The Ordway new era., 1905-12-08


voyage more strange and
,omantlc than any that Clarke Russell.
w,rratt or KiplIng ever depleted In
,nalf tales OF the sea.
II Ia told in the log how for three
..an,hs ,hc big vessel hung upon the
NV. NV. m Magellan Straits: and then
h,ylnr had patched up the huge hole
M., the reef had torn In her bottom,
,,g,n voyage of eight thousand
miles to New York, with the constant
Danger OF fouIdering mt nny moment.
while or the rocks thtVrew We're
r,auaced b., savage Patagonians and
Il, terrific storms. and the one woman
on hoard, Mrs. Barry. the captains
ulfe. proved herself true sailors
sweetheart by bravely standing by the
shin at every stage Of the adventure.
The whole story of the battle against
sudden death is told graphically in the
diary kept by Steward Richard Walsh,
who from day TO day. recorded the
er,nts Of the trip. He records that
,he Cumbal left Brooklyn on October
% 1901. bound for the west coast of
South Ar rlca, with a mixed cargo.
She reached Punta Arenas on Decem-
b.r 9, and departed the next day for
Chile.
"neccmhcr T." reads the diary. 1--WE
are passing through the Straits of Ma
celisn, and all hands are on deck adj
m,fllg the scenery. The shore line is
covered with trees and flowers. At
au ttt,.T .,..1
foaad no bottom. At 1.5O we took n
bearing from the beacon light on
Shoal Island,
''Thc ship was turned sharply to
port. passing the island 10 starbonrd.
We were making twelve knots an
hour at 100 y. III. when there was a
terrible crash. The fore part OF the
ship seemed 10 spring into the air.
The first crash was quickly followed
by two more and then everybody knew
what had happened. We were on the
rOcks. Chief Engineer David Las.s
ordered the reversal of the engines.
but II was Of no use. we were station
sy.
Ten minutes after The crash the cap
tain had brought order out OF chaos.
All the life boats We're in the water,
provisloned and ready for service.
The pumps were going. The captain
was firing orders right and left. and
NTs. Barry was standing OH the deck.
as cool as any member of the crew.
In III" morning we discovered that
new beacon light had been placed
on Adelaide Island 10y the Govern
ment and that the captain had not
been Informed of II when lie left
Iuhia Arenas He therefore had mis-.
taSeh this light for the light ON Shoal
Island. and had set course wrongly.
December > the captain ordered
iust Mate William Winters to put out
win four men in n lifcboat and go to
rahia Arenas for help. We were
About 10 miles from that port. but, as
Mere was very little wind for the I'm.
provised sail OF the lifeboat. 1t barely
made seven miles an hour.
at q =. m. the boat met the Govern.
heht lightship Meteor, which took the
men aboard In bad shape. The COM
.aahder OF the Meteor refused to take
.n'n to Punta Arenas, but agreed
:" return them TO the Cumbal.
"neh Winters and his men rca ched
Tue oumbal Captain Barry was very
s"sry anu told them to man the life
:, 'a' again and not come back until
they brought aid.
pecember G-All hands at work tax.
"s STORES ashore to Adelaide Island.
"ueh Is 200 yards away. Tents have
. ~ rugged up and stocked for an
emergency. But the ship continues to
remain upright.
D.cehioer I-All hands busy pack
%s clothes. Mrs. Barry Is the coolest
m'noer of the crew.. There is TWEEN.
."e ieet OF water In the holds"
~ was on this day that the Cumbnl
r svAe 'he Chilean steamer Ultimas
rlp' pe'aNza' When asked for aid, the
M esns c refused to do anything for
in ~, ,ouaioai, and passed on, but later
..., ne day. meeting the steamer Pata-
i,an ia' win the salvage men and the
.sooat crew, the captain of the Es.
e,ahza experienced n change of heart
- aned ,., to the Cumbul and stood by
Ane ,N share IN the salvage charges.
,ba locomotive that formed a part of
,hs M ta,, ta,so had nearly dropped through
m,,p, Do''om of the ship. Other railroad
Tom. ""eeu Tue VesseTs Dot
lbs % y, savage company offered to get
rono.,,p ,a,p clear for $4,000. and this
W. Ss',,oh was accepted. On Decem-
Faryo 'ne work of transferring the
ln,s ~ 70 .he Patagonia and the Esper-
Inn orsan, ~ and at n charge of $3.50
Ihinn.s, ,o'"oo tons Of cargo were trans.
korl Stewards -, diary records the daily
bhn,s H. W. closing up the hole in the
lhe t,i""m Iv.,om until. on March %, comes
. sA% A%"'umphant entry:
M % p water out md clear Of rocks. |
M curry beside the wheel. cheering |