The Arvada enterprise., 1922-02-23

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sure Of your backing in situation like that The
wireless is fine thing to have too, but 1t ADDS TO
the responsibilities Of the man the bridge. For
instance, here are q few messages"
Pausing Captain Abbott dug q sheaf OF papers
out Of his dispatch box and handed over . batch
Of wireless messages picked up at the height Of
the storm
hrtng rockets? Answer forthwith, request Rear
Admiral Australian navy PARKES"
"Parkes Is agent Of tho o. 8. 1 A. line In sgd
ney. He was busy with the wireless that night.
Here's another:
"'Abbott. West Wind: Radio At hand. Cannot
munication with navigation department seeking
aid. Know you will do all possible to hang on.
Good luck. PARKES."
"Also the executive oaicer Of the Australian de-
stroyer squadron wanted specific Information. -
witness:
ststance Destroyer Can boats live In prevailing
seaf Are your anchors holding1 Send your po-
sition. EXECUTIVE FLEET"
These are merely the oihcial messages Others
from ships In our area asking ~ to stand By
when We were driving ashore at 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 was lull. and thought
the worst was over. but In those cycionic storms
the hardest blow 10 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 screaming Of
the screw when she lifted her stern 20 feet out
Of water. and slammng Of big seas on her counter.
we could hear the surf crashing on those psrpen-
dicular rocks That was notice enough We were
too darned close for any good use
"Under such conditions ooe dossn't relish carry.
Ing on q radio couversatiou with every shore Of.
hcial who fssis like asking few questions. What
interested mo just then was how We could save The
ship and our own lives rather than In answering
questions such a. Are you standing byr We were
standing wherever We could get bold and that was
mighty precarious.
turtle any minute. You zee, We hadn't cargo
enough aboard to hold her down and she was
bouncing like Q rubber ball. had pumps rigsed
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 . chance to get about deck. We were
lucky to have the oil.
"Whcn dawn broke the storm died. We were
close the rocks. With the wind moderating
We sneaked up on our anchors got 'em both aboard
and crawled In the bar. II was certainly q
treat to feel level deck under our feet again.
I'VE took on cargo and made for Sydney. That's
where Sinbad came aboard acting as important
though he owned the boat. Our last call was
nj brisbane, where We finished loading and start.
ed for home We Just missed a bubOnIc plague
quarantine order At Brisbane II we'd been an
hour later the West Wind would have been ~.
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 II
and long a. she kept plugging along was sat.
isHed. We hove to for nm hour of Pitcairn island
and the traders tried to swap two ring. tailed
monkeys for Sinbad.
"rve heard q lot about these Pitcairn islanders,
descended from the mutineer. Of the Bounty. Some
people say they're all half crazy from intermar.
riuge and too little contact with the world out.
side. but from what I've seen Of them they're q
smart lot Of folk mighty religious and sharp trad.
ers.
THE Pitcairners are short Of cats and pay well
for them because Of the rat plague. Our hre-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 In laid up. I don't know
when she'll 60 to aea again."
Over at the Port Of Call In Jane street. fore
gathered last night Q council Of eea lawyers beot
on providing for proper care of Sinbad the Sailor
pending that temperamentai travellers decision to
ship AGAIN. Present were Scotty. Mac. Lee. Walsh
and Lyons Of the West Winds Are.soom forcs.
forming . fund to supply the family cat With
chopped liver and grade milk this winter.
Meanwhile, sinbad, recumbent On Q red stlk
cushion enbroldered With gilt fringe. STRETCHED
luxuriously before the hearth nrs's grateful
warmth ed blinksd and blinked and blinksd