The Arvada enterprise., 1922-02-23

enough to any sallorman with insight such ~ most
sailors have into the ways Of ships cats. Hods.
son. present custodian Of Sinbad insists cats and
sailors have much in common. cats instinct
and sailors hunch arc the same thing. he d.
clares. only the cat can 60 ashore at any port
when dissatisfied and await another ship. while q
seaman has to consider pay losses and other tri6es
like that which don't bother CATS and 70 be sticks
to craft he'd like to leave. against his bsttsf
judgment Sinbad left the Canastota because
warned BY Instinct Of the ships impending fatA.
and went ashore at Sydney to await . homeward
bound vessea-so the black gang Of the West Wind
has Il.
One hundred and afty miles on the Mobiles"
at Newcastle. the "Nobbes" being headlands. Cap
tain Abbott ran into bad weather, beginning with
Intermittent squalls from the southeast. incrsas-
Ing to Q gale ~ the harbor was neared, and at
last assuming cyclooic violence. The West Wind
being In light trim was 90 her beam ends half the
time.
There was . seventy.mile gale blowing whsa
~ arrived OF Newcastle. the aftefnooo of July
~" narrated the West Winds big broassd skip.
per. Il had wireless orders to keep o. 20 We
went about Just before dark and tried to beat out
to 80. but that's where our worst trouble waa
We hadn't enough power to make headway against
such blow. The West Wind was . turbine boat
during the war. Later they converted her Into q
coal burner The boiler capacity wasn't Increased
enough to properly supply her main engines, %
the best to be had out Of her In fair weather was
. matter Of six knots.
1--WE headed into that storm with every pound
OF steam could raise. but our screw was out
Of water most Of the time and the engines racing.
Tho vessel wouldn't obey her helm and was being
slammed about like empty barrel In the nastiest
sea ever saw. We were grabbing Il for the rocks
at lively clip. 70 at 80 p. m. I ordered both
hooks away. The anchors held for q time but
about dark both began dragging, and We were
OF again for the bOneyard.
"FrOm that time on It was dng-dong nght.
steaming full speed into our anchor chains and
losing way gradually. spite Of all We could do. One
minute she was burying her bows and snging her
In the air and the next she'd he standing on
her taii with the bow pointing skyward..
1--WE weren't alone In our troubles. The Kalapo
out Of New Zealand and the Chronos from Adelaide
for Sydney were the only ships to make port. HALF
a dozen other crafts were ordered to sea like our
selves The Century. plying between Melbourne
and Ocean island was to leeward Of u.s. firing
rockets every minute and exercising her sig.
nal gun. She seemed to Be making heavy weather
Of II.
"The pilot steamer Ajax out Of Newcastle, went
to the Century's assistance. and Got line aboard
after some trouble. She came through all right
after an anight scramble. I understand there
were mighty sick folks aboard her when she finally
made port. Other ships that had close calls werp
the Armagh und Port Nicholson. The Macumba
out Of Newcastle for Sydney. went by u blowing
her fires out Of the tunnels under forced draught
She made port safely. too
"Ours was the worst plight Of all because Of
short boiler capacity. On top Of that had nve
hundred tons Of coal piled deck when the storm
broke. having been compelled to clean out the port
bunkers because of fire. Fire In your bunkers with
bensine slowed all around isn't what you'd call
comfortable combination Well didn't have to
worry long over that coal on deck. because every
time ws shipped . green one. and We were ship
ping most Of the South Pacific about that time
between u and 30 tons weat the lee rail- o. out
the scuppers. BY daylight our main deck was
swept clean.
~Ons important thing that helped pull the West
wlnd through was good crew. Every man aboard
stood By sailor fashlso and the black gang below
kspt steam on her. standing On their heads Q good
sAars Of the time. I gusoa There's lot b being