The Washington herald., 1921-08-21

lay tied to the pier head. The Phonograph
had been shut up for the night the engine room gan6
had turned in after hard day repairing one OF the
boilers pieces OF which lying on the boiler room
floor i'll readiness to carry the work the next day
Some OF the deck gang had gone ashore on liberty
party. Only the snoring from a big fireman broke
the silence
Up in the radio room, however. the watch was
wide awake as is always the cutter no
matter where she may be. Signals through the
night telling OF ships here and there giving baseball
scores political news all OF happenings Of the
day.
The wind sang through the rigging giving that
nouruiuI hum which stiff breeze makes tight
wire. Ii blowing outside and it felt pretty good,
considered the operator, to lie i'll snug berth by
dock, and not get thrown around by stormy seas
sweeping over the ship
But even while musng the operator listening
for his signal should anything happen And it hap
pened At o'clocksin the cold, bowy March morn
ing IS S" came from the steamer Guilford, fifteen
miles of Nantucket Shoals. Ten feet OF water in
the hold pumps out of action water gaining. vessel
loaded with coal, and getting ready to get away,
She seemed liable to 80 down within few hours.
Ielp
Orders quietly given by the captain. Mes
SCnGcrS were sent ashore to get the members OF the
liberty party, who required leave address
at which they be reached whenever they leave the
ship. The boiler started to stow away
the fittings which could be put later date
when tho work hand had been complatcd.
1t took half minute to start action which got the
"Acushnct' out to at five minutes after in the
morning with extra pressure the boiler which
in commission and with everything laShed down
preparatory to rough sailing She headed straight for
Nantucket Shoals the graveyard OF hundreds of ships,
sturdy helper coming to the aid of the sinking ship,
and speeding fast possible to get there before
it late.
Volunteers Board Wreck
CIlE got there. She found that the had been
- taken off by the transport Pocahontas and later
transferred to the Dale The ships master had said
that she liable to sink any minute The cutter
got the location Of the Gulford when abandoned and
set out for the spot. Darkness fell with fresh
breeze blowing up a rough
The GuiIford found morning. She had
twelve feet of water in her hold, her decks were
washed by every sea- and her steering gear was
found to be jammcd when four men from the cutter
volunteered to go aboard. However, that sort of
difficulty is everyday work in the Coast Guard service
big ten-inch hawscr was passed to the steamer
rolling helpessly i'll the trough OF the waves and the
cutter started to pull her Of danger and into port
How the volunteers stayed aboard the ship, yawing
and veerng in the seas. kept the hawser from snap
ping. finally repaired the steering gear she could
be easily handled that is all down in the Coast
Guard records.
From landsmans commercial standpoint this
is what resulted The Guiford was finally lowed into
port at Nantucket Harbor, where behind the break
water she was pumped out, and the damage repaired
vessel worth 100000 saved, and coal cargo
worth 100000 was put ashore where it will do some
good. The boat is still on top of the water, doing
work for the Shipping Board, part of our merchant
marine thanks to the Coast Guard She was derc-
hrt Without help she would have sunk or fIoated
around, a constant danger other ships
For dcrclct is any vessel abandoned at sea
which floats more or less submerged. derclict is
about the most dangerous menace known to sailors
You can't tell where it is for it moves 1t will smash
the bows OF ship, if run into, or tear the bottom
plates away 1t must be saved sunk and that is
one OF the duties of the Coast Guard TO save eu,