The Washington weekly post., 1899-06-20

the bark HOratiO on the reefs near tne
Caroline Isl2nCs-the wreck that still
Clings 10 the rocks in the harbOr Of Ku-
sale the wreck which she predicted
weeks before from a significant dream.
These experiences have made up her life
aboard ship in just twelve months
She did not 90 a-sailing for the mere
love Of adventure. nor in the cold serious
ness OF skirts. but in the more comfort
( able. II Jess lovely. bloomer uniform. And
she chose the life Of the sea To share
I LIES vicissitudes with her husband. Capt.
: West was the skipper ana she the first
/ mate Of the Inflated bark Horatio, that
! is now pounding itself to pieces on the
/ Caroline shores.
! Seven years ago. Mrs. West. the Cap
/ tain's bride. stepped aboard the whaling
! bark at Martha's Vineyard to try her
1 new home on the deep. For seven years
y bark had been her only dwelling. and
/ IN that length Of time her voyages have
/ extended over 5'0o0 leagues.
I These years she has devoted 10 the
study Of navigation. and her account Of
| them is fredked with untoward events
! Last week the barkentin Ruth arrived
/ from the Caroline Islands with the crew
| of the wrecked whaling bark. and Mrs
! West spoke Of her eventful year in
| matter-0f-fact. New England way.
| H"nrymo"n ON the High Seas.
Upon the first day of my voyage" she
said, Il began to learn the names of the
| sails and the rigging In a very little
! while I understood the theory Of steering
and how 10 box the compass. | would
often take the sun and gel the latitude
and from that time on | looked upon
navigation seriously instead of as an
amusing pastime.
1T took some time. however. before
during a storm | could muster up the
courage which | always had ashore. and
every time there was strong breeze /
asked Capt. West If it were q gale.
And 50 the life on the ocean wave
grew upOH me, and the ieTcer the hurr-
cane jhe more my courage rose, inspired,
| have always thought, by the knowledge
that the Captain knew how TO control his
ship.
The first serious danger we encounter
q occurred in the Arctic Ocean about
thirty-hve miles south Of Herald Island
For two weeks / had our satchels packed.
ready 20 leave the snip at d moments no
tice Neither night nor day did | change
my clothing. for We were frozen I'D i'm an
open lcepack ana were not proViSiOnrd
Ipr an extended blockade. II is a fearful
thing IN the Arctic TO be imbedded in the
ice especially the young ice, which every
both wood and steel
he Captain stood in the crOw'S-nest
al the masthead night and day Shoutiur
.otarooard and steady and then Port
ana 50 on, working his way through the
field ice. The anchors were dropped AMI
hduled up like Il pump handle to cut the
pack lee, which was six feet thick about
the bark. The crown of the anrhor us
nsd a hesieF
For days and days we watched for a
breeze, and when at last through the
glass some one perceived a swell that
tllled the great white plain into pillows
from the southeast there was a shonf
from the sailors and a thank God feeling
from the hearts Of US all Within tweIye
houFS the southeast wind had chopped the
zee up INTO small chunks and we were
soon out OF our difficulty.
TyphOon NearJapan.
But the most terrible storm that Cant
west ever We4thered swooped down upon
Us OF the coast OF Japan less than wear /
ago. Ii was regular typhoon. and we |
were IL the vortex of il.
The waves broke right in on decl, a,,d
over the stern and washed awav q bea,-y, |
tool chest that had been lashed. and two |
OF the boats on the cranes were smashed |
and carried away. Oh, it was a terrific
sea. Our oil bags were all emptied ~ |
iatten ii. and the ship laid over with her
lee bulwarks uEder water. The barometer |
fell TO y 81
When the ship hove down. If the wind |
mad not knocked the sea down. the H6ra |
no would have been dashed to Dieces |
As IL was We sprung the main topmast |
ami twisted the rudder-head off Every /
man was aft-nObOdy fOrWard-and the /
sailors were ldshed or had ropes about |
their waists when venUuring to obey or |
Gers That's the worst strain when tna |
ship is hove down like that with the wheel |
i"Shed There's always danger OF losing 4
her rudder
Up TO that time the wind had been \
hioWlh% from the southeast and the whole |
nialn tOpsall was set in the calm between
the shifts Of the Wind from southeast to |
northwest. Then the wind came down
with ali its force. butt end te' as tha |
captain expressed il. 1t came so sudden
N that We could not furi the sails AMI |
then We expected the mast To be carried |
away
The Captain had lashed me 10 2 chair
below because / insisted upon being near
him. and the fury Of the storm made il |
impossible TO stand upright anvwhera
When the lower main topsail main sTen-
Ger, ana fOreS3ll were carried aWav Cant
West came below and ordered me 10 nut |
on all the warm clothes ! could wear. and |
TO make haste about it. | was so fright
somehow managed 10 put on four dresses
over my boomers. | knew without dueS-
uoning that ! was preparing for an opeD
boat IN that AWFUL sea. 1t was blowing so
hard that looking windward We could see |
nothing but the spray off the ton of The
sea That was the very worst storm but 4
II suddenly LETT US, and the Horatio
though badly strained, weathered the gale
ForsbOdings "f shipwreek.
Now comes the strangest part of my
whole experience, the part that almost
every one will say is too extraordinary 70
admit Of belief. From the time the Ho- !
ratio left san Francisco last December 7
had a soul-pervading horror Of being shin
wrecked. The great big dangers thar had
jutted cut on our horizon previously | did
not seem 10 fear, for / relied upou The
Captains skill 10 evade them. But The mn
definable. clingtng premonition that We
were to be in danger when We least ev-
pected il filled NE with a fearful fore
boding.
This fear did not possess me unt1 We
We're crossing the bar, and I fclt hen
JndJ the HOratiO was on her LAST yov1..e.
that she would be shipWreeked.
The Captain laughed at nv supersti-
uons. even while he respected them: tut
the Gays Went by, and as NOTHING, ocs,1-
!.
gan 10 doubt The prediction would come fo
pass.
But one night had a singular 5--,n
IL Was not The result Of ilI-h-ll.h nor 80
seasicknesS. Aboard ship / am uur -rn1I-
bled viii indigestion. 50 that th,. dr,.sn,
and lJS subsequent Iulfllmrnt was tlr,-
s-th-r remarkable. Much OF The -isian
" course, was iu-Nplic1bl- but enough ~
% puftrudrd the disaster which acf-7. tly
happrHvd 30 make me- ever af.erWayl 4
believer IN dreams
The pets which I took with M fro1n
san Francisco were canary, rat i,r-
Tlrr. and u black kitten.
The entire crew OF thirty-sIx M,
looked askance al the black cat and s5Tok
their heads dis4pprovingly. once | Er5r'I
a sailor say. Let's throw ii oFerboa- -
Well. ln my dream / Thought tha 10
RATIO Was painted yellow. lust Ia esi.,r
81 the canaFy-in fact the bark mad sud-
denly been meismOTpuOsrd into tnr bird !
and The cat sat on A rock splashed bV fba
sea. me cats eyes seemed dtlsTpd and /
stsAnf4s'- and knew that ID y-1S cham.
iuE the bird and Turing her 10 d-stfticti0r
Al al once The dog set 10 bark thsf
could not Dc quIeIed and ran absut IKE