The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-10-20
NERVOUSNESS ON The PATROL
RI,uORS THAT SHE HAD BEEN
COMMANDEERED FOR LOUISIANA

Or Would Ne sent for . Practice Cruise TO
Dodge Niggerheads In Hell Gate -hut
the Prosaic Truth Seems TO Re . safety
Play - Eric Basin for R~hinOplssty
About a week ago the police boat Patrol.
having returned at nightfal like a good
little ship, Q stanch little ship trepeat
refrain) to Pier A. wa trying to get into
her slip. Now. the Patrol ID an intelligent
vessel. but on this occasion she did not
make-nuch more headway than some
folks do when they try to fit q latchkey
into a door at 3 o'clock In the morning.
OF course. the crew. all Of EN-. mustered
abaft the beam or thereabout and singing
cheerily "In the Harbor We've Been Shell
tered from Flotow's Martha were
doing their level best to expedite matters.
but 1t was no use. Before any one could re-
strain her the Patrol in q fit OF impatienoe
had bumped her nose right snash into the
t"lkhead.
This painful catastrophe twisted the
Patrols nose and aroused q common indig-
nation In the breasts Of her crew. Capt.
Herman w, SchlottmAn, absent on his
vacation, was informed Of 1t by wireless
and sent post haste to all the leading centres
Of education to get q real football nose
guard. None could be found large enough,
however. and this idea had to be given up.
For . few days the Patrol wore a trolley
car fender, but a dolphin disporting Itself
In the bay tore the meshcs apart.
All sorts Of rumors began to circulate 90
freely that tho tightness In tho rumor mar-
ket entirely disappeared n Newspaper
Row breathed more easily. It was known
definitely that the Patrol was to be de-
spatched somewhere and Il was correctly
surmised In the best informed quarters
that 800 Mulberry street was going to do
the despatching. But the vessels objective
point was not known. and there were as
many opinions about II a. there were mem-
bers OF the harbor squad.
Il know perfectly WE'LL Lieut.. Bob
McNaught lamented. Il feel q deep and
abiding conviction that that vessel 10 going
to be ordered to STEAMBOAT, La, by way Of
the Tombigbee River to convey tho Presi-
dent back to Washington, ID. G. Oh. Lord,
I only hope 1 won't have to pilot her ON her
tortuous way, for l don't feel equal to the
task: am g perfectly candid man. and
navigator. II would be just my predesti-
nation in such circumstances to be stranded
on q sane bank with the President aboard,
and l still have q vivid recollection OF what
happened to that pilot on the MyIssissippi.
have the job. and III gladly take his
Orders from Police Hesdquarters later
in the day that thsP Patrol was to 90 to the
Erie Basin ut once, there to have her nose
repaired by facial artists. didn't allay Lieut..
Bob McNaught's fears In the least.
Louisiana 10 her ultimate destination
he commented, gloomily enough. Il can
see 1t coming. This Erie Basin business il
only. q pretext to get the Patrol In top
notch condition for the conflict OF her life
Nov. I don't agree with you, lieutenant
said Lieut.. Bob Robinson m~editatively.
Our Job ID TO pursue river thieves, although
since the organization of the steamship
squad there's not enough men left here TO
ostch . dockrst. It's my opinion that the
Petrol 10 to be all spruoed up ct Erie Basin
and thsn sent TO He'll Gate on . practice
cruise: You know practice cruises obtain
nowadays to IN extent never known before,
and their objective point y invariably tho
~ os4essess and mnsesssasy plaoe