The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1939-12-02


he story is one of the most
story.
As . Western Ocean packet, the
"Dreadnought" held a splendid
record: she beat crack steamers of
her time and made other note
worthy passages.
Returning from Liverpool 10
New York In 1861. she was
caught In . severe squat.
Damage, among other things,
Included losing the tiller and
rndder. = compound leg frsc-
ture and split skull for Capt.
Samuels.
The deck demanding his atten-
ton. that gentleman proposed to
relieve the distracting pain in his
leg BY amputating it himself. but
his mates persuaded him 10 direct
repairs from his bunk.
For three days he lay there while
the stricken vessel wallowed help
less In the trough of the sea. At
the time they were 600 miles from
the island OF Fayal.
All known tricks Of seamanship
for steering the ship were useless
under Capt. Samuels' orders,
they tried sea-anchors and drags,
and they tried every possible trim
ming Of sails.
Nothing worked ~ It should.
though the breeze was about right
to give them a proper course. Capt.
Samuels' wounds and Yankee tenn
per weren't helped In the least.
After days Of back-brealxing
work by the crew, all TO no
avail, and the fact that the
"Dreadnought" repre- scented
everything Capt. Sansucls own
ed In the world, wen wager
the cursing was classic.
We can picture the Old Man
making 4 private squall in his bunk
an he laid his tongue to previously
unthought OF adjectives. until at
last he arrived at the 1862 equiva-
lent OF Nuts! I'll shove the old
tub along stern-to since she won't
20 the way she should"
In any event. here Ia what he
wrote In his report:
we took in the drags, furled all
the head-sails and all the canvas
on the foremost, set all the square
sails on the mizzenmast, the whole
Of the maintopsail. and the star
board clew OF the mainsail, and
threw sharp back every sail that
was set.
The tendency was to give her
stern-board Ego astern).
"By keeping the sails trim
med flat aback on those two
masts, the ship was backed ESQ
miles.
AT this time we were able Il
ship our second rudder. and in I
short time we entered Fayal Har'
Dor. IL days after the disaster"
We suppose there is a great dea
Of room for discussion as to the
wisdom Of such a maneuver-st
years later. But Capt. Samuels
was a famous member Of a famous
breed.
And Il can't be denied he sue.
cessfnlly broke all precedent and
subsequent feats Of seamanship
Quite a guy.
Diagnosis
Perry Moore hailed us on the
street the other day-just to relate
the following:
One Of the first Japanese motor.
ships to call here was shifting
berths. The move was just a mat.
ter of q hundred feet or so ahead
and they were In a hurry.
The pilot. TO he obliging. sig-
nailed for full speed ahead and
followed within . minute with
full astcrn.
Foot. went the big diesel engine
then all was quiet. Down went
one anchor, then the other, but
the heavy ship kept her way ane
nosed into the beach. anyhow.
While they waited for tugs. tn,
Nipponese skipper hoped up ans
down until at last the pilot sug
gested telephoning the engineer I,
ascertain what had become OF tn,
engine for heaven sakes.
"Ah So" Missed the skipper,
Il cali Engineer Mister Togo
now"
While the pilot land Perry OBJ
served the surrounding scenery ana
the hapless situation. the skipper
could be heard gobbling in hi
native tongue with much ANNA
ton as he held barley with Engi
neer Togo.
Finally he hung up the phon'
and his face was wreathed in smiles
a. he returned to the pilots side
and he reported: Togo say m
go."
Loosens Up Thick
Choking phIexm Of