Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-08-28
RY w. A. MACDONALD.

OF the Editorial Staf OF the Boston Tran
Ambrose Light after other reporter left her
ct Quarantine.
Published by ARRANGEMENT with the Boston
Transcript.
Bound for the Antarctic the ship the
City of New York was quiet: all the
visitors were gone. There was new
feeling: the ship belonged to herself,
she was ON her way, beginning long
passage; New York was cut off by a
few miles of water which might have
been the width of en- ocean. The strain
went out of mems voices. Capt. Mel
vile was filled with contentment. He
said This is what / have always been
notoriety before. / like this. l am
happy now
Comdr. Byrd. seeing his ship shaken
down before returning to two months
more of land work and then his own
VOYAGE south, said he wanted to get
into roughs and went into his cabin,
from which he came out in khaki. The
engine Of the old Norwegian whaler
beat slowly below dackS; the wind was
not yet right for sail.
Scanen Work Hard.
On the side of lfeboat were PEN
ciled the words. Dent forget me. your
wife and child" and signed with a
woman's name. There were still some
saluteS from passing vessels which were
duly answered. but the minds OF the
men were on the ship. Stripped to the
waist or In grimy overalls, they worked
to square away Their moving figures
were on the deck and on the deck load
and In the ratlines They talked quiet
" to one another. with a joke now and
then. Byrd went here and there and
spoke to them.
The afternoon was cloudy and bit
thick They were swinging ship SLOW
ly to adjust the radio compass ana
when that was done they would CALI
brate the radio direction finder. There
were experts aboard for this who would
put of in the pilot boat They were
taking visual sights and checking the
compass by those.
The decks seemed empty after the
crowds of the dock and the early trip
down the harbor. Many a good man
has walked these planks in 40 years"
said the commander. Look at them.
Did YOU ever see a rudder post like
that?" The man at the wheel was in
yellow oilskins and the rain blew down
on him as it will blow many day and
night before they come home again.
The ship was settling down.
Suddenly there was calling. The men
had found stowaway-the second
since leaving the pier. The first had
gone ashore on the tug that was with
the city steamer Macon and without
giving his name: the second said his
name was Jack Solomon. He was
dark, slim boy with tousled hair. They
hailed a tug for him and the boy said.
Wait till get my valise." He had a
travelling bag big enough to supply him
around the world. Comdr. Byrd stood
on the rail and talked with him.
You've got good spirit" he said. He
turned to an officer and took $40 and
1t. He was trying hard not to cry.
The commander told him TO make his
application for the Chelsea, which Is
going LITER, and shook his hand and
wished him luck.
The rain-laden wind was deepening
the color in mems faces. The high.
comfortable little note Of the radio sang
a>ross the poop. 1t was Capt. Cum
ninRlam Of the Leviathan, outbound.
sending his compliments to Capt. Mel
vile of the City of New York. bound
for the bottom of the world, and Capt.
Melville's compliments In grateful reply.
Shouts from forward reported an
other stowaway. this one a negro. He
lay in the foc'sle head between spare
propeller blade and the side of the ship
when the flashlight Of Strom. the Sec
ond officer. showed that he was there.
The crew grinned around him. Comdr.
Byrd. laughing, reached down and
shook his hand. The boys other hand
clutched a notebook and half dozen
yellow pencils.
How long have you been there?"
some one asked, and he grinned and
said. "Three davs" He was good
looking boy of 90 II wanted TO be the
first black fellow to get TO the South
Pole" he said
Waited for Days.
SO the ship was enriched by the pres
ence of Robert White Lanier messenger
and orphan OF Jersey City. He walked
across the continent in 1925. he said,
and he had now been not only three
days aboard the ship and through the
cyanide gas fumigation. but had hid
den for four previous days on the
beams beneath the pier waiting for his
chance to stow away.
by love-" exclaimed the commander.
II admire that negro What am going
TO do with a man like that?" Robert
White Lanier staggered to his feet and
fell. I'm all right" he said, lust
little stiff"
The beat OF the engine went on. 1t
was like a buIlfrog spacing his deep
resonant notes about second apart.
Comdr Byrd In his khaki clothes and
his little khaki hat went below ineo the
heat that poured from the engine room.
The heavy old compound engine was
thrusting away in a glisten OF oil. -Four
knots, five knots, six knots--the steam