Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-04-17
Guajara Flying Distress Signal.

| The SiXaola came up with the Qua
| jara at dusk Saturday night. She was
! flying the International distress signal,
and that, with her evident waterlogged
condition. has been enough through
many hours of trial and misunder-
| standing TO excite in the comma nder
| of the SiXaola the bond of sympathy
! common among those who travel the
| great wastes of waters on which a
ship is such tiny speck. The Sixaola
was twentyeight hours out of New
| York. for Cuba, Jamaica and Central
| American ports, and it has been learn
| ed today that the Guajara left Nor
| folk April 5, with coal for San Juan,
Porto Rico. She belongs in Rio de
Janeiro.
| The meeting place of the two ships
was $50 miles east of Norfolk pin
point on the Atlantic ocean-and
there. in that lonely spot, far out of
I: the usual track of ships which hug the
Atlantic coast, was begun. as darkness
fell last Saturday night. a spectacular
| drama OF tn" sea, with only the
screaming gulls in the dark skies
! above for witnesses.
| Both ships had gone through heavy
northeasterly gale. Most of the pas
| sengers on the Sixaola were recovering
| from its effects. and they and the crews
| of both ships anXiouSly lined the rails
as the Sixaola searchlights played on
the Brazilian. showing her deep in the
| water, with waves as high 8 three
story buildings-the aftermath of the
lgale-tumbling her helplessly about.
Could Hardly Be Controlled.
The wind roared through the cordage
and other rigging of both ships, lift
ing and dipping the vessels. with their
| propellers out of water, again and
again. so that they could hardly be
controlled. and the Sixaola, for her
own safety, dare not venture too close.
The Brazilian could not launch boat,
she rolled SO: she lacked wireless, she
| lacked English, and she lacked signal
| books, to make her real plight known
BY the small quantities of water com
ing from her pump outlets and the
| extremely thin smoke coming from her
| stack it was evident. however, that
her pumps were not working properly
and that she had not sufficient steam
| to maneuver in the heavy seas. Not
| withstanding these seas, Capt. Glenn,
after hours of effort. nevertheless got
! a boat to her in the dark with the aid
/ of Providence and his searchlights.
! The latter played upon the Guajara
as a surgeons knife hunts Tor bull
| let and eventually First Officer Joseph
| Ridgeway of the SiXaola came ep the
iSiNaola ladder with the curt announce
menl:
| Fourteen feet of water in the hold.
! y
pumps only going. But they say they
| don't want to be taken Off.
Piercing Vail Heard.
| Then. as Capt. Glenn made up his
! mind what to do. there came through
| the night a piercing wall from the
| steam whistle of the Brazilian. Not
} withstanding his lack of communica- :
ton facilities. there remained for him
| one recourse, and Chief Radio Operator
/ j. w. Swanson of the SiXaola discov-
! cred that the Brazilian was sending
| with his whistle, in Morse dot and
dash. the magic letters of the seas:
| IS. .. S. S. .. s. S o. s..
! That settled it. and the fate of the
Guajara was forever bound to that of
| the SiXaola the law of the sea being
| that the responsibility for assistance,
! if not for safety, is upon the nearest
| ship appealed to.
! Further attempts to communicate in
j the dark were made by swanson, with
| the Morse dot and dash by means of an
electric hand lamp, but these brought
nothing very satisfactory, except. from
| the Brazilian, now and then, by the
! same signal method:
/ Il will not leave thee. l will not leave
| thee"
HE means 1 will not leave him.
| Capt. Glenn said, grlmly, and he is
| right. ] won't"
Then the long night watch began,
the Sixaola getting all her lifeboats
| clear of the davits, tackle and hamper,
ready to use in case the Guajara went
down in the night. Emergency clusters
| of electric lights were swung over the
side of the Sixaola. Blankets. food,
| etc. were made ready. The Sixaola pas
| sengers got out their great coats, and
| stood by to be of aid if possible, firm
in the belief that the Guajara would
| burst asunder and go dow nunder the
next great wave shown by the search
| lights.
Like Clap of Thunder.
Smash" these waves came, like a
clap of thunder. bursting as high as
the bridge of the Brazilian, where her
captain, the searchlight showed, had
dashed himself to the rails In the Bra
zilian's prov, also. were dashed to the
anchor chains a number of "lookouts,"
shivering and shuddering and trying
Intellectually to dodge the big blows
struck them again and again by the
waves throughout the night.
\ night wore on. but Whep douyp