The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1915-03-11


transatlantic liner an unAssum'
ing man carrying q travelling
bag Joins the stream Of passen-
gers going up the gangplank. There
ID nothing to distinguish him from the
hundreds OF other male travellers. and
you suspect he ia an American bust
ness man going abroad for recreation.
And yet for the space OF two hours
tsometimes 20) this individual guides
the destiny OF the ship and It's human
cargo through the tortuous waters OF
the bay until II reaches the open sea.
He u pilot for the port OF New York
and there are ils Of him In active
service at the present time, writes
Thornton Fisher in the New York
Tribune.
was privileged recently to spend
a work day with the pilots. II began
at pier 50. North river. where the
steamship New York was waiting for
the signal that sends her on the voy.
age across the sea. The final blare OF
the bugle warning visitors ashore was
sounded promptly at the hour OF 10
and gangplanks we're released and.
with an almost imperceptible move
msnt, accompanied by u prolonged
blast OF the siren. the big liner left the
dock and pointed her prov to the east.
ward.
All Very Simple.
On the bridge before the wheelhouse
stoop Captain Roberts. a navigator.
and Pilot Sayles. who had apparently
been one OF the throng OF passengers
q few brief moments before. One OF
tho decisions Of humankind Is the men
al, association Of authority at sea
with glitteringly uniformed men VINO
With ceaseless vigil pace the ships
deck However. this keeneyed. ruddy-
complsxionsd man standing at the
captains side. attired In civilian ap
pAyel. does not bear q visible mark in
dioative Of his calling. unless Il DO
the alert manner with which he scans
the water or searches intsntly for land
marks on the shore.
Out past Governors island. the
statue Of Liberty. slowly by Staten
island and you are IN 10 open. On
one side OF the Jersey Highlands lofty
shores rise. only TO recede and disap-
pear from view In the distance Long
Island is lost where the ocean meets
tho sky. The ship plows cautiously
through the waters. obeying the slight
est command OF the pilot on the bridge.
since II would be comparatively easy
matter to run her nose into the mud.
The navigator however. knows his
course as an officer knows his beat
IL may be explained that the pilot
does not operate the steering appa-
ratus OF the vessel under his charge.
He communicates by a word or GEES
ture of the hand to the man at the
helm all directions for the course.
which are repeated by the helmsman
In acknowledgment Of the order.
Steady Steady" says the pilot
STEADY, sir" responds the man at the
Wheel Port" directs the pilot. and
again comes the echo. Port"
In the meantime, while the navigator
IL engaged ON the bridge. the passen-
gers are busy writing farewell letters
or kilograms TO be dispatched with
the pilot. Sandy Hook has now been
left behind and the open sea 10 ahead.
The pilots work Ia finished. at least
temporarily, and the captain grips
him by the hand. wishes him good
luck and orders the speed Of the ship
reduced as tho navigator prepares 10
depart
A yawl manned by two sturdy lads
draws alongside the huge vessel Can
you swtm7" inquiries the kindly pilot.
Being assured by me In the affirma.
tive, he swings over the side and
desoends Jacobs ladder" an the rope
ladder has come TO DO known among
the seamen.
Fact and Imagination.
The uninitiated instinctively shud.
der as they gaIe down the perpendicu.
lar depth at the tiny yawl bobbing up
and down with every wave that strikes
the ship. From the lower deck to the
watsrline Is perhaps twenty-five feet.
varying with the proportions of the
vessel, but | venture the assertion
from personal experience that the dis
tance negotiated between the deck
and the yawl was no less than twenty
Eve hundred feet.
The crew, having lowered the pilots
travelling bag and mail sack. gently