The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1913-08-05
ANARROW
ESCAPE
By |. 3. EMORY

Il
gers. butcher was an excellent sailor.
one OF the best ever knew. The Incl
dent related shows what care should |
be taken not to overwork those who
Ing. or the numerous accidents by en-.
gineers. pilots aud such persons very
large proportion come from the fact
that the men can't keep awake or
can't retain their faculties from want
Of rest The narrow escapes constant
~ occurring we never hear about.
II have been through storms at sea-"
he said. when | thought every mo-
ment we were going to the bottom
I've got into ice fields where | suppos-
ed we would he crushed. I've sailed
for weeks with tre in the hold. the
matches battened down to prevent air
getting to 1t aud expecting every min
ute 1t would l,nrn its way out. But the
biggest danger ! ever passed through
was in broad daylight with clear skies
and smooth waters
How was that asked.
~ was running Mr.. Archibalds YACHT
for him, as nice lean. low. long craft
as ever you saw. She had just gone
into commission for the summer, and
the owner took his family aboard Tor
cruise III New England waters. There
wasn't any other man aboard that
could divide the watches with me at
| the wheel and during the run from
| Philadelphia to Cape Cod didn't dare
| leave It, The only other man aboard
| who knew anything about navigation
| was Bob Benton. one of the hands. and
| all he knew was the waters or the
| coast Of Maine He had been brought
up in Casco bay and knew every shoal,
sunken rock and island in that archi-
pelago. He was engineer of the yacht.
| with an assistant. hut on the way east
the engine acted badly and Bob had as
much to do in the engine room as
had In the pilcthouse.
"One morning we left Portland to
! cruise along he coast to Mount Desert.
/ stopping at certain points by the way.
| was at the wheel. trying to keep
/ awake. when Renton. who | had un-
] derstood was going to catch few
| hours sleep. leaving his engine In care
of his assistant. came into the pilot
1 house and said to me:
LET me take her I'm at home in
these waters. and It's the best chance
4 of any for you to get nap.
4 II turned the wheel over to him and
4 lay down OH the cushioned bench In
the pilothouse and was asleep within
one minute
How long slept don't know. but
judging by the sun 1t couldn't have
been very long. sprang for the
| wheel. giving the signal to stop at the
same time. aud spun it to port with
all my strength was alone In the
i pilothouse We were going at full
speed. and II few cable lengths ahead
of me the waves were sending the
spray against rock. sunken at high
tide, but now only covered when
the waves rolled over 1t. We were al
most out Of sight OF land and not a
sail or a smoke pipe visible anywhere.
To 90 on to that rock at the rate we
were speeding meant death to every
man. woman and child aboard.
1.-The longest two or three minutes in
my life were those during which was
making the turn to avoid that rock.
When mad swung off so far that J
felt reasonably safe and with but lit.
tie Roadway on felt myself about to
do. and ] just got grip on myself by
sheer will power 1t was a start, but
a sharp danger. and within five min.
utes after Ind awakened knew we
were in deep water.
j When pulled the gong Mr.. Archi-
bald was in the cabin and his family
were on the aft deck. for there was a
head wind that kept them from com.
ing for'ard AS soon as the owner
, heard the signal he came running for
the pilothouse and 1t didn't take him
long to see what was the matter
"'You put back to Portsmouth he
said, and I'll get another skipper
II told him that Benton had come
|, In to relieve Inc and had gone out with
out waking me- He didn't believe my
story. but went below for Benton and
found him nsieep In his DUNK. wax
ing him. he brought him up to the pilot.
house and said TO me:
Its perfectly plain that you went
to sleep at the wheel
/" Bob said didn't you come in
here and ask me to let yon take her,
saying that you were at home in these
waters and 1t was good chance FOR
me to get nap?'
"'Did | do that he said with look
Of terror on his face.
Ibid you: or course yon did
why are yon uncertain about 1t?
asked Mr. Archibald. surprised
Why WOKE up suddenly awhile
ago and found myself standing by the
rail on the rear lower deck getting of
my clothes | had been dreaming
was going in for bnth. | must have
been up to my old tricks
'Sleepwalking?
Yes. ten be the death of me some
day'