The Snowflake herald. [volume] (Snowflake, Ariz.) 1913-1969, 1922-03-03
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of your backing in a situation like that. The
wireless is fine thing to have too, but 1t ADDS TO
the responsibilities of the man on the bridge. For
instance here are few messages"
Pausing Captain Abbott dug a sheaf Of papers
ont of his dispatch box and handed over 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 Rear
Admiral Australian navy PARkES.
"Parkes is agent of the U. S. & A. line in sgd
ney. He 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. EXECUTIVE FLEET,"
These are merely the official messages Others
from ships In our asking us to stand by
when we were driving ashore at top speed and all
wanting to know whether anchors were hold
Ing, which they d|ned well weren't, added some
thing to the tang of life the West Winds bridge
that night
about midnight there was ul, and thought
the worst was over, but In those cyconic storms
the hardest blow Is toward the end. Half an hour
later it worse than ever, and everything on
deck that could be Jared loose went away.
"AbOve the roar of the wind, the screaming OF
the when she lifted her stern 20 feet out
of water, and slamming of big on her counter,
we could hear the surf crashing those perpen-
dicular rocks. That notice enough 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 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 rid that was
mighty precarious
"For about an hour 1 thought we might turn
turtle any minute. You see hadn't cargo
enough aboard to hold her down and she was
bouncing like rubber ball. had pumps rugged
forward and began shooting oil over the bows.
That had much to do with coming through
safe. 1t kept the seas from breaking aboard and
gave us chance to get about deck. We
lucky to have the oil.
e"When dawn broke the storm died. We were
close on the rocks. With the wind moderatng
sneaked up anchors, got em both aboard
and crawed in the bar. 1t was certainly a
treat to feel level deck under feet again.
eve took on cargo and made for Sydney. That's
where Sinbad 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 q bubonic plague
quarantine order at Brisbane. If we'd been an
hour later the West Wind would have been ly-
ing there yet.
From the minute we left Brisbane our troubles
were over. We made better time than any on
the outward voyage, although were only log
ging six to seven knots, but it's steady as does 1t
and so long as she kept plugging along 1 was sat-
isfed. We hove to for en- hour off Pitcairn island
and the traders tried to swap two rng-tailed
monkeys for Sinbad.
"Tve heard lot about these Pitcairn islanders
descended from the mutineers of the Bounty Some
people say they're all half crazy from ntermar-
rage 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.
1.-THE Pitcairners are short of cats and pay we'll
for them because of the rat plague. Our f1re-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 s and later came down
home. The West Wind Is laid up. l don't know
when she'll go to again.
over at the Port of Call in Jane street. fore
gathered last night council of sea lawyers bent
on providing for proper care of Sinbad the Sailor
pending that temperamental travellers decision to
shin again. Present were Scotty Mac Lee, Walsh
and Lyons Of the West Winds fre-room force
forming fund to supply the family cat with
chopped liver and grade milk this winter.
Meanwhile Sinbad, recumbent ON red SILK
cushion embroidered with gilt fringe. stretched
luxuriously before the hearth fires grateful
warmth and blinked and blinked and blinked