The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1922-03-03
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sure of your backing in a situation like that. The
wireless is a fine thing to have, too, but it adds 10
the responsibilities of the man on the bridge. For
instance, here are a few messages"
Pausng, Captain Abbott dug a sheaf of papers
out of his dispatch box and handed over a baton
of wireless messages picked up at the height OF
the storm.
abbott, West Wind-Are you standing by ship
firing rockets? Answer forthwith, request kear
Admiral Australian navy. PARKES.
"Parkes is agent Of the u. S. & A. line in sgd
ney. He was busy with the wireless that night.
Here's another:
abbott, West Wind: Radio at hand. Cannot
get tugs to you. Dalgetty, Newcastle, in COM
munication with navigation department seeking
aid. Know you will do all possible to hang on.
Good luck. PARKES."
"Also the executive officer Of the Australian de-
stroyer squadron wanted specific information, as
witness:
"'Abbott, West Wind: Are you in need Of as
sistance Destroyer? Can boats live in prevailing
sea? Are your anchors holding? Send your pO-
sition. FLEET"
"These are merely the official messages. Others
from ships in our area asking us to stand by
when we were driving ashore at top speed and all
wanting to know whether our anchors were hold
ing, which they dTned well weren't, added some
thing to the tang of life on the West Winds bridge
that night.
About midnight there was a lull, and l thought
the worst was over, but in those cyclonic storms
the hardest blow is toward the end. Half an hour
later it was worse than ever, and everything on
deck that could be Jared loose went away.
"Above the roar of the wind, the Dreaming Of
the screw when she lifted her stern 20 feet out
of water. and slamming of big seas on her counter,
we could hear the surf crashing on those perpen-
dicular rocks. That was notice enough we were
too darned close for any good use.
under such conditions one doesn't relish carry
ing on a radio conversation with every shore Of
fetal who feels like asking q few questions. What
interested me just then was how we could save the
ship and our own lives rather than In answering
questions such as Are you standing byY We were
standing wherever we could get hold and that was
mighty precarious.
For about an hour I thought we might turn
turtle any minute. You see, we hadn't cargo
enough aboard to hold her down and she was
bouncing like a rubber ball. I had pumps rugged
forward and began shooting oil over the bows.
That had much to do with our coming through
safe. 1t kept the seas from breaking aboard and
gave us q chance to get about on deck. We were
lucky to have the oil.
"When dawn broke the storm died. We were
close on the rocks. With the wind moderating
we sneaked up on our anchors, got 'em both aboard
and crawled in over the bar. 1t was certainly q
treat to feel a level deck under our feet again.
1--WE took on cargo and made for Sydney. That's
Wnere SmDau came aboard acting as important
as though he owned the boat. Our last call was
at Brisbane, where we finished loading and start
ed for home. We just missed a bubonic plague
quarantine order at Brisbane. If we'd been an
hour later the West Wind would have been w.
ing there yet.
From the minute we left Brisbane our troubles
were over. We made better time than any on
the outward voyage, although we were only log
ging six to seven knots, but it's steady as does it
and so long as she kept plugging along l was sat-
isfied. We hove to for an hour off Pitcairn island
and the traders tried to swap two ring-tailed
monkeys for Sinbad.
"Pve heard a lot about these Pitcairn islanders,
descended from the mutineers of the Bounty. Some
people say they're all half crazy from intermar-
rage and too little contact with the world out
side, but from what I've seen Of them they're a
smart lot Of folk, mighty religious and sharp trad
ers.
"The Pitcairners are short Of cats and pay we'll
for them because of the rat plague. Our fre-rOom
gang heaved clinkers at the boat crews for insult.
ing the ships mascot. The remainder of the route
home from Panama was uneventful. We made
Boston on November 8 and later came on down
home. The West Wind Is laid up. l don't know
when she'll go to sea again"
Over at the Port of Call In Jane street, fore
gathered last night a council Of sea lawyers bent
on providing for proper care Of Sinbad the Sailor
pending that temperamental travellers decision to
ship again. Present were Scotty, Mac, Lee, Walsh
and Lyons Of the West Winds fire-room force.
forming a fund to supply the family cat with
chopped liver and grade A milk this winter.
Meanwhile, Sinbad, recumbent on a red silk
cushion embroidered with gilt fringe. stretched
luxuriously before the hearth fires grateful
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