The Washington times., 1903-05-17
INTERNATIONAL EPISODE
WITH HAPPY CONCLUSION
A Pleasing Incident Between Kindred
of the Sea.


CBy Sailor on u. S. Training Ship Hartford.l
We had been ten days out from Ma
deira. bound for Porto Rico. We had
run down to about the twentieth parai-
lei in search of the trade wind. Tho
! moon, now at its full, had risen almost
! with the setting of the sun. and a great
| stream Of pale silver light quivered IN
| our wake. II was Just after the supper
| hour-that period of leisure on board
+ ship-and our crew. over FIVE hundred
strong. thronged the deck of the United
| States training ship Hartford. Farragut's
| famous old flagship. returning from a
winter practice cruise in the Mediter-
| ranean.
Far down on the southwark on the
horizon. and bound to cross our wake.
appeared the lofty lines OF fun-rigged
ship, the first we had sighted in many
days, every stitch of canvas set and
swelling in the breeze. We had been
watching her for an hour or more until
gradually, as the approaching shadows
of night deepened and the @Iow CT the
setting sun grew less and less. her out
line became fainter and fainter, shad-
owy. still more .shadowy, until gradual
~, blending with the haze of evening, it
disappeared at last altogether from our
view.
Presently the watch officer cried out:
II thought I saw white light fash
from where the ship ought to be! There
1t is againi" and almost as he spoke it
faded and disappeared in the darkness.
What could it be? Perhaps the glis-
ten of the moon on her white canvas;
perhaps a light TO lure fishes from the
sea, or yet a signal of distress. No;
there it is again. this time long contin-
ued plainly visible to the naked eye
| "a tar barrel: they are burning a tar
| barrel. a signal of distTess-a signal
for aid-and yet all is so peaceful and
the night and sea so tranquil What
can 1t mean? Perhaps they are short
| of water-perhaps some one desperately
i'll on board. and they want surgeon
from our steamer (for steamers nova
days nearly always carry onel; per-
haps they need provisions; perhaps they
| have sprung leak. thousand and
one possibilities. But they need assist
ance by their signal, and without a mo-
ment's delay our captain ordered the
/ helm 20 starboard and the great ship
slowly swung about to port eight points
| TO the southwark toward our kindred
Of the sea. She, too bore up more into
the wind. and so gradually we drew to-
ward each other, nearer and nearer, I'M
til her lights shone distinct and her
outline was clearly defined in the now
brilliant moonlight
Now silence on deck and the order
rang out, sharp and distinct; Stand
by to clear the lifeboat- Make ready to
lower" The approaching ship was now
close to our port bow Still she made
no effort TO heave to, but If anything
rather squared away on her course.
Strange she does not hail US. Try her."
ordered the captain, Hail her with the
mecaDhone."
ship ahoy. Can We be of any as
sistance?''
mol" came back the answer; I'VE did
not know you were a man-of-war."
I'VE saw your light and thought you
s1gnaled for assistance"
mo. thank you; we saw your light,
and thought you needed assistance, and
SO bore down.
No: many thanks
Same to you"
aIitv?"
German
And our ships band struck up the Ger
man national anthem, while the sailors
of the ship, some thirty in number. gath
cred on her poop and gave US three rous-
ing cheers. which were returned with 4
will by our boys. and our band played
Columbia as the German squared away
on her course and passed on like vision
across the rays OF the rising moon.
But again we followed her, and running
in under her stern, hailed her: I'VE ara
the United States ship Hartford; what
ship are your
The Ariadne, OF Bremen, bound
home" came the answer, and with a
farewell bon voyage the Hartford swung
away upon her course TO the westward.
while the seaman band struck up Die
Wacht am Rhein," with again three
rousing cheers from the Ariadne's crew,
and three answering ones from five hun
bred lusty throats, and We passed on
toward the setting sun-sne into the
rising moon with her great spread OF
white canvas glistening like some vision
in the silvery light.
She had mistaken the electric lights OF
our band for a signal OF distress. Her
answering light we had thought the
same Each had gone miles cut of her
course to aid the other. an international
episode happily ended-a pleasing con-
tretemps between kindred CT the sea,
German and American, at that.-New
York Tribune.