The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1910-11-03
Sch. Holliswood Towed In.

Capt. Walls Saved After Awful Sufferings.
He Declares It a Masters Duty to Stick
to his Vessel to the Last.
GALVESTON. TEXAS, October27 Dlsmantled,
waterloeeed and with ls feet Of water in her
hold, the four-masted schooner HOLLYWOOD was
towed into port late Wednesday by the British
steamer Parkwood, herself eight days overdue
from Trinidad. Captain Walls OF the disabled
hulk is still aboard his craft, after narrowing
experience. The other seven men OF the crew
were taken off by New York bound steamer
several days before the schooner was picked
up. The Parkwood, tossed out OF her path by
the Gulf storm, sighted the Holliswood off the
Campeche banks. $50 miles from Galveston on
October 18th, disabled and apparently aban-
doned
GALVESTON, October 1s Sitting in the win
uowiess and storm-beaten cabin OF tne 9is-
mantled schooner Holliswood, with chilling
north wind blowing at 4O-mile clip across
1aveston bay, Capt. E. E. Walls was last night
pehning letter to his wife at Hallowell, Me-,
When correspondent stepped aboard the
schooner, which had just been toWed IN from
40
The hero of the storm battered schooner
was not ne alone. His pet cat was with him dur
ing all his trying experience, but it has never
before been mentioned in print.
fou see, was not alone, even though my
men deserted me and took the dog with them,"
SAID the veteran navigator. 1.-THE dog would
have staid by me, as did the cat, had it not
neen that the sailors coaXed him to 60 with
them Let me tell you, that cat was world of
comfort to me-"
Refusing the comforts of the palatial home
OF capt. Louis Gotthell of Galveston, who tried
10 persuade him to leave the schooner and
in q Cant
Walls said:
Il am grateful for the invitation and l ap-
preclate your kindness more than l can ex-
plain, but this old boat has sheltered me in
worse weather than this and in treacherods
seas and will not leave her tonight. Any
way, want to be quiet and write long letter
to my wife"
Ihe owners of the tugs Suderman and Dol
son gave instructions to go alongside the
schooner and serve the captain with warm
supper and supply any other comforts he
might need. He received flattering message
OF congratulation from Pendleton Bros of
New York, owners of the Holliswood. in which
they declared he had accomplished something
no other man ever had and that he was en-
titled to all the honor of having saved the
schooner and her cargo. The message came in
response to a brief telegram he sent them say
and dismasted
Capt. Walls is a navigator of the old school,
whose 20 odd years as master of sailing ves-
sells has been filled with thrilling experiences,
but he is modest and backward when asked
about himself.
said he, land am not a hero, as you landlub-
bers call me. was on the Holliswood with
cargo of $4,000 feet of cypress lumber. The
hurricane hit US and tossed US about for nearly
four days. The seven men sighted the Nor
wegian steamship Harold, bound for New
York, and couldn't get into the boats quick
enough.
"The Harold wouldn't take the schooner in
tow, and l wouldn't leave her. didn't stay
with her because had any interest in her or
the cargo beyond the pay of sailing master,
and never thought of salvage. believe it's
masters duty to stick to his vessel to the
last, not for the fame he may give himself nor
for the reward he may get, and not for the
sake of the hero-worshppers who will write
for his photograph and his autograph, but be-
cause the owners of the vessel intrust the
many thousand dollars worth of property to
his care, and he is expected to defend it and
save it even with his life.
II love my family as dearly as any man.
have a wife at Hallowell and l have son
working in bank and another in the clothing
business. l have been master Of sailing ves-
sells for many years, and am proud to say this
is the first shipwreck of my career. But am
still young man, only 55 years. don't re-
=
ton presented itself again l would take the
same chance. That's what am here for.
Il don't approve of the seven men quitting
the schooner, but l am not going to damn
them. They said the schooner was doomed,
and said it was not They said life was too
storm battered schooner, and they went.
"Three days without fresh water is what
most people would call hell. l Tapped up what
little rain l could find pooled among the lum-
ber, but this was soon salted by the sea, which
washed over the deck continuously for two
days after drifted out Of the path of vessels.
Twenty four hours after my men left me my
throat began to close up, and l was forced to
moisten it with sea water. The salt burned
my raw throat, and then began to grow weak
and dizzy and all around me grew dark.
II guess lost consciousness. When 1 came
to l found myself on board the steamship
Parkwood, bound for Galveston. But didn't
remain there long, for l went to look for my
schooner, and finding it in tow climbed from
the steamship to the mastless schooner and
there remained until we reached portland
am still here"
The Holliswood is owned by the Pendleton
Bros. and was bound from New Orleans to
New York with $4,000 of cyprus lumber, of
which over 100000 was thrown overheard DUR
ing the gale. The hurricane struck the
schooner at 8 p. H. Friday, October 18th, and
Capt. Walls says it was "hell for the four days
to Monday, when the steamer Harold hove in
sight and took off the crew, and more than
hell for me to be tossed around like a cork for
three days until the Parkwood picked me up"
The men wanted him to leave the schooner
with them, but he refused, saying "I'll stick to
her boys" On hearing of the disaster the
Pendletons wrote to Mrs. Walls, speaking in
highly complimentary terms of Capt. Walls.
but expressing regret that he should have de-
Tended the craft at the risk of his valuable
life. They said they would use every effort to
find theNcaptain if still alive and had secured
the services of a United States revenue cutter.
The Kennebec Journal says that Capt. Walls
was born near Searsport and has followed the
sea since early manhood. His father was
seafaring man and was drowned from his ves-
sci almost in sight Of his home when the sub
ject of this sketch was an infant only two days
old. About three years ago Capt. Walls nearly
lost his life in a storm at sea when the schoon-
er, Arthur C. Wade, of which he was COM
mander and part owner, was sunk. He said
then that if he was ever caught in another
such storm he would not abandon the ship.
His home is in Hallowell and he owns a splen-
did farm in Pittston. Mrs. Walls, who has been
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