The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1908-06-03
A SEA PICTURE CRITIC
He Knew All About Ships and the
Wild Ocean.
ART COMMENTS OF A SAILOR
The death Of Nelson" Reminded Him
of How 'Arkness Come Off the Main
Yard-The Blood Red Sky Without
Cloud That Foretells Storm.

come of Il life apart, sailormen have
vet an appreciation of the arts. writes
David w. Bone in the Manchester
Guardian.
Once in the Walter gallery | was
looking Mt "rhe Death of Nelson"
There was man with the look of Il
seaman standing near. He had slight
smell of drink and was chewing tobac-
co. He, too, was interested in the pic
ture, and, recognizing me as seaman
like, he said something, and we got to
talking about Nelson and his times,
about ships and pictures.- "B'gQd,
mate, them fellers' 0he painters he
meant "llnowed what they. was
a-doln', Look at that ere glim" Qan-
got wen they brought tn admiral
down. An them eyes," point
ing to wounded seaman in the near
foreground, 'thems tn eyes O. poor
'Arkness wot come off tn main yard
las voyage an struck tn fife rail full
onr
He told me of the accident, how It
happened, and by his eyes and rude,
simple speech saw it all. As plain be-
fore me as the figure of the stricken
seaman l saw 'Arllness come Off the
main yard, clutching wildly at the
sheets and lifts as he fell. heard him
strike the rail with slckening thud
and lie stretched. l saw the running
figures on the deck, and-"'e never
larsted tn night. We buried i'm out
there. Taltal it was" said my speaker,
involuntarily twisting a shoulder to an
imaginary southwest.
There was a sea picture, ship com
ing up to the Isle of Wight-clean
curving sails, good sense of move
ment and fine, breezy atmosphere.
''Jest wot it is" said my friend,
omeward bound. Let 'er go, boys!"
a burst of enthusiasm that made some
visitor glance around, alarmed. come
ward bound it isp' There were other
fine pictures, but we did not feel that
we had a right to do more than look at
them and admire. With sea pictures it
was different. They were our world,
and who had the right to criticise the
way sea was moving off the sky II
we had not? Too often had we watch
ed, anxious eyed, for a break I'm the
clouds not to know the way of wind
on. the water the scud of a cloud
breaking free in a welcome shift. Well
we knew the curve of standing sail
and the relation it bore to the sense of
movement.
For city of the sea Liverpool has
no great representation of her fore
most industry on her chamber walls.
Sea pictures have apparently no at
traction for her chiefest citizens. There
was little call for sea critics down
stairs, so we went TO an exhibition of
modern art in the upper galleries.
Here we found ourselves properly con-
fronted. Setting Sail After Blow it
was, a large canvas, ship pitching
heavily in the swell of recent gale
and the crew putting the canvas on
her. 1t held a great message for my
mate (black smoke and an ever throb-
bing screw had not yet dulled his sea
fancy He was highly pleased. "Them
seas wot we gets off tn Platter He
wanted to show some word of cheer, to
swing his right hand to the left shoul-
der in seamanlilSe admiration, but the
cold gray eye of tall hated official
was upon us-"Huh, sailorsr-and
there was a group of young ladies
near by worshiping at the shrine of a
corporation purchase, so he contented
himself by nudging me furiously.
''That's wot l calls picture" he said.
a sunset over water claimed our at
tention. A blood red sky with no
clouds, only a slight density near the
horizon. said it was remarkable,
perhaps unreal. That's where We
amt in 1t, mister! Look a herel If
ye wos t. take all tn colors in tn lock-
er SOS We 'ad lots O. red an yeller in,
ye'd find a sky t. match it. Amt We
never card o. what them dagos calls
blood o Chris'-them dagos wot loads
ye ballest in tn Platter" | had not
heard. "Well, it's a sky like that, an
it comes afore one of them 'pamperos'
Min l wos lyin' in Monte Video
oncet, an we 'ad a sky all blood red
an never a cloud, an tn fishin boats
-Yos all comm in; not rowin' shipshape,
same IS me an you 'ud do; them
shown th' oars IS if they wos pushin'
q barrer." He spat into dark corner
and said something more about dagos,
then continued: mex day we 'ad
gale. 'Owlin', it was, an her drivin'
into 1t same IS we wos off tn Horn,
an big German bark driv' down on
US an took tn fore to'garn'mast out O.
'er an tn boom an started all tn
'eadgear. Two ships wos driv' ashore,
an that's wot comes out O them skies
wot they calls tn blood O. Chris"
1t was an impressionist picture that
annoyed my mate-an impression of
scene in dock, with masts and tunnels
and hulls all mixed up. The coloring
was good, but the ships might have
been ninepins or egg boxes or any
thing. At first he was perplexed, then
amused, then indignant. "Oh, -w he
said. "What's this? Ships b'gad, or
I'm a Dutchman!" He burst into fit
of rude laughter. "ShIps it Is, mister,