The Idaho recorder., 1922-03-10

of adventure In the South Pacinc.
Her officers say she Is lucky to be afioat.
The West Wind steamed 1000 miles with her
hunkers afire the record shows drove within three
cable lengths OF the rocks after al-night strug-
gle when her anchors dragged In a typhoon OF
Newcastle. ~ s. W.. clawed out of Brisbane har-
bor half an hour ahead of a quarantine proclama-
tion for bubonlc plague and had to shift cargo In
mid.Pachc to tinker her tall 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 was Joined that day at Pulpit Point. sgd
ney, by one Sinbad An elaboration of this entry
reveals that Sinbad Is tabby tom cut, formerly
ships mascot and supercargo OF the S,500-ton
freghter. Canastota, also flying the U. S, 4 A.
house flag. which mysterlously vanished with all
hands between sydney ana Wellington the last
week In June
The advent of this feline marine adventurer out
OF vast and mysterious void enshroudng the
fate Of 80 men and officers who constituted the
Canastotas complement. appeared TO have been
considered an event of rare Significance. The crew
say he's the luckiest cut ahoat Hundreds of good
seamen ashore In worlds ports because OF
hard times In the ocean carrying trade, but Sin.
bad. rover of the Seven Seas. can sign 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 Oh company of
aboard when she left sydney bound for yelling.
ton To take more cargo This vessel was spok.
en- OF up and down the Australian and New Zea.
land coasts as ''the bomb ship" Her commander
Captain A, w. Locke. II capable officer was well
known In New York, Montreal Havre and up the
Mersey He ran the submarine blockade between
Montreal and French ports through the war
The West Wind, probably In recognition OF haz-
ards inseparabe from the benzlne carrying trade
IN referred tn alongshore In sydney Newcastle
Wellington and Auckland as "the coffin box" Her
commander, Captain Abbott. halls from New York
His home Is at es6 Simpson street. the Bronx
Among officers and men of the West Wind few
are without mementos, such as burns and bruises
Of IA terrific hurricane that kept the vessel steam
Ing full speed ahead into her anchor chains during
thirty hour tight TO prevent piling up ON the
t'Nobbes" of stockton Blight Newcastle. July %
During that storm everything loose on deck went
oversize. When day dawned the West Wind was
close enough to have tossed n biscuit ashore. with
only three fathoms of water under her keel. The
typhoon had blown itself out
Since the Canastota signaled "An clear" or Syd.
ney harbor that June afternoon. no trace of her
has been found What happened tc the vessel viii
probably never be known, Australian LAWYERS
hold that benxine from punctured containers leaked
into her hilge mixed With the water there form.
ing an explosive glS and blew her sky high when
"a lantern WAS carried into the hold 10y an oler nj
work shan bearing, II Is sufficiently reason.
peuea must have taken the ships company un,
awHrvs because although equipped with modern
wireless outfits the CnnAstota sent no calls for
aid. An any realty knows Is that she van
isbcd-spurioS verscnkt.
Far out at the West Wind picked up wire
less alarms sent out by naEetty's Australian ship
ping agents, and 10y Captain Williams. director o
navigation nt sydney. tlalf dozen times day
the radio Chattered: Report Canastota." vary
Ing this later To Report Canastota wreckage," Th
Nest Wind laid on her course and swung Wide
vainly seeking the missing vessel. Her disappear
nnce constitutes another deep sea mystery, inScrut
able as that surrounding the fate OF the Unite,
States naval supply ship Cyclops. The West Wine
headed for Newcastle,
II was three days later that Sinbad. the Canas
tota's mascot. bounded up the gangpank at Pulpi
Point William Hodgson. able seaman Of the Wes
Wind spotted the old cat having served shin
mates with him aboard the Canastota when sh
was known The Falls OF Orkney" and sale,
out of n British port. Hodgson instantly recoc
nized Sinbads cinder-scarred body. The cats ad
vent was followed by serious discussions above nm,
below decks.
Why had Sinbad quit the Canastotap PIaI