Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1911-11-10

rections to avoid them; sometimes stop
ping TO let one pass ahead of us, at an
other time turning completely round and
running back on our course. Luckily
we were never seen or chased. .e.
Might came on. and had hoped tina;
we should have made rapid progress TIL
daybreak unnolested. All was quiet
until about I o'clock in the morning
when suddenly, to our horror, we found
a steamer close alongside of us.
How she had got there, without our
knowledge, is a mystery TO me even
now. However, there she was; ana
had hardly seen her efore a stentorfan
voice howled out, Heave-to in that
steamer, or I'll sink you: 81
1T seemed as IL all was over; bur /
determined to try a ruse before giving
the little craft UP. So / answered. 'Ay,
ay, sir, we are stopped ,Dh. ss3
A BOLD ESCAPE. ~ L.s
THE cruiser was about 80 yards from
US. We heard orders given to man and
arm the quarter boats; we saw the
boats lowered into the water; we saw
them coming, we heard the crews laugh
ing and cheering at the prospect of their
prize KS fA a -
The bow men had Just touched the
sides OF our vessel with their boathooks
the engfline room Full speed ahead and
away we shot into the pitch darkness.
II don't know what happened, whether
the captain Of the man-of-war thought
that his boats had taken possession and
thus did not try TO stop us, or whether
he tsopped to pick up his boats in the
rather nasty sea that was running
some one who reads this may know All
I can say Is that not a shot was fired,
n k4rak a.. I<gu
darkness hid he cruiser from our view.
sAlF the next day we passed in lodging
about, avoiding the cruisers as best we
could. but always approaching our port.
During the day we got good observations.
with which sounding agreed. and at sun
set our position was 90 miles due east Of
the entrance TO Wilmington river.
when It was quite dark we started,
steaming at full speed It was extremely
thick on the horizon, but clear overhead
with just enough wind and sea to pre-
screws made being heard. Every light
was out. even the mems pipes, the masts
were lowered onto the deck and IL. ever a
vessel was invisible theD--n was that
night. ~ ,fs ~ @
SAVING A QUARTER MILLION. =
I'VE passed several outlying cruisers
some unpleasantly near-but still we
passed them. All seemed going favor
ably. when suddenly / saw through my
glasses the long, low line OF steamer
right ahead, lying. as 1t were, across our
bows-so close that II would have been
impossible to pass to the right or left of
her without being seen. ss..
"A prompt order given to the engine
room, where the chief engineer stood to
the engines. to reverse one engine was as
promptly obeyed and the little craft pu
round >. -. :. Fifty thousand pounds
worth of property was saved its owners.
II do not, believe the cruiser saw us at
all, and very important to us was the
fact that we had turned in so short a
space that scarcely think we lost five
yards of our position.
Having turned. we stopped to recon-
hotter and could still see the faint outline
of the cruiser crawling propelled, prob
ably, only by the wind slowly into the
darkness, leaving the way open to us, Of
which we at once took advantage.
1T was now about / O'Clock in the
morning; our patent (sounding) lead, and
an observation of friendly star, told us
that we were rapidly getting near the
shore. But II was so fearfully dark that
it seemed almost hopeless. ever to find
our way to the entrance of the river, and
no one felt comfortable.
still we steamed slowly on and shortly
made out a small glimmer of light
right ahead. We eased steam a little
and cautiously approached.
SAFE IN PORT.
LAS we got nearer we could make out
the outline of a vessel lying at anchor.
head to wind, and conjectured that this
must be the senior officers vessel, which,
we were told. generally day about two
miles and a half from the rivers mouth,
and which was obliged to show some sort
of light to the cruisers that we're con-
stantly under weigh right and left of her.
Feeling pretty confident now OF our
position, we went on again at full speed
and made out clearly the line of block
aders lying to the right and left Of the
ship which showed the light, all except
ing her being apparently under weigh.
Seeing an opening between the ves-
sci at anchor and the one on her left,
we made a dash, and, thanks 10 our dis
guise and great speed, got through with
out being seen and made the most of our
way toward the land. -
r'As a strong current rose close inshore,
which is constantly changing its course,
and there were no lights of landmarks to
guide us, Il was a matter of great diff
Guilty to find the very narrow entrance
TO the river. .sr~ f.e N...
I'VE were now nearly out Of danger
from cruisers, who seldom ventured very
close inshore in the vicinity of the bat
teries. and our pilot, who had been
throughout the voyage in bodily fear OF
an American prison, began to wake up,
and after looking well round, told US
that he could make out, over the long
line OF surf, heap of sand called the
~. g. TO- Nw@e