Evening star., 1923-11-11
Young Sailor at the Wheel Saves the Stricken Sh

, appalling situation over the water
| supply. One day II looked as IL we
were going to have a good rain. had
the scuppers stopped up on deck in
the hope that we would be able to
get some water. But it did not rain.
A FsTER this 1t looked as II we were
going to be entirely out Of water,
and / cast about in my mind for some
way Of rigging up a condensing ap-
paratus. We had some large coppers
in the galley and the cook had been
In the habit Of boiling salt water in
these coppers and letting 1t condense
on the bottom of the lids. He then
took the drippings of these lids, this
water. of course. being fresh. The
quantity supplied by this method was
negligible.
We eventually managed to pass a
steam pipe through the copper. COLL
ing 1t around in such a way that 1t
made cooling jacket, and the first
time we used this piece of apparatus
we were rewarded with ten gallons
Of fairly good drinking water in
twenty-four hours.
The situation was saved. 1t GER
tainly was, however, a close shave, as
the men were on the point of mutiny
for the lack Of water. Their terrible
fever had made them desperate. Be-
ing partly delirious and unaccount-
able for their actions, they might
nave resortcd to very serious means,
even though such tactics would have
brought no relief.
1t Is a long lane that has no turn
ing, and after a while, especially with
plentiful supply Of water, every
body recovered and came back to nor
NAL. / have talked to a great many
seafaring men since that time, but
have never found any one VINO knew
just what sort OF fever it was that
we had contracted. AS / look back
on it now, I attribute it to one of
those strange diseases that sweep out
| OF eastern skies.
| After the captain recovered ] was
naturally in very high favor with
| him, and he seemed to be under the
| impression that my nursing and at
| tention to him had saved his life. He
| complimented me on my navigatmg.
/ for had brought the ship up the Bay
| Of Bengal almost to her destination.
AS the second officer was so Ill that
he had to be put ashore when We
! reached Basseine, I had the honor Of
being appointed in his place.
I have to record here a somewhat
remarkable incident that happened on
, this voyage after we had left Ceyion,
! India, on our way home to England.
We had cleared up all the sickness
on board and were well on our way.
, having rounded the Cape OF Good
Hope. on our northerly stretch to the
British Isles
ONE quiet afternoon. az the sun was
~ setting in the ocean In a blaze
of glory. I was standing by the quar-
terdeck taffrail, looking over the side
in q brown study. / was thinking Of
home and my sweetheart and count
! ing the days. and almost the hours,
| when I would be with them once
| more.
Just at this moment. when every
| thing was calm and serene. a most
astonishing thing happened. I was
! looking over the side Of the ship, and
might say that my height above the
| surface of the water was about fif-
! teen feet, when, all Of a sudden, a
gigantic form appeared Immediately
beneath me in the waters against the
| side OF the after-quarter.
I could scarcely believe my eyes
when saw the vision Of this mon
ster, which first appeared as a great
dark shadow. Suddenly the surface
of the sea was broken and this mon
ster. or whatever 1t waa rose up and,
before I could count three, was with
in foot and a half Of my face.
I could just get a glimpse Of an
| enormous cavernous opening all COW
cred with what appeared to be great
strings of seaweed.