The Washington herald., 1907-02-17
SKIPPING TIE ROPE At SEA
Little Coasters Dare Disaster by Sail
ing Over Tow Lines.
Exciting Experience on Boat Bound
from Virginia TO East River
with Load of Pine.

Ever hear tell Of a ship jumpin' roper
inquired Frank SanteII, cook and steward
Of the Virginia pine wood schooner Jesse
J.. Leach. in from the Chickahominy, of
New York World man recently. MOP
Well, 1 have. I was born in ROxbury,
Mass, but have sailed nearly all my life
on the west coast between Alaska and
Frisco and Frisco and Honolulu, but
these shippers on your East coast do take
chances with these pesly tOws OF yours.
Maybe one thinks it's all smooth sailiE'
from the Chickahominy 10 the East River
with a load of pine wood. bet it's one long
struggle from the Capes to here You've
got 10 hug the coast, and go do the tugs
that tow three and four barges astern.
The shippers OF the little ones are more
afraid Of the lows than Of the weather or
the shoals. I've seen Capn Wilson, he
that riz on her from a foremost hand TO
be Cap'n of the Jesse Leach. and who lives
when ashore up on Washington Heights,
worked up for three days and nights run
min with no sleep at all, and all on ac-
count Of them tows botherin' the life out
Of the skipper Them barges is gOin
loaded to the southwark now on account
Of the jamestown Exposition, and they're
when a skipper is pretty sure of him
self, the wind holdin' pretty steady and
the skipper OF the tug accommodates ike,
the schooner, beating TO wind ard, can
jump the hawser If she wants 70 take the
risk. Them barges run. ] suppose, with
about ninety or q hundred f8thOms of
line between, steel cable next the tug
and spliCed into manila from the barge.
II the tug skipper gives q loot Ike and
slows down. the barges draw together
and the line says between them. Then is
the schoouer's chance and she just goes
over the cable ike a little girl skippin
rope.
"Capn Wilson and all Of us-mate, my
self. and three seamen-on the Jesse
Leach, comm up this time, got scared
I'd turned in on a moonlit night being
engaged 10 work days and only turn out
at night when needed. Around midnight
] hear Il devil Of a time on deck, cap'n
yellin' orders 10 the mate at tie wheel
the men runnin' for ard 10 see the runnin'
riggin' ali clear and the sheets rattin' on
the deck.
we was beatin' agin' a o'theast wind.
a pretty stiff one, too a-makin', maybe
about three and a half knots-she can
make full six knots, maybe seven. before
a fair wind-aud L could hear the block
and ring bang over on the main sheet
traveller whenever she comes about All
Of a sudden / heard my name called out
sharp 10 tumble upon deck and bear
hand. There was a tow-I could see the
two towing lights, one over the other.
and the tugs red light She was goin'
down the coast and had four deep loaded
barges astern. She was maxim not less
than ten knots, and never paid us the
slightest attention, although We was on
the port tack and, beIn' a sailin' vessel
on the wind, had right of way.
we was carTyin' reefed mainsl. reefed
forest. forestaysI and jib. We couldn't
go too far out on the port tack because
the seas was too big, and the Jesse
Leach IS forty-four years old 1 throw
u look off leeward and seen the ten
second fashin' white Of Barnegat and
knowed we was between the devil and
the shoals.
we was SO near that tow that I
thought the old man was goin 10 skip
the rope, but the tug didn't slow, and
now We was only a matter of about
forty fathoms away from one of the
barges. which was deep down in the
water and reachin smack for her black
blunt nose. We was so close I could
have throwed a stick of pine wood
aboard.
Ready about, the old man howls
and two Of the hands runs for'ard 10 see
that sheets and headsls is all clear.
while me and the third man was sta
toned at the main sheet tackle with the
turns all off but one Them two had
hardly got for'ard when the old man
yells hard a lee Then the cap'n and
all four of US hauled on the main sheet
for all we was worth, and about comes
the schooner on the starboard tack.
''The block on the main sheet traveller
jumps over with q wicked bang, the old
girl gives a shudder and list, and some
sticks of pine wood slides overheard
the shock is so sudden, just as our
jibboom tip scrapes along the deckhouse
OF that barge and a man rushin' up
from the little cabin on the barge and a
dog barkiu'.
When we at last was standin' off on
the other tack the old man just laid
down from exhaustion and excitement.
Them - lows is spOilin' the bust
ness Of US fellows says he"