Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1922-02-23

Her officers say she is lucky to be afloat.
The West Wind steamed 1000 miles with her
bunkers atire the record shows, drove within three
cable lengths of the rocks after allnight strug-
gle, when her anchors dragged in a typhoon off
Newcastle N S. W.. clawed out of Brisbane har-
Dor half an hour ahead of quarantine proclama-
ton for bubonic plague and had to shift cargo IN
mid-Pacifc to tinker her tail shaft. All this to
say naught Of being laid up two weeks for boiler
repairs at Panama.
An entry in the log dated August l records that
the ship was joined that day at Pulpit Point, Sgd
ney, by one Sinbad An elaboration of this entry
reveals that Sinbad is tabby tom cat, formerly
ships mascot and supercargO of the S50O-ton
freighter, Canastota, also flying the U. S. & A.
house flag which mysteriously vanished with all
hands between Sydney and Wellington the last
week in June.
The advent of this feline marine adventurer out
of a vast and mysterious void enshrouding the
fate of 80 and officers who constituted the
Canastota's complement, appeared to have been
considered an event of rare significance The crew
say he's the luckiest cat afioat Hundreds of good
Seamen ashore in worlds ports because Of
hard times in the ocean carrying trade, but Sim
bad, rover of the Seven Seas, sign on any
minute anywhere All he's got to do is walk
aboard.
Both the Canastota and West Wind piled be-
tween New Zealand and New South Wales ports
carrying benzne for the Vacuum Oil company of
New Jersey. The CanastOta had 10000 cases
aboard when she left Sydney bound for yelling
ton to take on more cargo, This vessel spOk-
en- of up and down the Australian and New Zea-
land coasts as 1.-THE bomb ship" Her commander
Captain A. w. Locke capable officer was we'll
known in New York, Montreal Havre and up the
Mersey. He the submarine blockade between
Montreal and French ports through the war.
The West Wind, probably in recognition Of haz-
ards nseparable from the benzine carrying trade.
is referred to alongshore in Sydney, Newcastle
Wellington and Auckland "the coffin box" Her
commander Captain Abbott halls from New York
His home is at 800 Simpson street, the Bronx.
Among officers and men of the West Wind few
are without mementos, such as burns and bruises
of terrific hurricane that kept the vessel steam
ing full speed ahead into her anchor chains during
thirty-hour fight to prevent ping up on the
Mobiles" off Stockton Blight, Newcastle, July "a
During that storm everything loose on deck went
oversize. When day dawned the West Wind was
close enough to have tossed a biscuit ashore with
only three fathOms Of water under her keel The
typhoon had blown itself out.
Since the Canastota sgnaled GAIL clear" off Svd-
ney harbor that June afternoon no trace of her
has been found. What happened tc the vessel will
probably never be known. Australian sea lawyers
hold that benzine from punctured containers leaked
into her bilge, mixed with the water there, form
ing an explosive gas and blew her sky high when
lantern was carried into the hold by an oiler at
work on shaft bearing. 1t is a sufficiently reason
able hypothesis, but that is ALL Whatever hap
pened must have taken the ships company un-
awares, because although equipped with modern
wireless outfits the Canastota sent no calls for
aid. All any really knows Is that she van
ished-spuros versenkt.
Far out at sea the West Wind picked I'D wire
less alarms sent out by Dalgettys Australian ship
ping agents and by Captain Williams, director Of
navigation at Sydney. Half dozen times a day
the radio chartered: Report Canastota" vary
ing this later to Report Canastota wreckage" The
West Wind laid off her course and swung wide.
vanly seeking the missing vessel Her disappear
ance constitutes another deep mystery, inscrut-
able as that surrounding the fate Of the United
States naval supply ship Cycops The West Wind
thealed for Newcastle.
tota's mascot, bounded up the gangpIank at Pulpit
Point. William Hedgsop able seaman Of the West
Wind, spotted the old cat, having served ship
mates with him aboard the Canasteta, when she
was known. as "The Falls Of Orkney" and sailed
'out of British port; Hodgson instantly recog-
enLzed snbad's clnder-schrred body. THE cats ad-
Ygt was folIowedbs serioqs discussions above and
. Rel6w~decKs. ~ 49, II r." ~,
Why had splnd quiz the eanastotaf PLAIN
-au = ivy p - ~ y '+ss:.a
:. r: :.as ~ No. 80 r., ~
az T.'s' "St,<