The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1909-06-21
HOW A MUTINY
WAS AVERTED.



was late in the season, and we had
picked up a crew in San Francisco
such AZ no officer would be pleased 70
SAT- with even IN fair weather. My
FIRST mate / trusted implicitly, but my
second was new 60 me, and knew IT.
tie OF his antecedents. The men had
been spending some time ashore be
tween cruises, frequenting the lowest
dives IN the city. and when they came
aboard they were drunk.
II was a bleak day that we sailed,
and the weather didn't improve on
acquaintance. Ny ship was a saiiei
and required constant handling aloft
A fine mist or q sleet fell most Of the
time, and the rigging was thick with
fee. The consequence was that every
time a man was ordered al0ft he either
\ went with a growl or refused to 90 at
all. Ny frst mate, Whittemore, and ]
were kept busy most Of the time
threatening, cuFSlng or even knocking
them down with any implement that
came handy. As for Harden. the sec
ond mate, II he gave a man an order
and 1t wasn't obeyed he gave Il 20
some one else.
one day. when we were beating
against a biting northeast wind and
the clouds were splitting snow, while
stumbling on the after deck saw the
men gathering on the foFecastle. !
knew trouble was brewing and giving
Whlttamore a meaning look, directed
his attention for'ard. AS for Harden,
he was below. though had be been on
deck l should not have placed any
reliance on him. Next ! saw man
OF the crew Of the name OF Billings
urging his shipmates 70 follow him
ait. starting himself, going a few steps
and returning for more argument A
few followed him on some u these
inciuient advances. but the bulk Of the
crew hung back. Finally, after a
haranRue that / could not hear, be
made another move. and al but two
or three Of them went with him.
It's net q pleasant sight for one
man with no support but a single
comrade out on a blustery ocean to
see knot Of men, doubtless with arms
concealed. coming 70 murder him. !
made up my mind 20 sell my life as
dearly as possible and uncovered a re-
volver had carried ever since setting
san. Whittemore came and stood be-
eide me-
The men had reached the compan-
ionwav when one OF them caught sight
OF something on the port quarter. 9th
ers turned to look, and one By one
they stopped. Thinking II safe 20 do
So / turned my own eye in the direc-
ton they were looking and saw a ship
coming athwart our course. II was
she that had arrested the men. Those
bent on mutiny don't want any wit
nesses. They stood peering at her,
and as she drew nearer It was plain
that she had suffered rough usage.
Her masts all except her foremost
were gone, and that had single san |
set No one was to be distinguished 1
on deck until she came within hailing
distance, when through the flying
snowaakes enc person was discover
able.
At the wheel stood a helmsman. The
ship scudded across our course not q
hundred yards IN advance Of ns. and
only the one man was to be seen. He
was motionless except for the rolling
OF the ship. l hailed, but he neither
answered nor turned even 70 look at
us. Re was not plainly visible and
only so for a few moments. for no
sooner did he reach the nearest point
TO us than a snow squall hid both him
and his ship and when it thlnned the
vessel was but a few indistinct lines,
Sailors are the most superstitious
people in the world, and my crew was
Of the lowest and most superstitious
type 81 sailors. could see BY their
appearance that they considered the
passing vessel phantom and the
wheelman a ghost.
Here was my opportunity. Drawing
my revolver and motioning White
more to follow me. I walked briskly
forward On reaching the forecastle
] covered Billings with my revolver
and ordered him to walk aft. BE look.
ed at the men for help, but saw that
they were cowed and obeyed the or
der. marched him down the gang
way, and iu few minutes my mates
had him disarmed and IN irons. Then
went again on deck and told the
crew that If they wished to escape a
hanging when we reached port they
had better return 70 duty at once.
Most Of them obeyed with alacrity.
Those who showed signs Of giving fur
Their trouble / had put in irons by
the very men they had been inhuenc-
ing to mutiny. s
The wind howled that night, and the
next day we got an observation. Find. {
ing that ! was far out Of my course. j IL
put her Off considerably, sailing III the
direction Of the phantom In another
day we overhauled her. AS we {
came up astern Of her we saw her ?
name, the Aida OF Tacoma, Wash. q
There was the man still at the wheel, IS
but not another person in sight /
drew up beside her, as near as dared, {
and, examining the helmsman through (
! glass, saw that he was stone dead. s
sent a boats crew aboard, who
found that the ship had been dismast- :
I'd IN gale and deserted by her crew {
The man at the wheel was her cap
ain, who had undoubtedly refused to
abandon his ship. Finding his strength E
falling, he had dashed himself to the s
wheel. steered his vessel for hundreds {