Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1920-03-13


the pier in New York lay the good
ship scheduled to carry the ALL
American team of wingshots across
the big pond to annex international
trapshooting honors to the long list
of American athletic successes
abroad. When the call came "All
ashore except those booked for
passage" there was a general ex-
odus of friends down the gang
plank, leaving our party of 26 lin
ed up along the guard rail. We
had been showered with surprise
boxes, steamer letters. kilograms
from enthusiastic inland admirers
had been delivered, each member
of the team had been presented
with a lapel button representing
the American flag in enamel and
gold. Our most priced possession
and gift was neat shooting jacket
with that good old insignia U. S. A
across the front. We passed Ellis
island, Statue of Liberty, then out
through Sandy Hook gate. Our
harbor pilot departed by the rope
ladder route freighted with fare
we'll letters to our home folks. The
propellers started, our steamer took
the bone in her teeth" and we were
fairly off for "Lun'non Town"
With the disappearance of shore
lines the shuttle board game was
started, also that distinctive Amer
lean game of draw poker with
"deuces wild" accompaniment, was
put in action. Daily pools on the
mileage run Of our ship were
launched, undressing to the writ
er, as each day only demonstrated
l was not a postgraduate from
guessing school. Latitude and lon
gitude, the steamers exact oceanic
location, were daily computed by
Jack Tanning, known to team mem
bers as "Jocko the Sailor" a sou
briQuet acquired in Alaskan waters
as a seal hunter in We olden days.
Our first day out of port all nature
seemed to smile. Gentle, undulat
ing ground swells enabled our good
old scow to slip along on an even
keel. Good sailor" declarations,
bordering on the loquacious, were
prevalent, steamer chairs were in
great demand and service of deck
stewards highly appreciated. Every
passenger was at peace with the
world. Good fellowship permeated
the atmosphere and all team mem
bers donned their kidding clothes"
OH. what a difference in the morn
ing. The wind then was bowling
with agoniZing screams and grown
swells had grown to mountainous
waves, a real storm was raging.
Our ship was running light and
bilge keels were of little avail
against rolling. With our bow in
midair, her stern was apparently
dragging the bottom, to be followed
by that distressing rolling. The
call to breakfast met with little
response. Interest in all games i'm
mediateiy abated Upper decks were
awash and passengers eylnced
marked interest in their own state
rooms. A grey tinged ring encir-
cled the mouths of those who ven
tured into the cabin. All attempts
to whistle or make merry were fol-
lowed by sickly smiles. Our Amer
lean money had been changed into
English coin that it might be play
ed in the poker game as an educa-
tor of values and purchasing power
abroad. Billy Crosby and Fred Gill
bert. who had lost II pounds lin
the game). became disntereSted as
money changers when the storm
started. Crosby was hidden behind
stack of blues ESQ high they re-
sembled a duck blind, when the
nauseating effect first hit him.
without waiting to either count or
cash in his ill-gotten gains he made
/, a dash for out" the door was
opened neither too soon or wide. 1t
was his final exit during the voy-
age. Old Neptune soon crowded
Gilbert from his seat in the game,
closing at the same time Fred's
effervescing gabfest. His hurried
exit was noted for continuous alb
sence until the slogan for Liver
pool was sounded. The storm was
of As hours duration. but the i'll
effects were continuous. Had a
submarine been reported as head
ed our immediate way. there would
have been no fear and little inter
est manifested. Tea .rnembers who
had declared themselves good
sailors" had fallen by the wayside.
Terror of death instilled during the
first day OF the storm was later
supplanted by an intense wish that