The San Juan County index. (Aztec, N.M.) 1890-19??, 1900-03-09
A WARNING VOICE.
SHIP SAVED FROM DESTRUC-
TON IN PACIFIC
by IN omoor'a wife. whose CRY OF
Danger In Her sleep HAD Been
Carried Thousands ~ Miles to tho
Impsfmed Vessel.

son Lnat Iney are Still IN the DulLeu
States navy. I'VE will say" narrated
the officer, that Lieut.. Glover was
officer OF the deck of the ship Ran
cocus. She had been cruising of the
coast OF South Africa for several
months and on putting into port re-
ceived orders to sail for a small group
Of islands 1000 miles away and rescue
some sailors who were reported there.
The vessel was nearing the place when
the incident occurred. AS l have said,
Mr.. Glover was on the deck that night.
It was blowing pretty fresh and cloud
ing up and he ordered the royals in
and then topgallant sails; wen then
the ship was heeling over so that 1t
was not comfortable. He was about
to call the watch and reef topsails, and
was standing by the weather rigging
looking out over the water listening to
the swash Of the waves, when he heard
a voice. Keep to the right; keep fur
Their to the right, for Gods sake 1t
was 81 distinct and clear that he
turned expecting to see some one; but
the man at the wheel was a long dis
lance off. Glover called to him:
What did you say, quartermaster?'
he asked. L didn't speak, sir replied
the man. I thought o did, Glover
rejoined. He walked forward a way
and looked out over the water again,
when again came the cry, Keep to the
right; keep to the right The officer
turned quickly, but there was no n
near him, and, startled, he turned aft,
a strange fear, or something akin to it,
taking possession of him. He was in
charge of the ship and was RESPONSE
BILE for her, but he had no right to
change the course without consulting
the captain. Then, again, 1t was nom
sense to listen to his imagination, he
thought; so he strobe forward with
an effort to throw the feeling off. But
ahead the voice came again: Keep
to the right, in Gods name. Keep to
the right That settled it. Glover
sprang forward and shouted: Lay
aft, watch; bout ship!' The men
sprang to their stations. Ready about,
stations for stays!' came the order,
followed by the whistle of the boat
swain. The ship surged up into the
wind, buffeted the waves for a few
moments, then swung over on the other
tack. AS she came on her IRIS
Glover made up his mind he was in
for 1t, and when he had explained to
the captain hat he had put the ship
about all on account Of a voice he
would in all probability either be put
under arrest or placed IN the sick re-
port as being unfit for duty, while the
men would think he had been drink
ing. But his relief in sailing in
another direction was so great that he
did not seem to mind anything else,
and he Immediately proceeded to re-
port: Captain, he said. I have come
to report that l have put the ship
about for what you will consider an
idiotic reason. Three times l heard a
voice by me on deck say, Keep more
to the right" and l was so convinced
that there was danger ahead that it
became a certainty, and l put the ship
about, sir
Glover stood and waited for his
sentence, as the captain was a noted
martinez, and an explosion was fairly
sure to come; but, to his amazement,
the captain said: You did quite right,
Glover; reduce sail and keep her as
near the spot where you went about
as you can till morning. Glover went
on deck much pleased, and in twenty
minutes had the ship lying to on the
port tack.
The wind blew hard during the
night, but by morning it had gone
down. The captain came on deck
early and sent at once for Glover.
Mr.. Clover he said, I wish you to
figure out exactly the leeway and drift
during the night and put the ship on
the old cours again, and let me know
when you estimate hat she will reach
where you were last night when you
put about. Glover figured awhile,
ordered the ship about, and stated that
they would reach the spot in two
hours. The men soon discovered that
something unusual was in the wind,
and excitement grew intense when the
officer of the deck ordered an extra
lookout in the top, and told all hands
to keep an eye out for danger ahead.
Glover himself went forward, and
every top had one or two men.
THE ship was forging ahead at
great speed, and at four bells Glover
informed the captain that, as near as
he could judge, they were at the exact
spot. Keep a weather eye out. lads.
said the captain, and the man h
sees anything ahead gets extra grog'
For twenty minutes the ship plunged
on. Then a man in the foretop waved
his arm, shouting Lun; mn; rocks
ahead. Up went the helm, and the
big ship surged around into the wind.
while the sailor pointed to the star
board, where the sea was eddying.
boiling and foaming over a long sunken
ledge just at or below the surface; so
low, indeed, that It could not have been
seen until the ship was nearly on 1t.
Glover's face was white as a sheet
when the captain walked up to him
and said, Say nothing about this, my
boy, but you have saved us from a
horrible death Not I, sir, said Glover,
looking so demoralized that the cap
tain sent him below while he ordered
the ship to be laid to- In a few minutes
q boat was lowered. and a crew with
leads and all appliances for making
soundings and mapping the reef rowed
to 1t. Whether 1t was an upheaval
could not be judged; In any event, It
was a dangerous place, and In ten
minutes, probably, the ship would have