Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1917-09-21
FROM ISLAND TO ISLAND
Navigating the Channel in Sailing
Vessel. Discomfort When the Wind
Fails.
No. 8


on a sailing vessel I have hung over
the rail of an ocean liner and looked
with longing eyes at far off reef
bound islands, rising out Of a blue
sea, and surrounded by a ring of
lacy foam breaking over TIE pro-
tecting reefs into an inner ring of
the brightest green waters. Wher-
ever the water is deep the color is
deep blue. Within the harbOrs and
near the shore the color changes to
bright green. This blending of col
Ors in the waters surrounding the
islands Of the sea is so pleasing to
the eye that it never grows mOnoto-
nous and with such a setting the
little islets greet our vision like gems
On the great bosom Of nature. To
approach these places one must of
necessity use a smaller boat and it
was with pleasure that | looked for
ward to my forty mile trip across
the Virgin passage to st. Croix, for
this was my first experience on a
sailing schooner.
We embarked at night with a full
passenger list, consisting of an ex-
cursiOn party and the st. Thomas
cricket team. They were to play a
match with st. CroiX.
Slowing the Passengers
There were some seventy-five peO-
pie aboard and the schooner was
fairly well crowded. Not as we
crowd a train on our ordinary Fourth
of July excursions, but more as
you would crowd herrings in box.
They packed horizontally Each pas
senger as he or she came over the
rail picked a place ON the deck and
stretched out. When we were all
aboard and safely slowed the deck
looked like a picture of a, French
battlefield. To pass along the deck
would have been a sort of Eliza
crossing the ice performance, with
Eliza playing the ice part.
For my part l rented cabin
had no idea what a cabin on a
schooner was like but l rented it
just the same. 1t turned out to be
little dog kennel affair just the
size of a man lengthways. 1t had
little sliding doors, just like the
well fitted dog house, and by doub-
I tn nd
stretch out. Soon the front yard Of
my kennel was pre-empted by sleep
ing humanity and l was in duty
bound to stay inside Or walk on
somebody if l came out.
1t was a beautiful night and
soon fell asleep and only awakened
when we were making the harbor at
st. Croix the next morning.
The trip across was made in the
night, and SO far as l was concerned
was not unpleasant. The return was
different.
Calm Weather
We were due to leave ST. Croix
at eleven O'Clock On Monday night.
Accordingly after supper at the ho-
tel l wandered down to the boat and
went aboard. l there learned that
We would not leave until morning as
some of the cricket players were at
tending a dance. Of course if one
or two fellows wanted to dance it
was a fOregone conclusion that the
seventy-five passengers would be
glad to wait all night. And it was
In the days work. Far be it from
me to complain | thought | could
stand it if the rest did so | hunted
up my cabin and went to sleep. The
next morning (Tuesday) we got I'M
der waty by towing the schooner out
of the harbOr with the row boat.
The waves had gone to sleep. Sea-
faring men cooked their eye skyward
and shook their heads. we drifted
and drifted, while the great spread
ing sails overhead Tapped backwards
on a thin mans legs. ALI that day
We drifted Once in a while a stingy
breeze would give a weak little tug
at the sails, and then let go as
though discouraged. The sun climbed
higher and higher overhead, and as
its rays began to pour down In ver-
tical shafts on our humanity strewn
deck the heat grew Sitting. My dog
kennel was like the inside Of an
oven and | was forced outside only
to seek shelter again from the boil
ing sun. The sailors aided by the
passengers stretched every spare bit
OF canvas over those sleeping on
deck, but as the sun came overhead
and cut the shadow of the sail to a
mere knife blade it was impossible
to screen many of the people Be-
low deck the air was so Sitting that
one preferred to blister in the sun
rather than braatha thn hoated and