Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-09-30
to my already doubtful chance of saving
the Jewel from destruction.

to my already doubtful chance of saving
the Jewel from destruction.
X X X
r NEEDED no special tutoring to
realize that the Jewel could stand
but a possible two or three of these
terrific plunges without lurching from
under those hazardous sticks on the
cabin deck, and if one should spill end
wise to the lower deck 1t would result
in a Jagged hole that would spell our
finish.
made the upper deck in a leap, and
before can tell you had eliminated
that cedar hazard by consigning the
sticks unceremoniously to the charging
seas below. Then as made flying,
and perhaps overconf1dent, leap for
the engine room, I was catapulted
headlong overheard by an awful lurch
of the boat as murderous sea landed
broadside
My unexpected plunge would have
been an overabundance within itself,
but my more than desperate predica-
ment was further augmented by my
left arm coming in contact with one
of the cedar tirnbers that was dashing
about like cork in a cataract. It hurt
me wickedly, but I'll assure you I was
too occupied now with more serious
matters to spare it any attention.
Fortunately for me, the Jewel had
lost her Roadway and was only rolling
and plunging,' but in friGatful man.
ner. I'm sure it was the most desper-
ate moment of my cventful career
Between the thunderous seas driving in
all directions and those murderous logs
kAN nxaI ela f,.no -
of a second was without its terrorS.
Suddenly the Jewel was raised aloft
on mountainous wave and charged
down at me in frightful plunge. For
tunately, receding wave withdrew me
just enough to enable me to force my
self from under her with my hands,
and as she plunged downward and
buried the entire deck and half the
cabin side, I succeeded in throwing
myself in position over the submerged
deck and was landed high and dry as
she reared aloft for another fearful
plunge.
In a flash I had dropped to the
engine, room just as a mountain of
water tore through the open window
and for the moment buried the engine.
To keep ones feet now was a problem,
but succeeded in landing the sash in
place just in time to thwart the next
deluge.
I heard wicked crash to port just
| as showed her speed throttle down
and drove the clutch in for "head."
| With 1t came to me the realization that
the target had been pierced with "hit"
number one, and at every plunge now
could hear the old st. Johns slosh
to the floor somewhere to port behind
the cargo.
I fully realized from the moment I
first killed Roadway the utter futility
OF trying to keep on my course owing
to the turmoil amid that eath-dealing
crush of hell-bent logs. Yet I enter
tanned but little hope of the Jewel sur
viving their storm maddened on
Slaught from the moment I turned to
face them. How we'll knew what one
OF those pile-driver blows would mean
If it ever landed in the right place.
X X X \
HE most savage electrical lombard
ment that ever had witnessed was
now on, and I noted with no little ap-
prehension the disconcerting fact that
the force OF the storm was concentrating
in the west. The realization of this but
| intensified my determination to force
my Storm-Scarred little ship back into
| the very teeth of the threatening hurri-
cane, in final effort to reach the only
available protection now even remotely
possible. namely, the bay I had so un-
wisely abandoned but a short time
| before.
At last we were heading directly into
those charging seas, and, in spite of the
unmerciful bombardment waves and logs
were hampering us with, hope began to
rise within me as / soon noted the
sledge-hammer blows of the logs were
| gradually growing less as we slowly
Wormed our way out of the most dam
gerous situation in all my experience
The lightning was so inceSsant now
that it would have served me we'll had
it not been for the binding deluges Of
water that crashed across the windows
in endless succession.
The pilot wheel duties represented a
mans job, and 1 was forced to swallow
little hard as the unbidden thought
chased across my brain. What If some
part of that steering gear, with it's 60
; feet of tiller line should fail me under
! the tremendous strain? Well, in that
event, this little story never would have
/ been written, for neither rudderless boat
nor mortal man with bare life-belt could
have survived all that happened on that
never to-be-forgotten night.
/ We seemed to be free of the log
! hazard at last, and as was experience
ing a deep feeling of thankfulness over
the fact that while we were somewhat
battle-scarred, no doubt. felt sure that
the only puncture of any consequence
| was the one in the port cabin side. But
| this was proving anything but conSoling,
| for a glance beneath my feet appraised
ME of the disconcerting fact that most
undesirable tide was surely rising in the
bilge.
At this cut in the power bilge pump,
+, and since we had at last put the log
! hazard behind us, I devoted my every
thought and energy toward holding a
! steady course in determined effort to
yet save my overloaded little ship in the
face of what could no longer doubt
was an approaching hurricane.
| Understand, I had no intention of
| trying to face the actual hurricane when
it struck therefore the plan was pur-
suing. 1t was my desire to cover every
foot possible in that sOlltherlV direction