Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-11-28

Inc poets Will tell you that the sea never
J gives up its prey, but If you were to repeat
that to the sailormen about the docks of
Honolulu they would tell you The poets
| be blowed." or something that would mean
| the same They would refer you to old
Sam Harland, the night Waterman or the
| railway dock, who came there five years
ago on the Henry B. Howard. You would
then demand more detail. and in humor-
GUS way they would tell you how the waves
once took old Sam for their own and tried
| hard to swallow him. but he proved too
bitter a pill, eve for the hoary old sea, SO
| 1t spued him up again in disgust.
Eye see," they say Sam Is powerful
chap on the booze. an his old carcass Is so
soaked with rum that he couldn't be di-
gested The sea took him and chewed ana
chewed for quite a while, but he was just
| a bit too tough
| I have heard Sam tell his story. but, be-
| ing a rank egotist he tries to make you
| believe that his swimming saved him, winch
| isn't entirely true. His shipmates on the
Howard told quite different story aho'
according to general opinion, theirs was tiie
true version.
The big four -masted bark Henry B. How
ard left New York in May with gene RAJ d.
cargo for SaE Francisco. This brought nel
around the Horn In August and up TO tie
north Pacific In October, a bad Tune OIL
year, just when the equinoctlal storms al {
brewing. The Howard was Jus. aoout ~ ha
hundred miles southeast OF HaWan Wheii
one of these bitter gales struck her anu
| brought her hove to under lower topsalis.,
The ordinary landsman doesnt quite real
ize what storm in those regions, q. ttH
! time of year, means. Sailing is imposslole
| the ship that simply holds her Own
against those giant midsea pillows Is ooins
we'll She is stripped of all but three OF
rph
the necessary steerageway to keep her nose
pointed toward the oncOmng seas, SO tnat
they shall not strike broadside on.
Thus had the Howard been hove to LOT
three DAYS. meeting each fOam-capped Dill
low with an upward toss of her bows.
sometimes showing her nose deep INTO the
green seas, sending ponderous cascaoee
laundering down from her forecastie heau'
flooding the main deck 20 tne cau, ,,s. on
Sometimes the forecastle. an iron mouse On
deck, would be entirely submerged ana
then the men Of the watch below, VINO lay
In upper hunks, could behold the sea
through the plate glass porthoies, as you
see In an aquarium, casting sickly green
light over their haggard faces and giving
them a death-like pallOr. With gurgEng
roar the water would drop and spread ait,
and good, wholesome light Of day come IN
again.
Aft on the poop were gathered the officer
and the men of the watch on deck dozen
oilskinned figures clutching the ifel1nes
rugged from rail- TO rail-. linus tIicy Sloou
four hours at a time. drenched, gazing
stoidly at the w4rl Of spray and scud
about them, with nothing to do, only to
stand by. The man at the wheel was
dashed to his post; his duty 1t was to keep
the helm damned hard over. Such Is the
sailors school of physical endurance.
One bell struck-on the poop. Even that
old martinez, the skipper, would expect
no man to strike it ford, for the bell on
the forecastle head clangs sullenly at In
tervals in low, throaty notes, as the roar
ing torrents pour over it. Bad enough 1t
is for the man to dodge ford in the first
lull to the lee door of the forecastle to
jerk those drowsy fellows of the other
watch out of their few hours Of slumber.
HOOD. ho-o-OO, ho-ooo, all hands ahoy.
Awake, We sleepers! One bell.'
With sleepy yawns and drawing curses
the men drop out of their hunks to their
chests, and slowly, reluctantly, in sullen
silence, climb into their oilskins, while the
seas bang the weather wall of the fore
castle like shells from heavy guns.
Eight bells-relieve the watch!' Aye,
eight bells, but the watch has yet to wait
awhile. for no mortal man could wade
those flooded decks from ford to aft. Sea
after sea. green and white. pours over the
bulwarks like the breaking Of a big DAM
Finally comes another hull. The ship
pauses as though to rest, while the tons OF
water on deck shoot out through hawse-
pipe and scupper. Once more the deck Is
visible covered only by the foam trimmed
sheets of ripping water. The lee door of
the forecastle flies open. and one by one
the men shoot out, like bees from a hive,