Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1926-08-04

down, went to his stateroom and got
his pipe. He stood in the cabin
filing the pipe. He stood with hit
feet wide apart to steady himself, as
the schooner was rolling badly. He
began to tell a story. The cook had
come in, and he sat beside me to
hear the captain, who could tell a
good story.
All at once the man on lookout
shouted, "Breakers! All hands on
deck!" The captain dropped his
|. pipe and ran up the after steps to the
wheel. The cook and ran up the
forward steps to the deck. We could
hear the roar Of the surf on the reef.
The captain shouted, "Wear ship;
lower the main peak!" He rolled
the wheel hard up. I gave the order
to lower the main peak, and started
for the peak downhaul.
The captain shouted, "Hold ON the
main peak, and every man look out
for that seal" l looked forward and
saw a sea like a small mountain
coming. Up went the bow of the
schooner, until thought she was
standing on her stern, then down
went her bows until the jibboom and
captain were under water. But up
she came. Then another sea came
over her, then the third, not quite
so heavy. These seas came a little
on the leebow, and that made stern
way on the schooner and, acting on
the rudder, turned the schooner so
she went in stays and filled away
ON the starboard tack. That saved
the schooner for il we had worn
ship, it would have taken so long we
would have gone ashore, and the
schooner would never have been
heard Of.
AS soon as we had steerage way,
the captain ordered me to get the
deep-sea lead, and see how much
water we had under US. got the
lead and ordered two men to take 1t
to the fore chains, and when ready
to heave, to let me know. AS soon
as the man was ready, the captain
luffed the schooner into the wind so
as to stop her Roadway, and then
gave the order to heave the lead. I
watched the line run through my
hand until 1T stopped at twelve
fathoms. It took three men to haul
in the lead. The captain gave the
schooner hard pull and drove her
all she could go. In twenty minutes
we hove the lead again, and could
not reach bottom after thirty
fathoms had run out. We could not
hear the roar of the breakers any
more.
We ran on that course for one
hour, then we hove to, to wait for
daylight and clear weather. OF one
thing there was no relief, and that
was the music Of the pump, TOT
after we got clear of the breakers II
was all hands at the pumps until sne
was clear. About midnight the stars
came out and the gale moderated,
and when morning came we were
glad to see the sun rise SMILING once
more. The captain said we woulu
Law there until noon, and ma GU.
wherewe were. We took chronohetei
sights about a. M, then at noon
When the captain had worked up MS
observation, he found the schooner
had overrun his dead deckonlng Dy
about sixty miles, and we had peen
nassing a small island the forenoon
when we had smooth water. me
hraakers we had heard were on
coral reef out some three or -FOUR
,,iles from an island, and If we mad
not hove to when we did, we shoulo
have run head on the reef. but
orr time had not come, so we o.
capped.
Our cook was Artemus Berry OF
II
Lamoine, formerly of Hancock. l
shall never forget what he said the
next day. He said, "This is the
second time that 1 have come near
being wrecked, and I expect the next
time that 1 shall have to 60" The
next fall he shipped in brig in Bos-
ton and sailed for Halifax, N. S.,
where they loaded lumber for Cuba.
The brig sailed from Halifax, but
was never heard of afterward. There
was a heavy gale few days after
she sailed, and several vessels were
wrecked on Sable island. 1t is sup
posed the brig was lost in that
storm. Mr.. Berry was not only a
good cook, but he was ready to help
when we had to reef the sails. l
can still hear his hearty shout:
Pull boys! Pull! Every pound
helps Quit" He was not obliged to
help, but he did, and we were glad
of his help. Several times he re-
lieved the man at the pump.
Two days after we were so nearly
wrecked, we arrived in Port au
Prince, and discharged the deckload
as soon as possible. Before 1t was
all discharged, the leak stopped, so
we knew that the leak was near the
top. When the cargo was all out,
found the leak and stopped the place
where the oakum had worked out
of the seams. We loaded with log
wood for Boston, where we arrived
in April, 1876.
Captain Dow was one of the best
ship masters that the State OF Maine
has produced. He was native OF
Hancock. His father was a ship
master. Capt. Dow was captain OF
the world-famoua seven master,
Thomas w. Lawson, that was
0f - 4 w