The Dolores star., 1922-03-03

He- officers say she is lucky to be afoat.
Yhe West Wind steamed 1000 miles with her
burkers nfre the record shows, drove within three
cable lengths Of the rocks after all-uight sruG
glc. when her anchors dragged in typhoon off
Newcastle. n S. W. cnwed ont of Brisbane har-
Dor half an hour ahead of quarantine procama-
tion for bubonc plague and had to shift cargo in
dPacitic 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 records that
the ship Joined that day at Pulpit Point, sgd
ney. by Sinbad An elaboration of this entry
reveals that Sinbad is tabby tom cat, formerly
ships mascot and supercargo of the S,5OO-ton
freighter. Cnnastota, 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 SO men and officers who constituted the
Canastota's complement, appeared to have been
considered an event of rare significance. The
say he's the luckest cat afoat. 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 benzine 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 "the bomb ship" Her commander
Captain a. w. Locke, capable officer, was well
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 inseparable 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 99G Simpson street, the Bronx
Among officers and men o, the West Wind few
without mementos, such as burns and bruises
of terrific hurricane that kept the vessel steam
hg full speed ahead into her anchor chains during
a thirtyhour fight 10 prevent piling up the
"Nobbies" off Stockton Blight Newcastle July "a
During that storm everything loose deck went
oversize. When day dawned the West Wind was
close enough to have tossed biscuit ashore with
only three fathoms Of water under her keel. The
typhoon had blown itself out.
Since the Canastota signaled "All clear off Syd.
ney harbor that June afternoon trace of her
has been found. What happened tr the vessel will
probably never be known Australian lawyers
hold that benzne from puncture2 containers leaked
into her bilge. mixed with the water there form.
Ing an explosive gas and blew her sky high when
a lantern carried into the hold by an oer at
work on shaft bearing 1t is 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-spurlos versenkt.
Far out at sea the West Wind picked I'D wire
less alarms sent out by Dagetty's, Australian ship
ping agents. and by Captain Williams director of
navigation Sydney. Half dozen times a day
the radio chattered: Report Canastota," vary
ing this later to REPORT Canastota wreckage" The
West Wind laid off her course and swung wide.
ynnly 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
headed for Newcastle
1t was three days later that Sinbad, the Canas-
tota's mascot, bounded up the gangplank at Pulpit
Point. William HodgsOn, able seaman of the West
Wind, spotted the old cat having served ship
mates with him aboard the Canastota, when she
was known 1.-THE Falls of Orkney" and sailed
out Of q British port. Hodgson instantly recog-
nized Sinbad's cnder-scarred body. The cats ad-
vent was followed by serious discussions above and
below decks.
Whv bod SJnhod ouIt fbo C.ana plain