Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-03-29
PUT THE SAILORS TO SHAME.
Earnest Work Saving Lives
of Mariners.

'Es picked a fellows bone.
.Es full Of Sloppy weather
Yet sometimes 1t may be
e teaches British sailors
'ow to face the raging sea-
When the Leyiand liner Philadelphia
pulled up to her dock at Liverpool with the
lamp-trimmer acting as quartermaster and
half her crew below on the sick list, on
her last outward trip. the marine reporters
Ali they heard was that the ship had lost
two men at sea while trying to reach a
craft in distress. When last Tuesday the
Philadelphia pulled up at East Boston.
Commercial street heard the rest of the
story. Yesterday from "Heils kitchen"
little offices. where men sign for sS per
month to man pumps to Bombay and back
R asaih' r efey Mete f man and IT G Matbe now pu uSm
cattleman, put the foremost hands TO
The Philadelphia left Boston. utvard
January Is. She carried her full crew and
sailing for the first part of the trip, a sea
clap the signal lines against the mast.
February 3. when they were 800 miles off
Fastnet. came a change; The morning
and the sea began to leave the forefoot of
the steamer. About 4 p. n. the man on
the watch reported a ship down on the line.
showing three balls. a signal of distress.
1t was the tramp Tahasco. out from Sun
derland, bound to the West Coast. She had
lost her propeller and wanted a tow. The
Philadelphian brought up within a mile OF
her and down went a boat with six men
and a heavy line. They made that fast.
but the very starting of the engines broke
Three lines, one after the other, were
passed over. The boat crew had been al
most three hours on the water. and it had
grown so dark that 1t was useless to go
over the side: So all night long the two
lay side by side.
The wind was strong from the south
west NEXT mnrnInp II u-DS h1nu-fro down
half a mountain gale. and the seas were
piling up.
$50 o'clock. the ships were bowling up and
down at one another like a pair of slack
wire performers.
their places In the boat. 1t all happened
in a minute. The stern fall on the davits
were thrown into the water.
Cullen alone, held to his seat. while the
boat splashed below. A wild cry went up
from the men in the water. They grabbed
at the oars and floating stuff in the boat.
the steamer was just under way, and in
two minutes she had left the men astern.
black spots In the white faced winter sea.
Fun speed ahead she was put to bring
her around to weather of the men. Then
in that position orders were given to lower
a boat to pick the men up.
There was 4 hullabaloo on deck as the
sailormen were ordered into the boat. Not
a man moved. The officers yelled and
shouted; they drove the redhot words of
shame into the sai~lormen-words that
were reinforced from the water below,
where the faint cries of the drowning men
were heard.
To the credit of the officers. they came
forward. The second mate and bos'un led
into the rescue boat. and a quartermaster.
fireman and one sailor followed. Still one
cattleman, sprang forward. Leaping to
the rail he turned to look back at the
will you leave your pals DROWN" he
yelled. Shame on you for saii1rmen!S
and he leaped into the vacant seat.
Down went the boat with a crash. The
sea was tumbling around and the boat
tossed to a turning point. Down went the
oars, but the craft slipped to leeward.
Even while they were making for the
up his hands. "Good-by, boys" he cried,
and dow he went. A minute later Shelf.
field. to whom the auartermaster had CIV
Tom" he said. take this and try and
keep up"
The men in the rescue boat grew white
On deck the holdbacks locke on without
Tom Reed. the refrigerator man. rushed
on deck. .Dumbell was right over the side
His eyes had closed and the two oars were
Slipping from his grasp.
He with the rest had been over an hour
in the water. Somebody fixed a bowline on
Reed and over ne went. He came up aside
of Dumbell, and treading the water he
transferred III lin line and the 9uartsrmasts.
Reed was pulled back. King and johnson
the two remaining men. were at last picked
up. They were more dead than alive.
At s o'clock the steamer was under way
The Tabasco had refused to send a boat
and so they left her; As for the officers
men got back. The sailormen who refused
are walking the water front In Liverpool
and the next cattlemen who meets them
and knows the story will throw straws al