Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-25
BY IVAN H. PETERMAN.

and air forces of this branch of the
Government.
BY IVAN H. PETERMAN.
CAPE MAY, N. j., February u.s.
Base was enveloped in an aura OF
| secrecy as evening drew on. Seven
patrol boats had Scurried out of the
inlet here during the afternoon, each
boatswain having his orders Code mes
sages continued to fit through the air.
Something was up" and no mistake.
We waited outside the commandments
Office some time, eager for the next
move, while petty officers hurried here
and there with much whispering, ex-
change of note and expectant smiles.
II intended to send you out this aft
ernoon, but developments have made it
advisable to delay until evening"" Capt.
William H. Shea, commanding the base.
told us, Comdr. Henry Ulke bringing
the message. Lieut.. Anderson, who
had secuted the coastline with me in
the plane, went into conference with
the commander. Then Boatswain Cut
Ter was called in. At o'clock he
emerged, nodded to u.s. and we started.
Coast Guard patrol Boat No. liz is
IL 1913 other boats of its type, just rs
feet long, trim, sturdy, but scarcely
stable. Ordinarily she carries a crew
OF eight, but with Mac" the pho
tographer, and me, there were nine
aboard, one man being on leave and not
replaced.
The boat is powered with two ESQ
horsepower Sterling Coast Guard gaso-
line engines, powerful things that drive
the small craft through mountainous
seas. Bunks for the crew are forward,
in the very prov of the boat, where
flashing waves like roaring tom-toms
beat wild refrain to tormented dreams.
The skipper and mate sleep amidShip,
back of the galley-if they Sleep
1t was to this galley Cutler led us,
and there we signed the log. The crew
sat around, smiling in a way which
caused me to wonder.
"You boys haven't had much to eat"
said Cutler, ordering Willie, the colored
boy, to shake up some sandwiches. Will
lie did even better, he shook up two
fried eggs, potatoes, bread and coffee
All unSuSpecting, we ate heartily, and
as we ate Coast Guard Patrol 112 jerked
away from the dock. We finished the
eggs to the pulsing throb of two pro-
peller shafts beneath the galley floor.
"All lights out!"
The order sounded down a hatch, and
we noticed Adolph Stamer, chief bos'n's
mate, and Dick Coffey busily folding
newspapers. These they hurriedly
shutters over. The engine room was
dark; so was the pilot house. Not a
light showed on the G. G.-112 as she
nosed out of the harborl
What h~ppens if another boat comes
along?" I asked Cutler as we stood at
the wheel. I'VE dodge 'em, they have
lights" said he. Suppose a smuggler
is out there, also without lights? or a
fisherman? You might run him down
Out Three Days and Nights.
IF they don't have lights it's too bad, !"
said the skipper, twisting the brass
Spokes so the craft headed due east.
Through the aft windows the light of
Cape May and Wildwood receded in the
inky night. 1t was dark as a conjurer's
curtain.
Wen be out three days and three
nights" Cutler told us. May get some
rough weather. It was pretty rough last
That, We decided, was hardly a COM
forting thought.
Can you anchor?" I asked.
"Sometimes-n we get bottom. We
used to go way offshore, 100 miles or
more. They stopped that"
The craft chugged on, the seas grew
rougher. Vainly peered into the black
ness trying to see something. Only the
occasional ghostly tip of white cap,
licking at the rail, rewarded me.
Where are We going and what'n we
do when We get there?" broke the
silence which for 10 minutes filled the
pilot house
"Out to sea. Cruise around"
BoS'n Cutler is young man of few
words. An interesting fellow, too. In
command, he is probably not yet 80. He
has been in the service since 1924. For
that matter, not a man of the crew
seemed beyond that age. Seven boys and
boat with a mission that each would
strive to the last for. Why? Simply or
ders
Somewhere in that OPAQUE void be-
yond lurked a smuggler's ship AS it was
filled with illicit goods, its owners would
use every resource to escape. If, how
ever, the patrol boat caught a small
boat making contact, it was up to the
Coast Guard to give chase and seize the
small boat. Otherwise they would dog
the foreign craft around the sea.
Dimly, its skeleton tripod collecting
an ever thickening coat of ice, the one
FOUNDER with which all C.-G. boats are
equipped, came within my vision. A
canvas protected the gun. Beyond it
was a machine gun mount.
will these birds shoot at us?" ]
asked.
Never have"
But If they do? Do we shoot back?'
They won't shoot
A row of lights rose out of the sea,
twinkl1ng dots blotted out at intervals
by a rising wave.
Steamer off the port bow" said
Harry Northam.
We churned on. Fifteen minutes more
and we were almost upon the ship. She
didn't see us;oif we continued our course
she would run us down.
GO around her STERN" Cutler said
quietly, and Northam put the helm over
hard, the C.-G. 112 shuddering as it
rolled quartering over wave and diyed
into the trough. At this stage I decided
to go below.
Charles Bradford, seaman, and
Johnny Friel, motor machinist's mate,
with Willie, the cook, were trying to
interest Mac" in navigation. He looked
bit Sallow. We sat around the galley
table watching the walls dance up and
down. Funny, those walls. And the
deck and ceiling seemed to want to ex-
change places. Hot down there Phooey!
II bet get seasidI," said Mac" We
all laughed at the idea. Seasick. Great
joke. mo disgrace in that, on these