The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1901-02-20
a Story OF the Sea.

G~~~HH~~H~~A~~Au~H~~~~e~A&
We sighted the Alexander Blake in
attitude 3S degrees % minutes north,
longitude 81 degrees minutes west, at
,laybreak on the port bow, heaved up
on the waves back for us to look at,
and then dropped out OF sight, rs
,l.ougli the sea were showing it. to us
for Il warning. The wind was light,
very light, fixing for n change. BY
eight bells we came, without trying,
within q mile or two of the derellct.
My, but she looked lonesome out there!
Dent talk 10 me Of anything ashore
lcnG lonesome. How could 1t. with
trees and other things about for COM
pany: But lone ship, dismasted, wa.
terlogged and her people gone, dead.
most likely. wallowing about in a
world Of water-thnt's lonesome. If you
like, and l ought to know.
She was broadside on Mt first. Later
she turned, and with great, weary
hcave, like she was lifting the bottom
Of the world with her, she showed her
namc-Alexander Blake. N. S. took
look over the rail after breakfast,
ad there she wns, scarce n quarter
mile away with the old Dansforth
bowing and nodding to her. like she
was sorry, but couldn't help it. Then
he mate takes one OF the boys on top
IF the deckhouse and overhauls the
%iC. gets tackles on and lands the boat
on deck, then runs her on rollers to the
davits and swings her outboard
Three hands," says he. "to go and
set fire to the derellct."
|, being young and curious, was the
first to step out and first In the boat.
1t always made Tie feel queer to 60
off from ship at sen. You feel so
small and skeery. and that old JONAH,
swashng about so near made 1t worse.
Oh, but she looked bad; you might say
like corpse, walking around looking
for place to bury itself. 1t was like
interviewing a dead man. only dead
ship is worse. Her nose was poked
we'll down in the water. She was awasf,
amidships, but her stern stuck up high
We hit her about midships. Mr.. Mon.
roe climbed on the rail and with BIN.
Joe held to her with the boat hook.
while Tom Tended her OF wit. bis oar.
The water was waist deep on dec!
most Of the time. for the waves would
roll clear across her. Her decks were
clean as the blade of..an oar; not stick
OF any kind Ieft-not rope In sight.
We ran along the rail to the poop
One Of these here big American poops,
with pilothouse, a raised deck or sky
light aft of that and then the wheel.
The stairs led down into the cabin
from the pilothouse. All this part of
the ship floated high. and the cabin
floor was dry. Mr.. Monroe went down
and yelled for me to get matches off
OF Joe. Joe In handing 'em up lost his
footing on the thwart and nigh fell
overheard. The hand with the matches
went under water, and they were spoil
ed, and none CT US had any more.
told Monroe. He bawls up from ..o
cabin to 60 back to the ship and get
some more. So back Joe and Tom
went. Then the mate calls to me to
come down and help move chest to
the light. I've pried it open and found
lots OF tobacco and some medicine on
top.
Wen take the chest toathe ship"
says he, @bnt you and me may as we'll
have the tobacco"
Maybe we were longer filling our
pockets than we thought, for by the
tlme we lugged the chest on deck we
round change was coming and com.
ing quick. Joe aud Tom were just
pulling away from the ship to come
pack to us. They rowed a bit. stop.
pea and looked over their shoulders.
We saw the skipper come to the rail
anu shout to them, waving his arm.
Just then tile wind hit 'em, and the.
eh'p. with sails aback. slid Off to lee.
ward. This scared Joe and Tom (they
never were much account nohow),. and
ney turned tail and went back to the
ship. !, 4. 80
1t looked skeery. Clouds were com.
ing down on US out OF the northeast
IKE huge gray wall, with the ton
.eaning over rendy to fall on you. We
seemed to be rushing toward 1t instead
Vi 1t Mt us. like n train ge!a.s :;;ssttv .
,ennel. However, 1t was what you
'ankees call q "bluff." more fog and
smoke than wind, although there must
nave been enough TO blow the Dams
forth miles to leeward.
This is bad business for you and
n'e, Dave. says the mate.
says Iss2 ss;;.s .ss;s the very words
oIl OF me mouth, Mr. Monroe
what did we do?g says you. What
sould we do2 !'yeread or seamen rig
slhs up derelicts and all that and safl-
mug them into port. Rut they had
something to work with We hnd moth
,ng. Not q loose stick anywhere. There
were some spase coils OF rope in her
azaret, but yon can't bend sail on
isolhinss but cope. Her nose was under