Morris tribune., 1903-05-16

the blades. | saw the propeller
| wAirling in the air whenever the
ship went down into the trough of
the sea. ! shouted, Don't back on
top Of mel as ] thought they could
not see me in the darkness.
''The ship drew nearer and near
er, the captain keeping me on the
starboard hand. All the men had
gathered at the starboard rail, and
as the ship passed me they hove
lines and buoys to me and shouted
to me to keep up heart. | was once
within half a fathom Of the star
board rail when a sea swept me for
ward and clear around the bow on
the port side. | was away astern
in the darkness before the ship could
be stopped, and | almost lost hope
again. But | kept singing out and
could hear the voice of the captain
and the cheers of the men coming
down on the wind.
''The captain couldn't see me, but
he took my bearings from the sound
Of my voice by star, and, coming
around, he steamed down toward
me and, going around me, came up
on my starboard | was full of salt
water and SO played out and cold
that | hadn't much strength left
when | saw all the men gathered
along the port rail waiting, to save
me. The mate threw life buoy and
a line, and | caught it and put it
on. | caught another line, too, fear
ing the first one might be carried
away, and that's. all l remember
clearly until | heard all the men
cheering. Up to then I thought I
was still in the sea-"
The captain was in his cabin tax
ing his tea, as he puts it, when a
man rushed to the top Of the COM
panion way and shouted, ''Man over
board, STRIP The captain had just
poised a piece of meat on his fork
and was about to put it in his
mouth. Some shippers might have
serenely finished the meal But
Captain Innes got up the compan-
ion way and on deck as if his own
son were the man who was over
board. He dimly saw the boatswain
sweeping astern. AS he passed the
engine room on his way to the
bridge he shouted to the engineer,
''Stand by to stop those enginesp
Then he flew to the bridge and
laid his right hand on the ''tele-
graph"
"Stop and reverse" was flashed
to the engine room, and the cap
tain's voice rang out, "All hands to
starboard with lines and buoys!"
ALI hands were there even before the |
summons came
"Our only hope in saving him lay |
in picking him up with the ship"
said the captain, ''for no boat could
live in the sea that was running. |
have seldom seen anything like it.
The gale was so high that it comb
ed down the crests, and all the wa
ter we shipped was solid green.
When | backed the ship down to
the bo's'n, | saw him struggling
bravely in the seas. He had the life
buoy that the second officer threw
to him under his arms, and his body
was we'll out of water. | determined
to save him if he could hold out
until I could fetch him alongside.
We missed him the first time, and
he was carried forward around the
bow to the port side. He kept up
a lusty shouting, and we answered
back.
owe were going ahead a bit, when
he was whirled around to starboard,
and as the night had well set in and
I could not see half ships length
away, we soon lost him. But | turn
ed on the bridge and got the bear
ing of his voice by star, and kept
that star in sight when | put the
helm hard a-starboard and bore
down in the direction of the star.
We had lost his voice altogether,
but as we steamed toward the star
we heard it family over the rush of
the wind and the swash of the seas.
We caught sight of him too late to
pick him up as we steamed past, SO
we came up with the wind again,
with the bo's'n on our port hand.
eve steamed slowly, SO the men
ranged along the port rail, each with
a line or buoy, had chance at
him. I knew by the cheer that went
up that he was saved and felt like
cheering myself. He was just half
an hour in the water, and if he had
not been a plucky man he would be
there now. The poor fellow didn't
know he was safe for a minute or so
after he was hauled aboard. He