Evening star., 1901-03-02
MAKING A LIVING OFF THE HOOK.
The VenturesOnSe Life of the Pilots
and the TOwbOat Captains.

ana the Saptohhs'
From the New York Evening Post.
Those who shiver in the big barn-like
North river sheds, and watch the ice-crust-
ed liners warped alongside their piers, are
amazed at the great frozen mantle that
glistens white from bow to bridge and runs
far up to the crows nest. They admire the
muffled figures of the officers on the bridge,
the gilt-strapped juniors at the gangway,
and then become Immediately concerned
about those on the passenger list. They do
not see the little man in the peaked cap
with the red face, and turned-up collar, who
stands by the captains side, and then hur-
res off the ship soon as possible. He is
the pilot. There are others like him, who
stay outside the bar, sometimes weeks at
stretch, in little boats barely larger than
the wheeling, putting tugboats that push
the big ship into her slip.
February is one of the stormiest months
of the year along the transatlantic track,
but back and forth across this highway of
the sea these little boats patrol the waves,
watching for the smoke of an incoming
ship by day and the flash of the light by
night. The gray backs whose spray only
touches the deck of the liners, drenches The
pilot boats from stem to stern. In winter,
it freezes as quickly as it strikes, and The
pilot boats then are continually and entirely
covered in shroud of white.
Boarding an ice-coVered steamship in win
ter is a difficult feat. even for a Sandy Hook
pilot. His heavy clothing necessarily i'm
pedes his movements, and slippery ice forms
on every projection that ordinarily would
offer him a foothold. The rope ladders
which the ships crew throw down are al
ways warm and clean, to give the man in
the yawl below every chance for firm
grasp. Besides the ladder, he fastens the
end of lifer0pe. which the crew also throw
him, about his waist, and more than one
man who has slipped and fallen has been
hauled aboard, GREATNESS, in this uncere-
monious fashion.
Tow boatmen are another venturesome
class who cruise outside the bar in the win
ter months, for the job of towing an out
ward-bound sailing vessel outside the Hook
is a prize which tug captain cannot re-
sist. Only yesterday an ocean-going tug
came into the harbor from Boston with her
weather rail- deck and cabins so badly
crusted with ice that the boat had a heavy
list to starboard.
1T want so many years ago. in just
about such weather this" said South
street skipper, when L got mixed up in
about as lively piece of business as l
ever see. l was mate aboard the Henry
Hone then, and we caught bark outward
bound about o'clock Saturday morn |
ing. We hadn't no moren left the Narrows !
than 1t was certain sure that We in for |
it, My. how 1t blowed right out of the |
northwest! But we stuck to our bark and
yanked her out across the bar in lively
Style By the time we had cast loose and |
stood by to turn about, she want doing a |
going to clean the stack right off from us |
but we got her around and headed for |
home, and then We realized about how
things stood Every wave that hit us just |!
soused everything and froze before any of |
1t got away 1t wasn't long before the old !
boat began to settle from the weight of the |
Ice. and all hands but the skipper went to |
work cutting ice, The skipper couldn't see |
much through the window, SO Iahad to hang
on up m front of 1t. and motion, at the |
same time, which way to throw the wheel /
Then we saw we couldn't make the Hook,
and we tried to turn around and run for
me nghtshlp We nearly Topped at that, so
we just stood still. with the old engine a.
shaking 1t up like racehorse. and not
making an inch. By and by, the weather
ct up a little, and we edged in close to the
Jersey shore That's what saved u.s. We
got under the Highlands. and you can bet
We stayed there pounding ice until it let ND
enough for us to start for home Pshaw! |
We ain't the only ones that ever get 1t like
hat. It's the same old story every day. |
No risk, no money"
l