Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-06-08

the y. .. george washington, once
President wilson's peace Ship-haS
the reputation of having saved possibly more
lives at sea than any of his fellow seamen. He
is known in seafaring circles as Rescue" Ran
dali. Yet to induce him to talk about himself
in the role of hero is almost impossible. The
man who saved the Powhatan the Rita M.
CIuett and La Refine de Mer, the man who has
snatched hundreds of souls from watery
grave, actually laughs away his own part In
daring rescues in midocean. I'VE just hap
pened along in that latitude" is the way he
puts it.
"Rescues at sea are just part of ones luck"
he explained. There's many o captain that
sailed the seven seas over and over again and
never came across ship in distress. Yet for
awhile I'd barely make trip bat what I'd have
to stand by and give 3 helping hand. used
to hate to come back to port. All the flags
waving and whistles blowing. And my ship
mates calling it 'Randail's luck because saved
some poor souls at sea. It embarrasseS a fell
Low, this hero stuff
1T believe in luck What's to be is to be.
Nights when stand alone on the bridge while
were going through the fog belt-often it's AZ
hours at stretch-down below there are lights
and music and the passengers are dancing, and
think, What's to prevent freighter off its
from suddenly looming up in front of
us, in the fog and crash! Down we all go to
Davy Jones locker I say, what's TO prevent it
but luck?
II stand up there on the bridge in the fog
all alone. am captain Of the ship. couple
of thousand persons have intrusted their lives
TO my care. 1 have the best officers and the
best crew that ever walked deck. I have one
of the steadiest and most up-to-date ships that
ever crossed the ocean. It is equipped with
all the most modern, most foolproof navigating
devices. have been a captain of big ships
for more than 20 years. Yet skill experience,
training. brains-none of them means thing
IL the sea wants to play one of her tricks.
ITS luck that helps the seafarng man.
That's what makes the fascinating. Her
ways mysterious. Sometimes she's kind to
you. Then, again. she can be cruel. But when
she likes you, you're always lucky"
The captain smiled cheerfully. had found
him in his cozy quarters aboard the George
Westinghouse were two days out of New
York-engaging in a before-luncheon converSa-
ton with his emerald-green South American
parrot. Incidentally, it is perhaps the only
sailors parrot in captivity that does not know
how to swear. Nor, according to the captain,
will it ever have the opportunity to learn. Capt.
Randall is a broad-shouldered genial-looking
man, with face that is stamped with kindness
and tolerance. His blue eyes have the keen,
direct gaze of one who knows how to command.
Years of dealing tactfully with the whims of a
seagoing public-every one knows that the
modern captain must combine the qualities
of diplomat with those of mariner-have left
no mark of cynicism upon him. He is the sort
of man who born with a genuine affection
for people and tremendous zest for life
ONE of Rescue" Randall's most thrilling
feats was the occasion on which he
snatched six cold, alf-starved half-dead men
from the clutches of the sea, The schooner
Rita M. Cluett. laden with salt, had left Oporto,
Portugal. headed west. Halfway back to the
home port of st. Johns, New Brunswick, the
little schooner encountered terrific weather.
carried away her sails and snapped off her
mastS. The battered her sides in raging
fury It's hull began to leak. Helpless, the
CIuett lay wallowing in midocean, struggling for
its life. For two weeks the tiny vessel tossed in
the sea For two long. despairing weeks no
sci was sighted. Food ran low The captain and
the crew began to suffer frghtful privation. Hope
of being rescued from watery grave was vr-
tually exhausted Finally, one inky-black night
Capt. Cluett decided to send up his last three
rockets in last appeal for help. With his ex-