Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1898-10-15
THE SKIPPER.

der the fierce blast OF the northeast gale,
the seas sweeping her decks, and now
all on board knew that she had but
short time to live.
She had had her day. Built to carry
1870 passengers she had once been one
of the popular boats going through tho
long flush deck had been the scene of
many gay gathering when her passen-
gers had assembled under the awnings
to laugh, f1irt and talk after dinner.
But larger and faster boats had come,
and her glory had departed, 81 that
after many vicissitudes here she lay,
her passenger accommodation taken out
and the space filled with grain from the
Black sea ports, sinking.
Her decks were slanting at an angle
of 45 degrees, for the wheat had shifted,
and she lay nearly on her beam ends
Every movable thing had long been
washed away, and one structure which
should have been immovable-the en-
gine hatch-had also been smashed in.
That was the immediate reason why
she was going to founder The engine
room plates were awash, and the fires in
the stokehole were out, and for the last
two hours she had only been kept head
to sea by means of sea anchor made of
the derriclss and spars. A portion of ev-
cry sea that came on board found its
way through the makeshift contrivance
of spars and tarpaulins nailed over the
gaping chasm in her deck that marked
fto of %1,r l>o& IL,
and each found her little lower in the
water.
In the shelter Of the bridge deck, the
only structure which had been strong
enough to resist the remorseless violence
Of the seas, clustered her crew, some
80 hands, hard faced sailors and grimy
firemen, the former quiet, apathetic
almost careless; the others, save for a
few, dead white with fear, spending
their last moments in cursing, with
foolish, meaningless repetitions of the
same words, the ship, their luck in
coming in her and the skipper for not
making use of the two remaining boats
which hung from their davits at the lee
side of the bridge deck, and which from
their elevated position had not gone
when the other boats had been swept
away. On the bridge stood the skipper
and the mate, bearded, elderly men
both, straining their despairing eyes
into the wall of mist and spray which
relentlessl q rshed down upon them, in
the faint hope that some passing vessel
might appear through the gloom of the
gale.
At length the skipper turned and
scrambled down the sloping bridge tc
where the mate crouched Oh the lee rail-
"We shall have to try the boats, Mr..
Smith. She'll not last much longerv'
he shouted, the wind picking up each
word as he uttered it and sweeping them
away to leeward, as if jealous of the
mate hearing them.
Its very poor chance" said the
mate, "but l suppose it's our only one.
How long do you give her?''
Half an hour at the outside. Are
the boats all ready?"
'They've been ready since morning."
said the mate, "but can we get them in
the water unsmashed, and won't the
firemen rush them?"
II don't think so, replied the skip
per. "There's time enough and room
enough for all to get away"
But his face took a grimmer look as
he led the way down from the bridge to
the charthouse, the mate following him.
Inside they could hear each other with
greater ease, and the skipper, while
taking his revolver from drawer, gave
the mate his final instructions.
"WeIl lower the forward lifeboat
first, as she's the biggest. You will take
charge of her, get your crew aboard and
have every one in his place before we
start to lower, so that you can shove off
as soon as she touches the water. If
those patents act, you ought to be all
right The boats were fitted with a
patent contrivance by which the tackles
holding them are automatically released
the moment the boat is water borne, SO
that there is no unlocking of blocks to
be done while the boat is getting dashed
to pieces against the ships side.
IL shall be all right" said the mate,
but what about you? Who's going to
lower the falls of the after boat? You
an't manage it from the boat itself,
with all the crowd you will have on
board"
"I'll lower her from the deck," said
the skipper. "If they have a long
painter made fast to the ship, they can
easily pull up again under the counter,
and I'll make a jump for it.
mind you don't jump short. You'd
have a poor chance with those boots
and oilskins on" said the mate.
"Oh, I'll manage" replied the skip
per. Call the men up'
The men came up in body, and the
skipper came out Oh the deck, revolver
in hand
"The ships sinking" he said, "and
l have decided to take to the boats
There's plenty of time and room for all
to get away in safety if you obey my
orders. You will remain standing where
you are till call your names; then the
man whose name is called will take his
place in the boat. Any man that starts
for the boat before l tell him l shoot;
understand all?'
There was a low murmur from the
men, and the skipper continued:
"Mr. Smith will take charge of the
boat"
The mate, with look at the skipper,
climbed into the boat as she hung in
the davits. The skipper then called the
names of the crew he proposed to send
In her, sending first the sailors, SO that
tho mott r,,iohk -