The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1901-10-11

Washington for three-years' cruise in
the West Indies. Among the last de-
tachment of men sent from the receiving
ship Ohio was young man who said he
came from my native town: This, he
informed me, was to be his last voyage,
as he had saved almost enough money
TO buy small sloop. He would let boats
to the cottagers and hotel guests during
the summer and take them bluefshing
on the sloop. He had a sweetheart who
had waited three years; he was to marry
her on his return.
and knew how to read and write
doubt not that during the war just end
ca he would have been promoted to a
high position. AS it was l had him
made captain of the maintop, and the
commander, at my suggestion, appointed
him coxswain of his gig.
I'VE had a fair voyage as far as the
Stream. but as we came down off the
Windward islands the sea became ugly,
and between Guadeloupe and Dominica
We were struck by series of squalls
IRON the northeast. Once, after a fore
noon ne? Of continual ION letting out and taking
IN IN sail, the commander determined to
turl everything and trust to steam. Word
came up from below that the propeller
was out Of order. 1t was impossible to
lie to long enough to make repairs that
evening, and wit shortened sail the yes
SCI was laid to her course. Night came
on and the sea grew black as the mouth
Of a cavern; snappy gusts tore through
the rigging and against the sails, or
crashed against the masts. With diff
Guilty we kept her to her bearings.
81 was officer of the deck, and from
time to time ordered more sail to be
t "a IN. until we ran at last under dou-
mizzen trysail. In rounding the Cane Of
San Pedro, in order to avoid the shoals
mat extended quite distance from the
snore, 1t became necessary to run very
close to the wind. At the first turn Of
ne ti9 wheei a tremendous sea struck the
began to stagger like a drunken man.
and heeled over SO that the lee rail
touched the water. I saw at once that
We must close reef the topsail. I sent
TINS order to the boatswain, who at once
Whlstled up. the topmen. The command
was transmitted. but not man of them
m ;no' 1t is frightful thing to mag
per a%san1y jerked through the arc of
the boatswain: the men seemed nailed
to the deck. Furious, I leaped from the
Poop POOP, ana dn; cailed them to me. For how
i haegE' a ! efled, have men Of the Wabash
volunteers! want volunteers!; want
o,os AT that moment heard voice saw
cioSe at my ear, Aye, aye, sir
turned and saw the captain of the
ma1ntop salute me and spring to the rail
ana a1nt+ begin to mount the shrouds. Lay
aloft; boys! lay aloftv 1 shouted, while
ny neart would have hidden me cry.
Bring him back! bring him back! Nv
words were not needed, for no movement
was made among the men: they. stood
tnere ABOUT the main, their eyes staring
at the ngure that was growing more and
more lndlstinct in the phantomlike shades
above. 'Aaoe'
we watched him mount. struggling
against the terrible wind and the plunS-
lng OF the vessel. At last he hoisted him
sen INTO the top and was no longer visi-
BILE; only his shadow was seen from time
70 tlme-cast by the starboard light-flit-
ting across the close reefed foretonsail
When the fascination Of the scene
mad IN measure abated, and I was
ABOUT to order the boatswain to direct
dne operation, my tongue was struck
er an interval of few seconds by the
duii' hollow sound Of a body striking the
water; and large spar swung like an
animated pendulum over our heads.
smashed against the mast once or twice
and then dropped with plunge into the
sea.
Man oyerboardv somebody. shouted.
wheeimen to put The he ship ue about to and tnd
passed the word to call away the lee
lifeboat- The sailors bounded to the bull
warks, but as the boat swung clear,
tremendous wind seized it, and clearing
the falls from the blocks, dashed it with
fearful force against the side of the
frigate; it fell, shattered in pieces, into
the water. The ship, obeying the helm
with a -yawning groan, swerved round
half dozen points, presenting her mid
ships to the tempest; the sails fell aback,
clinging along the masts or striking them
were left defenseless against the wind
and waves that were carrying us rapidly
.leeward. 80 Z :, .q.ses = ~
fastened to the commander. He
came on deck followed by the other OFF,
GERS. I told him what had happened and
pointed out the topman clinging to the
broken spar. !. +. s 81 .Fszz rs.