The Glenwood post., 1907-07-20
WASHED OVERHEARD
AND WASHED BACK AGAIN
20 BE LECTuRED

lcruiting station in the Pioneer building
picked up his pipe, and as he jammed
the tobacco in the blackened bowl with
his thumb, said to reporter:
"You want another story, ehf
What IS that? Was l ever in a stormH
Well, man could hardly go to sea for
over 20 years and always make fair
weather of it. Yes; / have been in all
kinds of storms, but the worst weather
[ ever experienced was off Hatteras
way back in the eighties. Just let me
get this pipe started and ! will tell
you about it.
"It was, l think, in 1885. was serv-
ing on board the U. s. 8. Powhattan
She was a double-ender, a side-wheel
steamer and full rigged, and the worst
old sea boat that 1 have ever served
on. We were taking a draft of $50
men from Norfolk to Colon, where they
were to be sent across the Isthmus of
Panama for duty in the South Pacific
squadron.
"It was in the fall of the year, and
when we got off Hatteras we ran into
bad weather-ever been off Hatteras in
a gale of winds No; well you have
missed something. AS night came on
the gale increased to a regular north
easter-it was dandy, the worst ]
was ever in, and as I say, I have
weathered a few. We had shortened
sail and made all as snug as possible.
All hands had laid down from aloft,
and were taking breathing spell,
when a sudden squall struck the ship.
The sails were all blown out of the
holt ropes We would no sooner get
new sail bent, than away it would go,
and all hands seasick-the ships cook
worst of all. The seas, well they were
not running mountains high-they were
two mountains Highland l don't like
to tell you how big some of those seas
were.
"It was about 6 clock in the even
ing. We had nearly given up all hope,
and all hands had been called to save
ship. ] had been sent aloft to the
foretopsail yard to clear away some
wreckage and old canvas that had got
FOUL of the rigging. ] was hanging on
With my eyebrows, and had dropped
lown into the fore top. AS I got into
the top I discovered that the top chest
had come drift. I grabbed on to it,
and Just as | did so a monster sea
boarded us and carried me, top chest
and all over the side into the sea. !
clung to the chest and as l shook the
water out of my eyes, loked around
for the ship, but she was not to be
seen, and I thought all hands with the
exception of myself had been lost.
~ almost gave up, but something
told me to hang on. The seas were
awful, and the wind increased in force
every minute. All at once away goes
my cap, ] suddenly felt smart tug
ring at my hair, then sharper pull,
and terrible pain. ! put my hand to
my head and I'm blessed if my hair
had not been blown away.
"The old chest was making awful
Weather of it, and l saw that | must do
something. ! looked inside of the chest
and found piece of an oar that we
had been using to rattle down the
rigging with, and some old canvas.
made the piece of oar fast to the end
of the chest, bent the old canvas, and
made a sail, and ] hove that chest to.
After this she made fairly good weather
took line that ! found in the chest,
and lashed myself securely, and in two
minutes l was fast asleep. 1t was a
little damp, but sailors got used to that
and I did not mind it. ] slept fine, had
all night in and no watch to stand. 1t
was about eight bells in the morning,
when l felt the chest going up higher
and higher, and realized that / was on
top of big sea. 1t was so large, and
went up so high that it fairly took
my breadth away. All at once it broke,
down I came and I felt the chest strike
something solid. I shook off my lash
ings and, after I had cleared my eyes
of water, stood up, looked around and
found myself back on the deck of the
old Powhattan, where the big sea had
landed the chest, and was just in time
for breakfast.
"The officer of the deck did me
mean trick, though; he put me on the
report for leaving the ship without per-
mission. Yes, that was the worst storm
man as he knocked the ashes out Of
his pipe, and turned to another appli-
cant, who at that moment entered the
Office.