The herald., 1922-03-09
ZISAI1lIyG 81 aEfEETS0T "z4ChA|zER

-Eg5I177YS STIETTlSJ0N Nz4ch4nEe
sure of your backing in situation like that n .
wireless is a fine thing to have, too hut it adds
the responsibilities of the man on the bridge 70
instance here are few messages"
Pausing. Captain Abbott dug a sheaf Of paper
out of his dispatch box and handed over batt /
of wireless messages picked up at the height
the storm.
abbott. West Wind-Are you standing by 81, +
firing rockets? Answer forthwith request Ra, /
Admiral Australian navy. PARKES'
"Parkes is agent of the U. S. & A. line in SD /
ney He was busy with the wireless that nllr
Here's another:
"'Abbott, West Wind: Radio at hand. Cams +
get tugs to you. Dalgetty, Newcastle in con |
munication with navigation department seekh |
aid Know you will do all possible to hang |
Good luck PARKES' /
"Also the executive officer Of the Australian /
stroyer squadron wanted specific information u
witness:
abbott, West Wind: Are you in need Of ~
sistance Destroyer? Can boats live in PREVAIL.
sea? Are your anchors holding? Send your p
sitiOn. EXECUTIVE FLEET
These are merely the official messages. 0thsa
from ships in our area asking us to stand b
wanting to know whether our anchors were bod
ing which they d-ned well weren't, added som
thing to the tang of life on the West Winds brts
that night
About midnight there was ulI and though
the worst was over, but in those cyclonic spn'
the hardest blow is toward the end. Half an hH.
later it was worse than ever, and everything a
deck that could be Jared loose went away.
above the roar of the wind, the screaming q
the screw when she lifted her stern 70 feet o.
of water and slamming of big seas on her eOuns
we could hear the surf crashing on those pe7@
dicular rocks. That was notice enough We vel
too darned close for any good use.
"Under such conditions one doesn't relish carr
ing on a radio conversation with every SHORE Fl
fetal who feels like asking few questions. WEI
interested me just then was how we could save II
ship and our own lives rather than in answers
questions such as Are you standing by WeEe|
standing wherever we could get hold and that vi
mighty precarious.
For about an hour thought we might M|
turtle any minute. You see. we hadn't AL
enough aboard to hold her down and she wi
bouncing like n rubber ball. / had pumps nss'
forward and began shooting oil over the p''I
That had much TO do with our coming tnrowI
safe 1t kept the seas from breaking aDoard
gave us a chance to get about on deck We va
lucky TO have the OIL
"When dawn broke the storm died. We WI
close on the rocks With the wind moderuA
we Sneaked up on our anchors got EN- both apO~
and crawled in over the bar. II was certane
treat to feel level deck under our feet aga1
1--WE took on cargo and made for Sydney i'm
where Snbad came aboard acting az lmpon'.
as though he owned the boat. Our last eau FL
at Brisbane, where we finished loading ana ~
ed for home We Just missed bubonic p2sf|
quarantine order Mt Brisbane. If we'd De"
hour later the West Wind would have been
ing there yet. -
From the minute we left Brisbane our tr0c'a
were over We made better time tllah any
the outward voyage, although we were onp
sing six TO seven knots, but it's STEADY a. ~
and so long as she kept plugging along Wa a..I
isfied. We hove to for an hour off Pitcairn rs
and the traders tried to swap two nns'
monkeys for Sinbad
"rve heard lot about these Pitcairn tslans-
descended from the mutineers of the Bounp. =
people say they're all half crazy from me- vs. Z
rage and too little contact with the WIZ
side but from what I've seen OF them pl. ~
smart lot of folk, mighty religious anu ''''f
crS - I'll
THE Pitcairners are short Of CATS anu 80 -
for them because of the rat plague Vu I'D
gang heaved cIinkers at the boat crews -. rxe|
ing the ships mascot. The remainuei " ,ro MI
home from Panama was unevenIu' An|
Boston on November and later cam. ~ nj
home The West Wind is laid up
when she'll go to sea again. ..-a,s tr|
Over at the Port of Call In Jane SUI. NJ
gathered last night council OF sea Ia me Sb|
on providing for proper care OF Snloa' ascdn 4
nendinc that temperamental travellers aso Wss
p shin again, Present were scotty. Mac Lee ~
and Lyons of the West Winds nrelV cat N
forming a fund to supply the fanny .,,tsr
chopped liver and grade milk TINS W. "a q
Meanwhile, Sinbad recumbent on .sirssS|
cushion embroidered with gilt lri asS,s edD|
luxuriously before the hearth u hlnket
warmth and blinked and bllnked anu