The Globe-republican., 1900-11-08
a SAILOR NAMED SAVAGE.
nae Llveda Man and Died the Death OF

packet of the early days, which car
ried the mail between New York and
Liverpool She took first and second
cabin passengers, immigrants and
general cargo. 1t was my first ex-
perience as a sailor, and confess that
it did not come up to my expecta-
tioDs-
Every one seemed to take the
greatest pleasure in abusing me and
making my life misera BILE generally.
I was kicked and ordered about f ON
morning until night Every mental
Sc vice that could be thought Of /
Ny greatest tormentor was the
second mate. a man named Douglass
He was good sailor. but by nature
he was brute, a coward. and a bully
When we arrived at Liverpool my
work from experience had become
easier, and, as the men were fully en-
pioyed on other matters than bother
ing me. L began to take some sort of
IL terest in life.
L'nA [1- ,s1cs crew. DESERVING, was re-
placed by man named Savage, who
was q big, powerful fellow. with an
honest. upright face that attracted
every body who met him.
Somehow he took q fancy to me
and after that nobody but the second
mate ever abused me, and by dint of
caution / managed to avoid him very
successfully.
We soon had our cargo below the
hatchers and after dropping down
the stream the tender brought off the
passengers and we got under way,
homeward bound.
We had an ordinary, uneventfu1
passage until we arrived off the
Grand banks, where we ran into a
dense fog and the weather beca ne
colder. The fog was SO thick that it
seemed as if we were sailing in the
clouds and the moisture dropped
from aIoft like rain
A restless and oppressive feeling
seemed to fill the air, and the passen-
gers and crew paced silently up and
down the decks, pauSjnR every now
and then as if they had heard some
strange sound
Why we should have been so al
fected is more that I can explain.
I was standing on deck and Savage
was passing me. when he stopped
and said: Il think there are bergs
around Don't you feel it getting
cOlder3'
had felt it, and was asking him
questions about bergs, when the Iook-
outs both cried. stStarboard. sir: Ice
ahead!''
Before the ship could answer her
helm, [ saw an Immense shape OF
white towering high above US, and
the next minute we crashed into
solid mass of ice. which looked like a
mountain
The shock was terrific and dis
crashing through our decks. a2d we
heard the rush Of the water. as the
vessel began to I'll and sink with in
credible rapidity.
AS soon as they could collect them
selves every one rushed to the boats
the second cutter She was soon
lowered away, and we shUVeI off and
lay to little distance from the ship
We were packed in so tightly that
To iTYOx1 IN
turn around, and the gunwa,es were
barely awash. / found that Mr..
Douglass had charge OF the boat. and
my heart sank with fear.
We saw two other boats get away
before the Saracen. throwing her
stern high in the air, and, amid d
great rush of water, sank from our
sight.
One of the other boats was caught
in the vortex and swan ped, throwing
the occupants into the water. The
suction drew our boat in among
them. Those who could grasped our
gunwales and endeayored to climb
aboard. but Mr.. Douglass drove them
back with blows from the tiIIer, and
cursIng Us for or cIumsiness babe US
get out the oars
The boat was so greatly crowded
that this was di7licult to accom- plisll,
but after good deal of trouble we
managed to ship them, and had al
ready taken a stroke when the gun
vale was grasped by woman hold
ing a child in her arms.
Mr. Douglass. with an oath, hit
her with the tilier, but, although she
Rroaned from the pain, she still hung
on with grip like death
He raise1 the tiller to hit her again
when Savage stood up from his oar.
saying: ''Hold on. sirl she can have
my place." and without another word
he slid verboard. and had moved tn
woman in among us, before we had
recovered from our astonishment.
As he swan away I callei him to
come back, but he only turned and
waved his hand. and while we were
gazing after him he disappeared in
the fog.
The sea remained calm and the
next morning we were picked up By
the bark Mohasset and landed in
PHILADELPHIA
Savage was never heard of again.
He must have persisted. but he d ed a
hero and like many others who have
rarfnr07a6 hat