Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1900-11-09
AN ATLANTIC STORM.
Terrify Landsmen, But Do Not
Disturb Sailors.

The wind changes from south to pos
sibly southeast. The officer in charge
shakes his head as he looks at the
barometer falling. Down, down goes
the barometer and the whistle calls
the messenger, who knocks at the cap
tain's cabin door with sMr. wanted
me to tell you, sir, as how he thinks
we may have nasty blow" says
writer in the Home Magazine. The
wind is coming up. Does this feaze
the captain? Not much. He puts on
his big boots, wraps his wooden COM
forter around his neck and goes on the
bridge. Perhaps he never says word
during the whole trouble and the Off
Ger directs everything, as usuaIbut
he is there, and when he gets there he
takes the responsibility for everything,
and Mr.. may feel a little easier.
The wind picks up from a stiff breeze
to a moderate gale, then to a gale $50
miles an hour), then to hurricane
(65 to IS miles an hour). 1t bowls SO
man must shout to be heard ten feet
away. It blows strips of paint off the
funnel and Lighthouses. The crests OF
the seas are whirled into spray and
the sides of the waves furrowed with
little ones. A man cannot stand
against it without clinging with both
hands to some support, and a seaman
ordered to make fast some ropes on the
deck is blown against the rigging and
held there for ten minutes.
Finally he manages to creep on
hands and knees to the shelter of
deckhouse. The air is so full of spray
that it seems as if heavy rain were
| g. ;oh nd
higher. In an hour they are ten feet
from trough to top and in three hours
are nearly on level with the first deck
below the bridge. An hour later they
are rushing from the southeast 40 feet
careful Recommendation trough
to crest. The clouds are rushing over
in such masses as to almost touch the
ship. 'sStop the engines and let her
drift comes from the captain.
"Clang!" goes the gong and the pro-
peller, which has been half the time in
the water and half the time beating the
air as a wave lifted it, ceases its revo1u-
tions and gradually the great hull
swings broadside to the sea. Then be-
gins battle royal between the handi-
work of man and the elements. The
best artisans constructed the former
out of the best steel in Britain's most
noted shipyard. Every bolt was
screwed home and every rivet clinched
tight. The ship begins to roll from
side to side. The seas lift this 10000
tons of weight so that third of the
| bottom is entirely out of water, then
| let her down with a thud that makes
her tremble, but never finch. Up and
| down she goes, the deck-sides playing
see-saw with each other. First one
| will be high above the water. Then
it goes down. The waves seem to grow
| higher and higher, and as the bulwark
| is within a few inches of the foaming
water you look up and up at a liquid
mountain, green-topped with white. 1t
seems hundreds of feet high, but you
| are looking obliquely and thus the dis
| tance is magnified.
It is a sight never to be forgotten,
and few care to see it second time, as
| they cling to whatever support offers
| itself to keep themselves from being
washed into the water or thrown
against the upper works. Miniature
| whirlwinds branching off from the hur-
| ricane twist the spray into little water
sprouts, whirling them over the decks,
| up the masts and drenching the man
in the crows nest. Farther and farth-
er rolls the vessel, until the foaming
water runs along among the cattle,
washing through the compartments
and soaking them to the knees. But
it is healthy bath.
| Is there any danger? None so far.
The green hand might expect that
every minute the hull would turn COM
pletely over, but that is simply imPos-
sible. Now the reason for trimming
the cargo properly is seen. 1t acts like
a foundation in holding the ship. The
cooks department cannot be trimmed
and suddenly the kettles, pans and
dishes start for the door in an ava
lanche, as the deck tips more than
usual, accompanied by flow of ''cuss
words" from the chef.
For six hours the roar of the wind
| continues with scarcely a seconds in
PERMISSION. Then it lulls bit and the
sky ightens a trifie. This is the begin
ming of the end, but for two hours
longer it continues before the lulls be-
come more frequent. Finally the en-
CINE starts again and the vessel is
headed on her course, victorious at
every point. She has not shipped a sea.
Not wave has rolled over her, and not
a gallon of water has entered her hold.
Finally the captain comes down and
changes his clothes. eyes, it was quite
a blow" he says, lighting his pipe.
What the captain does has been a
mystery until now. He seems to write
a little. smoke considerably, take a
nap in the afternoon and have plenty
of time to be sociable, but does he draw
his pay merely for this? No, it is for
being in the right place and doing the
right thing at the right time.
Civilized Crow Indians.