The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-09-07

fo'c'sle head The mate and the stew
ard, who were not superstitious, slipped
in past the insurance anchor to inyes-
tigate. 1t proved to be no ghost, but
old Peter, the sailmaker a Frenchman,
about 60 years old. who. with his
sheath knife had slashed his throat,
wrists and legs. They took him out
and put him down the forehatch. He
had not severed his windpipe. Captain
Cox stitched up his wounds, and in
five days Peter was as spry as ever,
Why did old Peter cut his throat?
The mate had been chasing him a bit;
that was the reason he gave.
Man Overheard
South of the Equator, during a Sec
ond dog watch, with the Southern
Cross shining brilliantly, the second
mate, a young fellow just out OF his
apprenticeship, went forard to inspect
the side lights at the break of the
fo'c's'le head. AS he crossed from the
green light over the head to the red
light he called out sharply:
Look out how you're sitting there
or you'll go overboardi"
He was addressing this warning to
a figure hanging far over the skeleton
rail of the foosle head Just then
over tumbled the form plump into the
sea from the starboard side.
The ship, on the wind was making
less than four knots. As the alarm from
the second mate of MAN overboard"
rang out. Captain Cox rushed from the
cabin and ordered the wheel down. Her
head came up into the wind a bit and
the second mate went away in one of
the boats from the bridge aft.
Some OF the men in the boat were
trying hard not to laugh, but Robinson,
the second mate, didn't notice. They
pulled in the careless sailor--but it
wasn't sailor at all, only dummy
made up of slops and the stuffing of
a mattress.
When the "old man" found he had
been sold and the ship held up by sky
larking he was furious. He knew who
was responsible for the trick on the
second mate. A tall young Belgian
A. B. had a reputation as a practical
joker, Captain Cox promptly logged
him and his -conspirators and dis
charged them at VALPARAISO.
1t appeared that after the second
mate had trimmed the green light the
Belgian. loafing at the fore shrouds,
had pulled the manikin from the
fo'csle rail with seizing which he had
passed forward outside the bulwark
and around a pumpkin.
Two Tragedies
Coming out of Valparaiso. the bos'un,
while kneeling in the footrope of the
main yard, pulling on the canvas. fell
to the deck his head striking a ring
bolt to which the spare spar was
lashed and he was instantly killed.
West of the Horn. sailor thought he
heard peculiar noise for'ard during ,
the first watch. Again Steward Fraser.
with boy, took lantern and explored
beneath the focsle head. Finding
nothing they descended into the fore
peak. There they found that the car
penter had hanged himself by line
passed through holes drilled through
a steel deck beam. He was a Swede, |
about 40 years old, and had been act
ing queer"
Coming around Cape Horn in a west
erly gale, with the sky overcast and !
seas plumping over the port rail and
Keeping the deck floating, at bells of
the forenoon watch a young A. b. at
the wheel lost his nerve. The "old
man" and the mate had left him alone |
on deck while they went to attend to
the securing of some loose gear The |
youngster seeing the sails shaking and |
the masts trembling and hearing the |
roar of the wind. let the spokes slip |
from his fingers and the ship broached
TO- She was carrying topsls and
-foresl, and there was a pretty kettle |
or fish. over came dollop from port |
crushing down the bridge forard of the
break of the poop. flying bridge and
Very Like Chaos
Forard the sea, with q noise like
thunder. crushed in the entire port side
of the deck house, catapulting the
watch below whose hunks were on that
side, clear across the fo'c's'le, where
they brought up In the other watch's
hunks. They were imprisoned in tho
rush of sea. and some of them could
not escape for 20 minutes.
From the dOOr of the or rboard e;da
of the fo'cs'le, burst open by the blow
delivered by the oceap, shot shower
or seaboots. shoes. socks, REFERS, SOU
westers,. oilskins and gear.
The waves burst the harness cask
for'ard of the deckhouse and out flew
the salt pork from the two casks In
the starboard direction. Both fo'c'sIe
ladders were carried away.
The wave which the frightened sail
or let aboard tore the pig sty from Its
lashlnRs under the starboard side of
the fo'c'sle head. and sent II skiddins.
squeaifng porker All all, for'ard along
the deck.
Just as the dollops had como aboar "a
the sidewise ship the cook was coming
out of the starboard door of the gall
10y, He was caught and held in the |
door by flying copper The pig sty
and tho pig shot along. catching up
tho cook and tho copper kettle. and |
tney were nll swept tho entire length |
OF Inc deck, bringing UP against tho |
cabin under the break of the poop The |
cook escaped with the loss OF some
skin and good bruising,
On Her Course Again
The 'old man. and the mate scram- |
b1ed back on the poop, rushed to the |
quarter deck. did sonie swearing-al-
though it's not on the log, The mate
seizing the wheel from the nsrvsless |
SO 4 MP lro1 dc
while Captain Cox ordered the mizzen
tQpsl Let 30. The shin prannfl.r r,ai<a