Roanoke Rapids herald. [volume] (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) 1914-192?, 1922-02-24

Of adventure In the South RACINE
Her officers say she is lucky to be aflOat
The West Wind steamed 1000 miles with her
bunkers afre, the record shows drove within three
cable lengths OF the rocks after an all-nigh srug
gle, when her anchors dragged in typhoon off
Newcastle, N. S. W., clawed out of Brisbane har-
Dor half an hour ahead of quarantine proclama-
ton for bubonic plague and had to shift cargo In
dPaclfc to tinker her tail shaft. All this, to
say naught Of being laid up two weeks for boiler
repairs at Panama
An entry In the log dated August records that
the ship was joined that day at Pulpit Point, sgd
ney, by one Sinbad. An elaboration Of this entry
reveals that Sinbad is tabby tom cat, formerly
ships mascot and supercargo Of the S,50Oton
frelgher Canastota also flying the U. S. K A.
house flag, which mysteriously vanished with all
hands between Sydney and Wellington the last
week In June.
! The advent Of this feline marine adventurer out
of vast and mysterious void enshroudlng the
fate Of so men and officers who constituted the
Canastota's complement, appeared to have been
considered an event of rare significance. The crew
say he's the luckiest cat ahoat Hundreds of good
seamen are ashore In worlds ports because Of
hard times In the ocean carrying trade, but Sin
bad, rover Of the Seven Seas, can sign on any
minute anywhere All he's got to do Is walk
aboard.
Both the Canastota and West Wind piled be-
tween New Zealand and New South Wales ports,
carrying benzne for the Vacuum Oil company of
New jersey The Canastota had 10000 cases
aboard when she left Sydney bound for yelling
ton to take on more cargo This vessel was spok-
en- Of up and down the Australian and New Zea-
land coasts as "the bomb ship" Her commander,
Captain A. W. Locke capable officer, was well
known In New York, Montreal, Havre and up the
10 RIM do hnt
Montreal and French ports through the war.
The West Wind probably in recognition of haz-
ards inseparable from the benzine carrying trade
is referred to alongshore in Sydney, Newcastle
Wellington and Auckland as "the coffin box" Her
commander, Captain Abbott, halls from New York.
His home is at DOC Simpson street, the Bronx.
Among officers and men of the West Wind few
are without mement0s such as burns md bruises
OF a terrific hurricane that kept the vessel steam
Ing fun speed ahead into her anchor chains during
thirty-hour fight to prevent plling up on the
"Nobbies' off Stockton Blight Newcastle, July "a
During that storm everything loose on deck went
oversize. When day dawned the West Wind was
close enough to have tossed biscuit ashore with
only three fathoms Of water under her keel The
typhoon had blown itself out.
Since the Canastota signaled "All clear" off Svd.
ney harbor that June afternoon no trace of her
has been found. What happened tc the vessel will
probably never be known. Australian sea LAWYERS
hold that benzine from punctured containers leaked
n.o her bllge, mixed with the water there form
Ing an explosive gas and blew her sky high when
lantern was carried into the hold by an oiler at
work on shaft bearing. II Is a sufficiently reason
able hypothesis, but that is all. Whatever han
pened must have taken the ships company un.
awares because although equipped with modern
wireless outfits the Canastota sent no calls for
aid. All any one really knows Is that she van
lshed-spuros versenkt.
Far out at sea the West Wind picked up wire.
less alarms sent out by Dalgettys Australian ship
ping agents. and by Captain Williams director Of
navigation at Sydney. Half dozen times day
the radio chartered: Report Canastota" vary
AZ this later to Report Canastota wreckage." The
West Wind laid off her course and swung wide.
yainly seeking the missing vessel Her disappear
ande constitutes another deep sea mystery lnscrut
able as that surrounding the fate of the United
Nstatss naval supply ship Cyclops The West Wind
headkd for Newcastle.
II was three days later that Sinbad the Canas
tota's mascot, bounded up the gangplank at Pulpit
Point. William Hodgson able seaman of the West
Wind, shptted the old cat, having served ship.
mates with him aboard the Canastota, when she
was known as .Tfe Falls Of Orkney" and sailed
out Of British pert Hodgson instantly recog-
nized Snbad's cinder Scared body The cats adj
vent was followed by serious discussions above and
below decks.
Why had sinbad quiz the Canastotai Plain