Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1922-02-23
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sure 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 the bridge. For
instance here a few messages"
Pausing, Captain Abbott dug a sheaf Of papers
out of his dispatch box and handed over batch
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 q. 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
municatton 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 to stand by
when we driving ashore at top speed and all
wanting to know whether our anchors hold
ing, which they d-ned we'll weren't, added some
thing to the tang of life on the West Winds bridge
that night.
About midnight there lul 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
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 samming of big seas on her counter
we could hear the surf crashing on those perpen-
MOT ,rI
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 could save the
ship and 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 I thought we might turn
turtle any minute. You see we 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. It kept the seas from breaking aboard and
gave us 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 moderating
we sneaked up on our anchors, got EN- both aboard
and crawled in the bar. It was certainly a
treat to feel level deck under our feet again.
1--WE 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 bubonc plague
quarantine order at Brisbane. If we'd been an
hour later the West Wind would have been w.
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 only log
ging six to seven knots, but it's steady as does it
and so long she kept plugging along I was sat
isfed. We hove to for an hour off Pitcairn island
and the traders tried to swap two ring-talled
monkeys for Snbad
"Ive heard lot about these Pitcairn islanders.
descended from the mutineers of the Bounty. Some
people say they're all half crazy from intermar-
rlage and too little contact with the world out
slde but from what I've seen Of them they're
smart lot of folk mighty religious and sharp trad
ers.
1.-THE Pitcarners are short of cats and pay we'll
for them because of the rat plague. Our freroom
gang heaved cnkers at the boat crews for insult
ing the ships mascot. The remainder of the route
home from Panama was unetentfui. We made
Boston on November and later came on down
home The West Wind Is laid up. Il don't know
when she'll go to sea again. -,
over at the Port ofyeali ia JaRe street, fore
gathered. last night c0frrlil Of sea lawyers bent
on providing for proper, tare of Sinbad the Sailor
pending that temperamental Travellers decision to
ship again. Present were scotty Mac, Lee Walsh
and Lyons:of the West W1hds hre-room force,
forming n fund to: sapplysthe family cat with
chopped liver and gradeaA nllk'this winter.
Meanwhile, Snbad, recumbent on a red silk
cushion embroidered with gilt fringe, stretched
"iuxnri6asly before the Hearth fires grateful
warmth and bllnked and blinltd and bnked ~. =.
q. y