, 1922-02-23
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sure of your backing in a situation like that. The
wireless Is n fine thing to have, too. but IL adds TO
the responsibilities of the man on the bridge. for
instance, here are a few messages"
Pausing, Captain Abbott dug a sheaf of papers
out of his dispatch box and handed over a batch
of wireless messages picked up at the height or
the storm.
abbott. West wlnd-Are you standing by ship
firing rockets? Answer forthwith, request Rear
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
municatien with navigation department seeking
aid. Know you will do all possible to hang on.
Good luck.
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-
sitlon. EXECUTIVE LEFT"
These are merely the official messages. Others
from ships In our area asking US to stand by
when we were driving ashore Mt top speed and all
wanting to know whether our anchors were hold
ing, which they d-ned well weren't, added some
thing to the tang of life on the West Winds bridge
that night.
about midnight there wns a lull, and | thought
the worst was over, but In those cyclonic storms
the hardest blow Is toward the end. Half an hour
later 1t was worse than ever, and everything on
deck that could be Jared loose went away.
above the roar of the wind, the screaming 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 byT We were
standing wherever we could get hold and that was
mighty precarious.
For about an hour l thought we might turn
turtle any minute. You see, we hadn't cargo
enough aboard TO hold her down and she was
bouncing like q rubber ball. / had pumps rugged
forward and began shooting oil over the bows.
That had much to do with our coming through
safe. 1t kept the sens from breaking aboard and
gave us a 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 moderatlng
we sneaked up on our anchors. got 'em both aboard
and crnwlcd In over the bar. II was certainly n
treat to feel n level deck under our feet again.
1--WE took on cargo and made for Sydney. That's
where Slnbad 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 bubonlc plague
quarantine order Mt Brisbane. II we'd been an
hour later the West Wind would have been Iy.
ing there yet.
From the minute we left Brisbane our troubles
were over. We mnde better time than any on
the outward voyage, although we were only log
cling six to seven knots, but It's steady MS does II
and so long as she kept plugging along | was snt.
isied. We hove to for an hour OF Pitcairn island
.-I -. .aT-. IL