The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1908-03-17

sea was remarkable for its pIacidity. II
was about as boisterous as the heaving
pillows OF famous Cheesequake Creek I'M
der hot summer sun. on the night OF
the second day OF this there came indica-
tions OF change. The sea Jumped itself
little, the wind changed and on the
following morning. Wednesday. January
% there came the first experience with
fog on this voyage.
Ran Into First Fog.
Along about S o'clock in the morning a
fog bank was noticed directly ahead
Orders were given TO turn on search
lights in case the ships We're obscured
from one another. 1t wasn't long before
each ship was cut of from the rest. Then
came the turning on Of searchlights. One
naturally would think that this would be
almost farcical when the sun was shin
ing. but not so. Those bright little suns
could be seen on the ships near by
cleaning through the mist. when the out
lines OF a ship only 900 yards away could
not be made out You could keep your
distance easily in this way. You knew
where your nearest neighbor was. and
often you could make out the position OF
two or three OF your neighbors.
Sometimes the fog would lift and you
could get a view OF the ships OF your own
divisiOn. Occasionally the ships OF the
division behind you would be revealed in
the same way Then would come another
thick bank. and YOU would be shut out
from the rest of the world, and then you
would take particular notice of the sig
mailing by whistles. Each ship would
LETT h. ha xsnf ~fa
made the number corresponding to its
letter. This is the way il would so:
loot, loot, Look Out!
COnnccticut-Letter Foot. toot-tOot toot-tOot
tOOt-t-O-O-t!
Ksnsar-Lctter s-Toot. toot-t-oo-t-toot to0t
yermoDt--Lsttcr Root. toot-t-o-o-t-t-o-o-t
Louisiana-Letter W-T-o-o-t-t-o-o-t-t0ot. loot
foot
The Connecticut would sound her sig
nal Then across the line could be heard
the signal of the Kansas, and then the
Vermont would sound hers, and then the
Louisiana would get busy. After a short
interval the whistling would be repeated
This and the searchlights made il pos
sibIe TO keep the line well fixed.
About noon the fog lifted entirely as
the sun burned it away. one evening
fog. but that WAS the end OF this kind
of experience, on the Atlantic coast, at
least
Winter Weather, Once More
For five days before Cape Virgin was
sighted az the eastern end OF the Straits
of Magellan the change in the tempera-
ture became marked. The thermometer
went down to the fifties. The air became
bracing. Gradually all white was elimi-
mated from the uniforms
The men showed the change from the
enervating climate Of the tropics to the
bracing one of the lower temperate zone
by their sprightly movements. All hands
felt good. as the saying is. We had gone
from the beginning OF winter at home,
with the snowstorms, into the oppressive
heat Of the equator, and now We were
back in the weather conditions of the
Nova Scotia coast in midsummer, only
the cold winds We're from the south of
the Antarctic fee. instead of from the
frozen north, as at home.
ship Alloy!
The day before Cape Virgin was reached
there was one Of those ocean sights that
fix every sailorman's attention upon 1t
1t was that of a full-rigged
English ship under full sail. The Skipper
was on his way round the Horn. as could
be seen from the way he tackled He not
only showed his colors promptly. but
when he dipped them he had the salts
faction of having sixteen American bat
tie ships and one supply ship respond in
the same way Very few ships have had
that distinguished honor. The skipper will
be telling about it to his children. his
grandchildren, and his great-grandchiI-
dren II he lives that long.
Cape Virgins fine headland came In sight
on Friday morning, January 81. 1t was
thought desirable to swing ships before
the straits were entered, and then It was
too late to try to make the run through
the eastern section OF the sraits To Punta
Arenas, about 120 miles, with their first
and second narrows,i that day, and so
we anchored In Possession Bay. a great
open sheet OF water. with the Pata-
gonian mountains TO the north, for the
night. Early this morning we started
on the first leg OF the picturesque pas
sage that Magellan first revealed TO the
world. and this afternoon came to an
Choir here.