Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1908-01-15
FACING DEATH AT SEA.


The captain, who was omnipresent.
seemed always there, eyes fixed on
the pinnacle, signaling orders that
could not be heard. Then Quarter
master Swift would leave his side,
and. with his lantern tucked inside
his coat, struggle forth to hold the
reel, often returning to report that
instead of making 200 miles day,
we more than one day made not a
single mile.
1t was not wash OF waves. Great,
ugly, green seas would pile up and
stand like mountains. Then the de.
mon wind, with cutlass between his
teeth, would cut the crest clean away,
and hurl tons and tons of water upon
US; and when their repeated assaults
were loosening the anchor clamps on
the cat-heads, we were obliged to go
with rope lashings to doubly secure
them. In doing this we lay at times
buried under tons of water, and when
we came out we could not speak fol-
the noise of the tempest.
While all this was going on we
were given extra instruction in the or
der to abandon ship" Each division
comprises forty-four men and two Of
ficers, divided into two watches. Lieut.
Sherman and Midshipman Todd were
in charge of my division, and they
went from man to man, screaming
their orders into our ears. We al.
ready knew our places and what to
do, but the general plan for the EN-.
Urgency was explained again to each.
Should the moment arrive when the
fires could no longer be controlled,
we were to go as fleet.
We have launches, boats, dinghys
and catamarans sufficient to carry
every man in the crew. The sailing
launch, with its tall masts to carry
signals, would have taken the lead
as flagship. She. was already equip
ped with charts, one to be given to
the officer of each of the other boats
in the event of their being buffeted
In.
How | wish could write something
that would convey just an idea OF a
typhoon-what it was like. and how
we felt. Four hundred and forty
four human lives were imperiled and
not a man whimpered
From fighting the fire, we would
toyously go for trick at the wheel
although 1t was tug that called
for strength nearly superhuman. l
recall a night so dark that the dark
ness could almost be felt. The fren-
zied wind blowing off the crests Of
black seas was hurting them with
terrific force, and they stung me with
biting brine as stood in the foretop
listening for the stroke OF the bell.
My ear was glued to the speaking
tube, yet the shout from the bridge
came to me in the faintest Of whisp.
ers: What's the matter aloft?" and
| screamed back. Cant hear the bell,
sir. A-l-l-l's well!n Oh, the winds,
the winds, the winds!
Again ! stood on the signal yards,
but it was day They screamed, and
roared, and yelled, drowning every
other sound. Like boys creating new
noises by breathing across the mouths
of empty bottles, they cut across the
smokestacks and moaned into their
cayernous tubes. Then. exhausted by
their fury, they tagged and soughed
through the rigging, quickening every
line and ratline into a wh-h-r-r-r-r and
Rr-r-r-r-ra-rattling that swelled into
melody such as no aeolian harp has
ever played; then, blending into a
single note, deep monotone struck
masts and yards, rising and falling,
rising and falling, like the blue ocean
in calm.
1t brought balm to my WEAKNESS,
and, looking down the slim mast, /
discovered that the ship was gone.
saw only the rushing, surging. seeth-
ing waters engulfing the decks, and
from my exalted height felt like a
bird of the greenwood blown out to
sea.
Lieut.. Buchanan told me one night,
when we were buffeted against one
another on the bridge. that should
never meet another blow like this,
and men are wondering how the ship
ever lived through it; but ] think l
know.
The flagship is thing alive. II
has its parts and being. We have
heard 1t breathe, and who will ques'
ton that in Capt. Reed 1t has both
brain and soul?
Who has not watched the Reaper
who is called Death shake his sickle
In mems faces. when many would lie
down and die. whtls one. like 9 paath