, 1908-07-17
Dives Under a Mainsail; Lives to Tell
the Tale


the Tale
Ever since l was dragged out from
under the mainsail of a capsized TWEEN
ty-one footer one night three sum
mers since / have heen convinced that
l was as close to death as a man may
go and live to tell about 1t.
1t happened at the close Of a regat.
three OF us on board-my brother, a
friend, and myseif-and the boat a
new one, as tender as a leaf on the
breeze, had given us all we could do
during the races We were worn out
and the breeze was whipping up the
lake like a little gale when we started
on an eight mile thrash back to our
anchorage, knowing that unless the
breeze went down with the sun there
would be trouble.
The sun went down and the breeze
gained strength when we were out In
midlake. 1t was wild out there in the
dark; the shallow water churned into
Jumps and binding spray, and every
gust threatened to bury us. 1t was
worse when We came about and laid
our course for a crib lighthouse that
marked the end of a string of rocks.
Our lee rail vas under and the water
driving into the cockpit, where
crouched at the tiller as we rushed
down on the crib. Hanging on to the
mainsheet and almost standing on the
centerboard out to windward were the
others. I a about to get up with
them when the end came with a gush
that fairly lifted the little boat on to
its beam ends.
AS l stood up the boom swung over,
and in another second / al in the
water with the mainsail Topping over
my head like a blanket. Once before I
had been taught that way and got out
by diving. l tried to dive now, but at
first kick found both legs were en-
tangled in a rope, the center board
sheet. I almost drowned before l real
lied l couldn't get my feet free.
Twas incased in oilskin when l went
over. The coat I got OF by dropping
under. The trousers I couldn't do any.
thing with. Every minute my plight
was becoming more desperate. At
first air pockets under the sail had
given me a chance to breathe, but
quickly the canvas became saturated
and closed down on me. Then the
thought came to me that l was going
to drown. Fear and desperation i'm
PEELED me to dive again In another eff
fort to get away, But It was no use.
| remained under until by head and
my heart seemed about to burst. When
came up the wet sail chung about my
head. There was little air left under
1t, and, gasping and choking, I tried in
my frenzy to bite through the n
and tear it. I might have succeeded.
had there been any strength left in me.
The water was warm-I remember
being glad of that and a great drow-
siness overcame me. l knew then l
was drowning, and / was. Fear, which
at first had made me frantic, gave way
to a lethargy which had no sensation
but one OF great WEAKNESS. Then
everything seemed to shrink up inside
of me. 1t struck me this was an easy
way to die, after all. Just then there
was q crash of some sort. / didn't
know nor car what caused it, for 1
seemed all at once to evaporate into
nothingness.
Two days afterwards l came back to
life and reason in the lightkeeper's
bunk and they told me what had hap
pened. The boat had dropped down
on the crib, and in the crash mast
and mainsail had been sliced on. The
rope In which my feet had been entan-
gled prevented me from drifting away
with the sail and the others had seen
me. They pulled me up or the wreck
ed boat, convinced that ! was dead. 1t
was an hour befose they suneeedeed In
getting me .up on the crib rlskang their
own lives In the awtri q vatsf around
the light, and hours moro before they
succeeded in; shaking and pounding He
back into my watarloggsd carcAss.
lsetther they nor the ~ nGAtkeepsr.
who kad seen many men drowned, b
iieved l could lIveI 3uss scrAped'
through. But the OLD Joy I found in
scndding ON q plank between Ky and
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