The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-08-27
a MASTHEAD SIGNAL.
Incidents of II Night I'm the South
eru Pacific Ocean.


(From the New York Commercial Advertiser)
The group CT sailors in the shipping Of
fee were smoking and discussing their
chances of getting berths soon when an
old sailor who sat near a window reading
threw his newspaper aside and grunted:
THAT isn't wonderful; saw something
worse than that myself.
Explanations followed. The newspaper
contained an account of a ship at sea sig
mailing 10 another that was passing: Doe
tor waved; then when the asked for help
was on the way the signals were changed
10 read: Dead" The old sailor, after
pointing out the news item. said:
Twenty years ago ! was first mate
aboard the brig Arkadia hailing from
Boston. IN the early part OF the year We
left port with a mixed cargo for Nalpa-
reiso. We had a good run down and turn
ed the Horn in fine shape. Then we start
ed up the other side of the South American
continent We were within three days
easy sailing of our destination when the
thing referred TO happened. 1t was along
about the middle of the night. ! had the
deck and was taking things easy as the
wind was light, the mCcn full and the sea
calm.
Il was leaning over the port rail when
one of the watch cries out: Ship dead
ahead. sir. an shown no lights I looked
and sure enough there was a two-masted
schooner. with only her mainsl set, right
across our bows. We sheered off, but it
was a close shave. We passed SO close
under the sehooner's stern that could
see the full length of her deck. There was
not a soul on it, / yelled, Schooner
ahoyi" but got no answer
AS soon as We were clear / sent for the
old man. ald he ordered the brig hove to
and a boat lowered. See what the he'll
sils her, Mr.. Martini he says to me. The
schooner was not more than half mile
away, full in the moonlight We rowed up
to her side. and l stood up and hailed her.
No answer. The name on her stern was
Anna D. Black. Another stroke or two of
the oars and / was able to clutch her
anchor chains and pulled myself on board.
NO one met me. and | couldn't see no
one about. 1t gave me sort of chill. /
glanced aloft and saw that everything was
safe there. All her spars were intact.
The forest, jihs and tops'is were furied-
The mainsI had two reefs in it. The One
peculiar thing that struck me was that the
boom was made fest as IL to prevent it
from swinging under change of wind.
went to the companionway and called
down, but got no answer Then l asked
my two men to come on deck with me.
They made or boat fast, and joined me.
II made me feel easier to have two human
beings at my side.
we rummaged around in the empty
fo'c'sle. found a lantern and lit it. Then
we looked about. The hunks were empty,
but everything was in confusion; the deck
was filthy. We hurried out into the open
air to escape the stencil. Then we went
down the eompalionway into the cabin.
We found the captains desk, and by look
ing over his papers we found that the
schooner hailed from New Orleans and was
bound for Auckland, in ballast How she
got SO far out OF her course was a puzzle.
The cabin, like the fo'c'sle.- showed that
something had been wrong, but We could
net guess what.
Back TO the deck we went. and on the
way to the side we peered into the galley.
On the deck, with his head in his arm.
was man. He was dead, but he had not
been dead long. He appeared to have been
very sick I turned him over, searched
his clothes. but found nothing. He was
evidently one of the crew.
When We reached the brig and the
captain had heard our story he decided to
stand by until daylight SO as to make a
thorough search of the schooner. We
were in no particular hurry and l have
an idea the old man thought it might be
TO his financial advantage not to let the
schooner get too far out of his sight. My
watch having expired. l turned in.
IAN hour after daybreak the old man
Sent Tor me.
Mr.. Martin he said. did you notice |
any signals on that schooner when you
boarded her2'
No. sir. says L
Look at them now, says the old man. |
AT the mainmssthead l saw several Of |
the flags Of the international signal code.
whats the signal?" ! asked the old |
man. seeing that he held the code book.
. Send doctor Yellow fever says the
old man
The sailor stopped his story, filled his |
pipe. lit it and continued
For several hours / was one of the /
sickest men you ever say. but luckily it /
was only Imagination. l thought, though, |
thet | had yellow fever"
What became Of the schooner"
No one knows. You may bet we lost /
all interest in her when we had deciphered |
the message spelled by those multi-colored |
flags"