The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1915-03-08
ALunatlc Crew
By NJ. QUAD
y wright. 1914, by the Mcclure
Newspaper Syndicate.
By M. QUAD

We were due east of the island of
Luzon, one of the Philippine group.
and heading down the China sea with
cargo for London when we caught
the tail of a typhoon. We were lying
to and making fairly good weather OF
1t when Spanish ship, also lying TO-
hove into sight. She was lighter and
drove faster to leeward. She was
about mile to windward of US when
first sighted, and no great attention
was given her until it was seen that
she was drifting squarely down upon
US. AS she came nearer we saw that
her crew were dancing about on her
decks like a lot of drunken men ana
paying no attention to the storm. her
foretopmost had gone overheard. anu
much of her canvas had blown away
and she was being held in the winds
eye by tarpaulin set in the rigging
A sheer of the wheel would have sent
the Spanish ship clear of US by half
cables length, but the fellows drlfteG
down without paying us the slShteSt
attention, and she did not move by
ten feet. AS she rode past we could
look right into the eyes of her crew.
They were about thirty i'll number.
and they yelled and screamed at US
like so many lunatics. Brief rs was
the time, we all noticed one pecuilarl-
ty about them.
Beyond cursing the Spanish crew for
q gang Of idiots we had little TO say.
The idea Of fear of the storm had
made them take to drink. as is often
| the case. and they We're going TO Davy
Jones with a jag on. Six hours later
the storm broke. and we beaded our
| course. but within six hours we were
| pitching about on the troubled sea
| without way enough to ruffie feather.
/ turned in at s O'Clock that night and
| turned out again at midnight for the
morning watch. After midnight the
sea began to go down very fast. and ut
O'Clock there was only what you
| might call a tumble on. 1t was then
| that we family caught the sound of
| voices in whooping and singing to the
south Of US. 1t was thick night. and
nothing could be made out. but at 4
O'Clock we got a light breeze and had
not been waited along knot when
we had the Spanish ship again under
our eyes. All her topmasts were gone
now. while a portion of her bulwarks
was smashed ip, and she looked bad
wreck.
We headed for the wreck ut once, and
when We came within hailing distance
we asked If help was wanted. The
reply was Il chorus of shrieks and
screams, while many of the men shook
their fists ut US in defiance. 1t looked
like a case of mutipy. and our captain
was at a loss to know what step to
take. Before he could make up his
| mind the Spaniards had lowered boat
and pulled for US. Every Sone of tbs
crew piled into the boat. and we saw
them grab up Delaying pins, capstaI
bars and whatever else could be used
as weapons. The boat came dashins
at US with every man yelling ant
whooping, and they tried boarding u:
at once. We had no better weapon:
with which TO beat them of. and W,
/ were three less in number, but wheI
=. we looked into their fierce eyes ant
: saw murder there we struck to kill.
They fought like tigers and seemed
insensible to blows, but we beat then
off at last.
Four of their number went to tn
. ! bottom of the sea with broken skull:
J. and of those pulled away all WEI
more or less hurt We knew now ths
s they were lunaticS instead of drunke
s men. and we stood by till noon in til
hope that they would calm dow
They appeared to after awhile, BIT
! just as soon as we lowered q boat the
: woke up again and ragged like vii
beasts. We could understand nothin
u of their shouts except that they WEI
/, oaths. and in the face OF their dete
& mined opposition we could not boar
'. their craft. 1t was . o'clock in Il
{ afternoon before we squared away al
= left them. and then fierce fight W;
- going on. and at least one man hs
! been thrown overheard to drown.
Re You may well guess that we aboal
5, the Bristol were astonished and mys
Il fed by the singular incident. but Il
" explanation when it came was We
simple III 4 sense. The Spanish sh
= had a Filipino for a cook. He b;
III trouble with both officers and men al
was determined to have revenge. +
20 fore sailing from LuZon he had prov1
: ed himself with a quantity of Sc
al from the plant known as aripe. 1t
es wild kelp. and decoction makes
ii, mailman of the drinker. How he ma
st aged to serve it out to the whole ere
y. at once will never be known. but tt
N, was what he did and perhaps drank
81 share himself. The ship was mann
a. by a lunatic crew when she dro
down on US before the gale, and tn
!. were lunatics when we left them fig
~ ing and drifting. Ten days later
no ship. which had become wreck bel
To and aloft, was picked up by steam
an and towed into port. Not man
til ing or dead was found on board. TT
IN had f0urhf nanh othpr to fhp last n