Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1903-11-23
KN RUDDER Is PUT ON
Mate of the Homeward Bound
Dives Into Icy Waters.
YANKEE BARK DISABLED
Vessel so Well Repaired That Il
Comes Into Port at San Francisco
Unaided. For Hours the Big Bark
Founders HeIplessIy in the Sea.

Comes Into Port at San Francisco
Unaided. For Hours the Big Bark
Founders HeIplessIy in the Sea.
The voyage of the American bark
Homeward bound from Antwerp to
San Francisco has Just ended. The YES
sci dropped anchor OF Folsom street.
1t adds a new chapter to the long story
Of the resourcefuIness Of the Yankee
skipper and the pluck Of the American
sailorman.
In a terrific gale Of Cape Horn the
Homeward Bounds rudder stock was
carried away, and for hours the big
bark fioundered heIplessly in the sea.
the toy of the wind, which in fierce
blasts stripped the helpless vessel OF
many sails.
When the schooner Otella Peterson
he'd her rudder disabled in the China
Sea several months ago captain and
crew abandoned her, In spite Of the
fact that the vessel was lumber laden
and not far from port. Captain
Thompson and the men who manned
the Homeward Bound were made OF
sterner stuff. however. and as result
their floating home is safe in the har-
Dor.
The Homeward Bounds rudder stock
carried away in latitude 57.12 south,
longitude II west, of Cape Horn.
where the waves never rest and where
the water is icy cold.
AS soon as the fury Of the gale mo-
aerated Captain Thompson started to
repair the damage, and within half
day the Homeward Bound. equipped
with as fine jury rudder as ever
steered a ship, was on her way to San
Francisco.
A stout spar was dashed In place
across the poop and projecting sever
al feet on either side. The tackle for
operating the rudder was passed
through blocks at the extremities OF
this spar and around the drum in the
wheelhouse. and when completed one
man was able to steer the ship with
the regular wheel
The work OF rigging the jury rudder
was simple enough as far as the spar
and the tackle were concerned. but
making fast the tackle to the rudder
at a point several feet under water
was a different proposition, and involv-
ed skill, nerve and endurance In pro-
portions seldom combined In one man.
Mate williams, however. found the
material for the hazardous task. 1t
was feat IL it could be produced on
the public stage would make Blondin's
tight rope look like esplanade and
the walking Of 1t as simple as the fall
ing or.
Into a sea which to shore folk would
have seemed wildly angry, Williams
was lowered by his shipmates. His
task was to dive beneath the surface.
and fasten a shackle to the lower out
side edge of the rudder. This done,
he made fast stout wire ropes to the
shackle above, and the Homeward
Bounds rudder was once more In COM
mission.
To do all this Williams had to dive
some twenty times. The water was
terribly cold. and his spells were me-
cessarilly brief, but he stayed with the
work until the submarine part or 1t
was completed, which was about two
hours. When hauled on deck he was
exhausted, but after few hours rest
he had almost forgotten the ordeal.
So well did the jury rudder work
that Captain Thompson, on his arrival
here, refused the services of a tug, and
reached quarantine under sail
The Homeward Bound called at Eas-
ter Island. Mate Williams went ashore
and Governor Cooper visited the ship,
taking with him liberal supply OF
fruits and fresh meat.
Easter Island is about two thous.
and three hundred miles west OF Chill
and is the eastermost inhabited Poly
nesian island. 1t is famous for Its
ancient gigantic statutes. The Home
ward Bound was hundred and seven
ty-two days coming from Antwerp and
brought a general cargo.
She was formerly the German ship
Otto Gildemeister. which arrived here
two years ago under jury rig after
one OF the longest passages on record.