Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1928-11-04
ny FRANK HOWE
fStaff Writer Central Press

AT SEA. ENEnITE ITO NEM
YORK Nov. Sitting On the poop
deck OF this liner, the Colombia,
dressed in odds and ends Of cloth
ing contributed by the ships crew
and putting happily on new pipcs
presented them by tho ships barber.
are seven men who know how Id
feels "a be snatched from the pro
verbal jaws M death.
They were tho crew WI the four
mastcd American schooner yelling
ton. one of the last NJ the old-time
sailing ships. and the only reason
they are alive 70 day Is because
the God OF seafarirg men was on
hand in their time " need.
Setting out from Newport News.
early TN September. her sails ball
looming before a favorable wind. the
Wellington and her cargo of cnal
seemed destined to arrive iu Cuba
before many days. where thc pic
turcsque w%iHdjammcr would dis
charge her coal and outfit herself
for the homeward voyage.
IN mid-Atlantic, however. on Sep
TENDER 10th. the seams % the ola
time clipper began to open up. Wa
ter poured in. CaulkiuE failed to
help Odds and ends of clothing
were stuffed into the rapidly open
ing cams. but ID r1 avail. The
crew laborcd with the pumps. But
the sea continued 10 mock their
feeble efforts 10 keep out the ever
increasing leakage.
While most Of the crew pumped. a
handful IF others were topside seek
inE m heat back toward Cape Hat
teras and beach the craft before sho
should sink. For five days and five
nights the little handful of mariners
battlcd against the urfavorable wind
and mcnacing water. They knew
, only too we'll that their hope Of
making land was q f|orlorn one and
that they were far away from
! steamer lanes.
Then the miracle happened. There
was a wiSp Of smoke on the hori-
zon. With an the frantic hopeful.
/ ness III fictional c~astaways. the men
rushed to the rail. fearful lest II
should hc q hooking trick az fate
and that the smoke was a mirage.
But IL wasn't. Soon the smoke
was seen to be issuing from q
smokestack. then mas1s came into
sight; then the super-structure and
finally the hull If the German
steamer Hans Lconhardt. Distress
signals were set flying. This tim,
fortune had changed. Onward came
the rescue ship; She stopped: boat,
were launched and the castaways
were taken on board.
Inst hgfarq uha anlsvw.F ~ 81.
waves. the hulk of the Wellington
was set afire lest she bccom a man.
ance 70 navigation. a dcrelict roam
ing the seas like a wrath.
No sooner had the Hans Leonhard'
started on her way again thar
there was on ominous puff ar win,
and. in a t~winkling. the sea was II
m uproar. II was the West Indiar
hurricane that wrecked Porto Ric,
and laid waste so much in Florida
But 10 meant more than an ordinar,
hurricane TO the Wellington surviv
ors. They knew what would hav,
happened 10 them had the hurrican,
struck a few hours earlier.
AT Puerto Colombia. in Soutl
America. the Hans Leonhardt en-
countered the Colombia bound 10
New York and the shipwrecke,
schooner men were transferred &
this liner. Now they are happily OF
their way home to the states. un
mindful Of their borrowed clothes
their lost possessions and thei
wrecked ship. their minds full onl.
Of the kindness Of a Providence tina
snatched them from the sea-he'
locker Of Davy Jones. and Of tn
goodness Of a ships barbcr VII.
was sacrificing enough to give then
pipes and tobacco to smoke.