Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1901-04-03

outboard part Of the tall smart. me
propeller was jammed and the engine
came to a stop before Chief Engineer
Stevens could shut off steam. The
tank was to windward Of the square
rigger and drifted directly into her
course. The chief engineer tried to
start the ship again by using the aux
iliary turning engine, which broke
down. The iron prov of the Oakes
would have pierced the hull OF the
Kasbek if her sailormen had not
hoisted on her three pole masts fore
and-aft sails which she used in emer-
gency. AS it was, there was only
boats length between the two ships
when the Kasbek backed out OF the
Oakes' course. The tank was helpless
about eight hours. A westerly gale
sprang up and the Oakes vanished be-
low the horizon. The chief engineer
uncoupled the propeller shaft and
forced it aft until the propeller boss
was clear of the stern post. He and
his men had been unable to free from
the tail shaft the two and one-half
inch line, which had been jammed
about it. After uncoupling the pro-
peller shaft there was space OF about
an inch between the separate t1anges
of the couplings. and into this space
the chief engineer fitted pieces OF
tough oak; the shaft was thus made
an inch longer, and that inch was
enough to loosen the line on the tail
shaft. 1t was practically adding a
wooden section to the shaft. The en-
gines were started, and the Kasbek's
captain decided to save the old clip
per if he could. He came in sight of
her late in the afternoon. A gale per-
meated with snow was bowling out OF
the north. 1t was too rough to launch
boat and the Kasbek stood by the
crippled ship nearly two days. The sea
had subsidized somewhat, and the port
life boat was loaded with flour, tap
ioca, potatoes, lime juice, whisky and
medicine. The Kasbek steward gave
up all his provisions. Captain Muir
had surmised that there was scurvy
on the ship, and this prompted him to
send the antidotes. AS Chief Othcer
Helsham said later, The only able
seaman l found aboard the Oa!res was
Mrs. Reed, the wife of the captain
Captain Reed said that every soul
except his wife was sick with scurvy,
of which five seamen had died.
"fIe himself was only slightly ill.
The second mates legs and feet were
swollen nearly twice their normal size.
| and he and the third mate were un
able to 20 aloft. The Chinese steward
was too weak to work ship, and a
good deal OF the labor had fallen on
the skippers vigorous wife, who is a
lineal descendant of the Revolution
ary heroine, Mollie Stark. She did al
most everything except go aloft. Her
chief duty was at the wheel. The kas-
bek's men were made sick by the
snectacle in the Oakes' forecastle.
Twelve utterly .-elpless men lay in
their hunks in various stages Of de-
lirium. Some had lost all their teeth.
They were nursed by the sailors OF
the Kasbek until the ship got into
Sandy Hook. The Kasbek's able sea,
man furled the old clippers sails, and
she was taken in tow. After she got
into quarantine Captain Reed, his
wife. and those of his men who were
! able to talk, spun the yarn of the
hapless ships protracted voyage.
! When she sailed from Hong Kong her
crew were in good health. The skip
per was recovering from paralytic
stroke. This affected his tongue, and