The Somerset reporter., 1898-09-22
THE SKIPPER.

The last half hour of the steamship
Saraband had come All day she had
lain in the pitiless bay, crouching I'M
der the fierce blast of the northeast gale,
the seas sweeping her decks, and now
all on board knew that she had but a
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 the
newly opened canal to the east and her
long flush deck had been the scene of
many gay gathering when her passen-
gers had assembled under the awnings
to laugh, firt and talk after dinner.
But larger and faster boats had come,
and her glory had departed, SO 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 40 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-
CINE 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 i'll
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 derricks and spars. A portion of ev-
cry sea that came on board found its
way through the makeshift continuance
of spars and tarpaulins nailed over the
gaping chasm in her deck that marked
the former position of the engine hatch,
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
30 hands, hard faced sailors and grimy
tiremen, the former quiet, apathetic,
almost careless; the others, save for
few, dead white with fear, spending
their last moments in cursing, with
foolish, meaningless repetitions of the
same ords, 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
relentlessly rushed down upon them, il
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 to
where the mate crouched on the lee rail
ave shall have to try the boats Mr..
Smith. She'll not last much longer''
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 | suppose it's our only one.
How long do you give herr"
Half al hour at the outside Are
the boats all ready"
They been reauy since morning"
said the mate, "but can we get them in
the water unsmashed and won't the
firemen rush them?"
Il 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
10 fol l.
Inside they could hear each other with
greater ease, and the skipper, while
taking his revolver from drawer, gave
the mate his final instructions.
"We'll lower the forward lifeboat
first as She the biggest. You will take
charge of her, get your crew aboard and
have every one i'll his place before we
as soon as she touches the water, II
those patents act you ought TO be all
right The boats We're fitted with a
patent Continuance 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
II shall be ali right, . said the mate,
"but what about you? Who's going to
lower the falls Of the after boat? You
can t manage II from the boat itself,
with all the crowd you will have on
board "
I'm lower her from the deck, said
the skipper. IF they have long
painter made fast to the ship, they can
easily pull up again under the counter
and l. II make jump for it. "
Mind you don t jump short. You'd
have 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 on the deck. revolver
in hand
The ships sinking, he said land
have decided to take to the boats.
There plenty of time and room for all
to get away in safety if you obey my
orders You will remain standing where
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