Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-10-02

res, Cn6 ola SuperStlC1OnS are last
dying out among seafaring men," said
an old salt who now lives in Ottumwa
the other day to representative of
the Courier Then he added, as he lit
his pipe and settled back in his chair,
ready for yarn, "but recall an in
cident that happened in one Of your
modern ships few trips ago, which at
the time revived all the superstition
they ever had among the old timers of
our crew and had the young 'uns a
guessing and calling out to the saints
to protect them"
THE way the thing happened came
about In this manner was in Cape
Town, Africa. knocking about look
Ing for berth in most any thing that
would happen along, for was about to
the bitter end of my allowance in
money having jumped big lime
juice windjammer several weeks be.
fore and had been lying low until
she was hull down on the horizon. One
day, large tramp steamer flying the
French colors dropped her mud hook
in the harbor. Learning from several
of the hands that were ashore one
night, that they we're short of hand
forward, having lost man on the trip
out, I went aboard and shipped in her.
She was bound up the coast of Africa
on a trading trip and hailed from
Havre. But anything suited me at this
time and she could have been bound
on whaling trip for all cared, for l
needed a berth.
But l am getting adrift from my
yarn. We put to sea and headed to
the nor'ard standing on this course
for several days The weather was
fine, and the ship and officers as good
as could be expected for feriner.
Storm Threatened.
About the fourth day out, the old
man announced to the first mate that
we could stand in for the mouth of a
river where he thought there was a
small village that he might do some
trading with the natives Along to.
wards noon, every Indication was for a
change of weather. Large pieces of
heavy clouds began to assemble in the
sky overhead, the wind came in fitful
gusts, moaned through the rigging and
you could feel the coming storm in the
atmosphere. We had changed the
ships course and was heading for the
mouth Of the river but the old man
must have been out further at sea than
he calculated for up until late in the
afternoon we had not sighted land
yet
"The clouds in the sky kept gather
ing thicker and thicker and the wind
became more boisterous, causing the
sea to kick up good bit Just before
sunset, though we could not see the
sun, the lookout at the masthead
sighted land. At the same time a dis
tant roll Of thunder announced that
the coming storm was not far off.
The skipper thinking it unwise to
run In any closer, with night coming
on and every prospect for coming
blow, decided to slow down and make
everything secure, which he did. Soon
the sky was overcast with heavy pail
which now and then was split with a.
vivid flash of lightning, Illuminating
the sky and sea for an instant and
then plunging all nature in an inky-
like blackness.
The Tempest Breaks.
II had sailed these waters before
and knew that the coming blow would
be good one. and 1t was. It came
down with rush and roar which
heeled the old ship over on her beam
ends as 1t struck her and drove i'm.
mense quantities Of flying spume and
spray over us with force which we'll
nigh overcame us. Amidst the awful
roar of the wind through the cordage