature denied him the alert and
picturesque attraction that some boyisn sea-
men have.
He came into prominence one day in the
South Atlantic-one of these intense blue
days that seem born off Brazil, where the
sun is dazzling on the violet ripples, the
air hot, but livened by the sweetest of all
breezes that come when the trade" is
caught and the tranquil mind is centered on
the log-registered progress southeastward
that each hour shows.
We--the cabin trio-sat on the house in
an atmosphere of tea drinking, sewing and
sailmaking. Jan was at the wheel, motion
less with eyes fixed, alas, not on the COM
pass, but on the far-off horizon beyond
which they were trying to follow thoughts
that had gone TO a home in Denmark. Or
perhaps, still farther, into that region
where his destiny now has carried him But
rough Hows she head?" brought a rude
restoration, and we were discovered enough
points off our course to be merrily making
homeward, which is Turing direction. but
dlametricaily opposed to that Of Australia
that and my heart ached for the something
pathetic that there was about his poor little
presence, the paleness that grew on his
patient young figure the day waned and
the sun grew more and more trying
do not remember Just when / was sur
sweet-looking. Perhaps it was a sunny
morning In Newcastle when the heat sizzIed
IN the deck planks, and / came upon him
sun. In the relaxed discipline of q. crew
deserted ship | stopped to speak with him.
and noticed then how steady his eyes were
shy, pleasant brightness that warmed his
face at being directly Addressed
A POPULAR BOY.
After that I always noticed him, though
another long passage with no opportunity
for speech followed. But it was the keenest
pleasure to hear certain statements made
on his behalf in the cabin, and grad
ually verified by his action on the decks
Re was constantly in demand and always
cheerful He ran and fetched and carried
from the beginning to the end of his watch
as the boy must and then was at all the
mems work. Always unobtrusive but al
ways learning steadily and we'll. The time
came when in the toughest seas he was sent
Tor to take the wheel-a fine @tonement for
his bitter days of learning--and no man
watched for and carried us over the stag
gering seas more steadily and better than
he he was always a quiet man, and that
was greatly in his favor among crew of
this kind, and he slowly won the respect of
every grade on board.
When the mates interest at last became
almost fatherly, we learned more about
JAN He kept sober I'M port-another rare
virtue-and from his very scant earnings a
portion was sent to the poor mother in
Denmark. His honest, placid face reflected
the pleasure of the rest of US the day we
left the bleak Atlantic waters behind, and,
towing up the Thames in the sweet breath
of the hawthorn hedges, passed off Graves
END, the white cruiser chicago and two
american flags dipped just at sunset on
foreign waters.
We locked in the dingy regions Of Green
wich. The sailors, dressed in their best and
dragging their boxes were swallowed up
ashore Jan, preferring, and this time
chosen, to stay by, became sole occupant of
slept by day, and, living on cabin fare. grew
stouter and more Notwithstanding than
passed evening after evening Of those lonely
smoke-stained twilights of a London sum-
mer in solitude. with an accordion that he
never produced before the crew, but from
the homesick strains which. when by him.
self, he seemed to gather solace. Night aft
er night when we came down the electric
lighted wharf, his round head bobhed above
the rail to investigate, after which he APP
peared at the gangwaY, lantern In one hand
and the other lifted to receive wraps and
parcels. Night after night his steady tramp
went at intervals past our windows, until
the early morning hour when he was re-
From do not just know what time there
had strengthened in me the desire to know
and tell JAMS story. 1t is surprising now
in looking over old journals to see the num-
beg Of notes made all along to that effect,
for / could not have dreamed then how fate
would perfect its ending. Masters and mates
are not given to detecting the romance of
their men. That is left to the woman pas
sensers' conjecture, and my opportunity
came Unexpectedly.
JAMS SIMPLE STORY.
It was the August evening that ended a
London bank holiday, day of rollicklng
that naturally extended over to the city's
dock fringes. The scant ship population had
decreased until lastly. after tea, the stew
ard and stewardess, in the blissfui incom
potency of a honeymoon period. drifted out
for a peep at the excitement that existed
beyond the dock gates, and a great loneli-
ness settled over the ship. Each trip to the
forward doorway showed me Jan either on
his beat or putting at his pipe, resting
against the rail and gazing, as sailors co
when off duty, to the horizons edge, which,
here in London. was smoke-veiled until its
golden sunset color looked hrassy. Even TO
DER isolated berth came faint shouts, sing
ing ard laughter now and then
i hesitated about going out to Jan, be-
cause in the light OF snip etlquette sucn an
irregular course might embarrass the boy.
E1lt eventually l went, and | am sure that
he was as lonely as !. and as grateful for
companionship. So there in the damp brown
evening shut IN by the rows Of coal and
storage sheds, and the more distant weaV-
Inc of masts yards and smol1estacks, we
a{lzed for hours, as sometimes people VIII
tallx who never spoke together before or
will not speak again.
TIe told the story. of his twenty years OF
his birthplace on the shore of a big river.
low he always felt the river urging him to
fhe sea. while his mother held him back.
OF a childish escape from her, when, en-
barking in a tub, he made his first voyage
down the rushing river, only 10 be rescued
by chance from the hand that death on the
waters stretched towards him then. And.
al last OF his fight from ship in Copen-
hager to escape impressment TO military
service Return to his own country then
meant Imprisonment, followed by service in
She navy He had been away four years,
ana must wait six more before he could re-
turn TO see the widowed mother and his
nine young brothers and sisters.
on an English ship he Went to Calcutta,
and there were few countries that he had
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