The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1902-01-09
THROWN OVER THE WHEEL.

No landsman was ever kicked or
thrown over wheel, and therefore he
doesn't know what it means. A sailor
knows all about it. No one is a real
sailor who has not been over wheel
once. and no proper sailor has been kick
ed over it many times though he is
never too heavy and strong, or too old
and wise, to feel sure that he has APP
pealed in that act for the last time-not
50 long as he continues to monkey with
the wheel at odd moments. The lands
man may perhaps think it means that
Ghel common, wicked master picks up
the always innocent sailor and chucks
him Lack and forth over the wheel Just
for meanness and amusement, and may
wonder why Congress doesn't prohibit
the practice; and wish Congress would :
! also desire, III this lecture, to correct
any misunderstanding there may be in
the matter, and to kindly enlighten the
civilian regarding this particular act in
maritime war and gymnastics. The
cause Of the operation is anger; the eff
fectS of an angry sea. The favorable
conditions for the act are dark night
at the end of a compound gale. when the
wind has moderated and left seven diff
felent able bodied seas scorching in
foUltt Ell directions and not a policeman
in sight So long as there is wind and
fairly good Roadway, the natural dis
position of the rudder is to hang out
behind and behave itself without wag
glpg it sometimes needing considerable
encouragement and force from the
Wheelsmau to give it even the necessary
movements for steering
BUt when the Kicking conditions,
above mentioned, have together arrived;
WHOM the different seas are pounding
lbe tapless ludder first upon one rump
and taru upon the other. the frighten-
ed thi19 struggles desperately and tries
10 escape from its hitcling post, and
sometimes it does escape. The force is
SO great that lt-incl white oak stock
may ice twisted off. and if there be 10
genius OF board Who can rig a successful
Jll-ludder to blag about all the rest
ot lis days the vessel becomes helpless
and Umdnageable until a British tramp
steamer comes along and tows her into
port for one or two thousand pounds
STERLING, generally two thousand
Fortunately these extreme kicking
81 backing conditions are not often
met with; perhaps not a haif dozen times
~ Il moderate ife-time of one or two
tuH&led years Bur when they DO oc-
vui. and the udder SHES and leaps from
side 10 side, it naturally causes some
rapid and seif-reversible revolutions of
tIe connecting wheel above (which
sudden revolutions are called 'kicking'1
and hen a good man. is needed to
make the thing keep its hind feet down.
When the strain comes downward on
the side Of the wheel where he stands,
10y lifting several tons he may be the
momrntary victor but instantly the
pressure is reversed and his side of the
wheel lifts as suddenly and with as
much yigor as it had previously borne
Town: and that is when the ''throWing'
comes III. If there were anything above
for the man to brace his head or Shout
DEF under he might bear down more
heavily but as there is nothing but his
weight and skill to bear on with when
they prove unequal to the demand it
becomes a case of 60 up and go over. He
cannot let 90 until too late-it is all so
sudden. There is possibly one bit of
satisfaction III the movements; if one be
killed he knows nothing of it whatever.
| have leen there before, and quite
lately and know from experience just
how expeditions such death may be;
TO lingering over it; no time to think of
lies or excuses to offer the Court above.
And yet il somehow happens to be true
that man is rarely killed beyond re-
royely in this way, but the same man is
often badly injured. Take man six feet
long and weighing about an eighth of
ton: let the wheel overcome his weight
and once get him rising (t acts centrif-
~ueally) he goes up once his length be
fore turning. His head then being some
ten or twelve feet above the deck he
meets the resistance of gravitation,
when controlled by that and the dimin-
ishing centrifugal force, he strikes an
orbit and ungracefully turns head
downward striking the lee quarterback
with the top of his head and back OF the
shoulders. Fortunately, whatever may
then be the physical condition, the loss
OF dignity and the general mental feel
ings of the man, | have never yet known
a good deck to be seriously injured III
this ay.-Richardson.
The Field &. Cowles Calendars