The Idaho recorder., 1922-03-10
N NEN NORR I2/4LI'XE

enough to any saorman with insight such as most
sailors have into the ways of ships cats. Hodg
son. present custodian of Sinbad, insists cats and
sailors have much In common cats instinct
ana sailors hunch are the same thing, he de-
clares, only the cat 20 ashore at any port
when dissatisfied and await another ship. while
seaman has to consider pay losses and other triies
Ike that which don't bother cats, and he sticks
to craft he'd like to leave. against his better
Judgment. Sinbad left the Canastota because
warned by instinct of the ships impending fate
ana went ashore at Sydney to await IA homeward
bound vessel--so the black gang of the West Wind
has II.
One hundred and fifty miles off the "Nobbes"
at Newcastle. the Mobiles" being headlands, Cap.
tain Abbott into bad weather beginning with
intermittent squalls from the southeast increas-
Ing to II gale as the harbor neared. and at
last assuming cyclonic violence. The West Wind
being in light trim was on her beam ends half the
time.
"There was a seventy mile gale blowing when
we arrived off Newcastle, the afternoon of July
"a" narrated the West Winds big bronzed skip
per. 81 had wireless orders to keep off, so we
went about just before dark and tried to beat out
to sea. but that's where our worst trouble was
We hadn't enough power to make headway against
such n blow. The West Wind was a turbine boat
during the war, Later they converted her into
coal burner. The boiler capacity wasn't Increased
enough to properly supply her main engines so
the best To be had out of her in fair weather
matter of six knots
1--WE headed into that storm with every pound
Of steam could raise, but was out
of water most of the time and the engines racing
The 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 SO at 80 p, m. l ordered both
hooks away. The anchors held for time. but
about dark both began dragging. and we were
of again for the boneyard.
From that time on 1t was a ding-dong fight
steaming full speed into anchor chains and
losing way gradually. spite of all could do One
minute she was burying her bows and singing her
stern in the mir and the next she'd be standing on
her tail with the bow pointing skyward
1--WE weren't alone In troubles The Kaanol
out of New Zealand and the Chronos from Adelaide
for sydney were the only ships Ia make port Hal.
a doIen other crafts We're ordered to sea like our-
selves. The Century. plying between Melbourne
and Ocean island was to loeward of us firing
rockets every minute or and exercising her sig
ual gun, She seemed to bc making heavy weather
Of It.
"rhe pilot steamer Ajax out ot Newcastle Went
Go the C"ntury's assistance and got a line aboard
after some trouble she came through all rirbt
after an allutEht scramble. | understand thor,
were mighty sick folks aboard her when She fnoI,,
made port. other ships that had close calls yer,
the Armagh and Port Nicholson The Macunho
out OF Newcastle for sydney went by us blowinr
her fires out Of the tunnels under forced drauyb,
She made port safely too
ours was the worst plight of all because of
short boiler capacity On top OF that had svs
hundred tons of coal piled deck when tho storm,
or"ke' having been compelled to clean out the port
eahNers because Of fire Fire In your bunkers win
benzine slowed all around isn't what you,d coll -
comfortable combination. Wen, | didn't have ,o
worry long over that coal deck because evsrv
time we shipped green one, and we were shin
ping most OF the South Pacific about that time
o'"een - ana 90 tons went over the lee rail or out
HN
swept clean.
one important thing that helped pull the West
Nihu through was good crew. Every man ahoard
stood by sailor fashion and the black ganr ha,oa
kept steam on her, standing their heads a good
e VI TUE V'he guess There's lot in hring