Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1901-10-12

the West Indies. Among the last de-
taehment 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 ard take them bluefshing
on the sloop. He had sweetheart who
had waited three years; he was to marry
her on his return.
The man was one of our best sailors
and knew how to read and write. |
doubt not that during the war Just end
ed 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.
we mad fair voyage as far as the
Stream, but as we came down off the
W8ssxavafd islands the sea became ugly,
and between Guadeloupe and Dominica
we We're struck by series of squalls
from the northeast. Once, after a fore
noon of continual letting out and taking
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 with shortened sail the YES
sci was laid to her course. Night came
on and the sea grew black as the mouth
OF 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
Il was officer of the deck, and from
time to time ordered more sail to be
taken in, until we ran at last under dOu-
bie-reefer maintopsail, fore staysal and
mizzen trysail. In rounding the Cape of
San Pedro, in order to avoid the shoals
that extended quite a distance from the
became V IN
close TO the wind. AT the first turn of
the wheel a tremendous sea struck the
side and the ship, careening a moment,
began to stagger like a drunken man.
anu heeled over so that the lee rail
touched the water. / saw at once that
we must close reef the topsail. | sent
this order to the boatswain. who at once
whlstled up the topmen. The command
was transmitted, but not man of them
moved 1t is a frightful thing to imag-
me! 10 walk on yard arm that is
perpetually jerked through the arc of a
quadrant A second whistle came from
the boatswain: the men seemed nailed
10 the deck. Furious, l leaped from the
poop and called them to me- For how
long, cried, have men of the Wabash
neen afraid to go aloft? Come; want
volunteers! | want volunteersr
AT that moment l heard a voice say
close at my ear, Aye, aye, sir
turned and saw the captain of the
maintop salute me and spring to the rail
and begin to mount the shrouds. Law
aloft, boys! lay aloftr | shouted, while
my heart would have hidden me cry.
Bring him back, bring him backr Nv
words were not needed. for no movement
was made among the men; they stood
there about the main, their ewes staring
at the tigure that was growing more and
more ndlstlnct in the phantomlike shades
above.
I'VE watched him mount. struggling
against the terrible wind and the nlung-
ing of the vessel AT last he hoisted him
self into the top and was no longer visi-
BILE; only his shadow was seen from time
TO tlme-cast by the sta rboa I'd light-fit-
ting across the close-reefed foretopsal.
When the fascination of the scene
mad In a measure abated, and | was
about to order the boatswain to direct
the operation. my tongue was struck
dumb by sharp. dry crash, followed aft
er an interval of Il few seconds by the
dull, hollow sound of 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 a plunge into the
sea.
Man overheard" somebody shouted.
'lnstinctively l gave orders TO the
wheelmen to put the ship about, and
passed the word to call away the lee
lifeboat. The sailors bounded to the bull
warks. but as the boat swung clear. a
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
with reports like FIRE by platoonS. We
We're left defenseless against the wind
and waves that were carrying us rapidly
leeward.
II FASTENED To the commander. He
came on deck followed by the other Off
Gers. | told him what had happened and
pointed out the topman cling:ng to the
broken spar.
while / spoke he said not a word.