The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-08-01

ole OF surf on the beach. Is
cory back room where shippers Of the
long ego gather for their glass and
pipe and sail over again voyages long
rsnoe woven into that most interest
ing fsbric-unwritten marine history.
The tales told round the little SCARED
table are for none but their own
kind and the uninitiateo are forever
barred. The models Of ships. made with
the painstsizing care and attention 70
oetal known only 10 the sailor, each
recalls some bit Of unrecorded TO
nance. tragedy or comedy IN the
checkered life OF some one Of the old
sea dogs When the salt breezes
sweep 81 through the open window
wlud5ammer moored near by mingles
with the clink Of glasses and the rays
o. the setting sun gid tie relics on
the walls. pictures Of the past loom
clearly and are voiced IN salty phrases
The TGallant Quartet. they call
themselves. these four old salts who
gather here daily Others may drift
IN and pass on their way. but the four
chairs are always warmed. Captain
A. r Weber. nestor OF the veterans,
stiu clings 20 his rum and ''dudeen."
while Captain Pete" Connolly wants
only Irish whisky straight and black
navy "chawln" Captain Harry Grid
ley and Captain Ned Hathaway like
what suits the others
And they were In their accustomed
places when I wandered IN there the
other afternoon and Joined the mystic
circle.
7 noticed IN the Merchants ex-
change that the Scottish Lochs made
the run from New York here IN IS
days" remarked Captain Weber as
he redlled HIS ever present pipe.
That's q pretty fast passage, but I
made the fastest run between these
two ports that was ever recorded.
why, 7 beat steamer time. This was
sn the spring Of 81. when I had the
little brig Alice. She was q nice lit
Tor wbaier and had spent something
over 80 years IN the Arctic. Hidden
& CO. OF Boston bought her and fitted
her out for the trip round the Horn 10
Frisco carrying whisky. This was my
fret command and wanted 70 make
a record passage, so after leaving
Boston cracked on SAIL until many
times ] expected 20 see the sticks go
cut Of her But they held and she
raced along and she could run like
scared cody. We had good weather.
TOO. After passing the doldrums there
was scarcely a brace changed from
there down 20 the Horn. She was
lofty old girl carrying two skysls and
HtunGlE. We walked away from
everything that came near Us, and, best
CT all we rounded the stormy cape IN
less than q week It seemed az though
all the good luck Of the sea was
centered IN that old packet. and It
was, too. for that matter as you shall
hear.
We made the run up from the Cape
80 20 degrees south with q beam wind
which never shifted half a point 1
rseo 70 walk I'D and down and pinch
myself 20 see II ] was awake; It was
too good 20 be true. But finally we
got becalmeo, and lay there four days
with the sails Stating against the
Enssts. On the afternoon OF the fourth
day ! noticed the glass was falling and
expected some wind that night, so IN
the afternoon I went below for q nap.
must have slept about three hours,
when the pitching Of the vessel threw
me out Of my bunk There was a
crashing and a smashing on deck and
a roar as though all hell had broken
loose.
The wind nearly took me of my
feet. when I finally managed 20 get up
the companionway, and grabbed the
deck house and held on as a wall of
water swept over as. The ship was a
wreck; both masts had gone by the
boards, and the galley and forward
deck house were beaten into kindIing
wood.
The storm blew itself out in a
couple OF hours. and I put the crew
70 work trying 10 straighten things I'D.
But there wasn't much TO be done.
Even the wreck OF the masts had been
swept away. and our spare spars had
gone along with the rest Of the stuff
on deck. To add 70 my troubles there
came from below the smell of whisky,
and I knew some OF the casks had
broken loose and been smashed. The
second mate. whose watch 1T was on
deck when the hurricane hit. explained
that It came up so suddenly he didn't
have q chance TO more than get in the
Skys'is. ] forgot 10 say that couple
OF the crew went over with the sticks,
but we had plenty OF sailors left.
1t was a dismal picture for me.
Here I was breaking all records and
expecting to win fame by making the
fastest known passage. and now I had
only a dismasted hulk with not even
jury rig. Ny heart was sure broken.
The wind had gone down and the sea
was getting smoother. and l was
standing looking over the stern won
oering what 10 do. when ] noticed
that the vessel was going ahead. 1