Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-03-30
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surrounded by icebergs off Cape
Horn. the loneliest spot on earth.
Captain Horton was a stern
man. and 1t was at that time 1
learned the value of discipline. He
told the crew we were on fire and
set the watch to putting things
in order. They buckled to with
out murmur. They were scared
to death of Horton and just be-
cause of that they put the whole
mess up to him, trusting him to
get them out of il somehow.
We tried pumping water into
the matches, but as soon as it
touched the smouldering coal it
dissolved into steam and brought
up dense clouds of yellow, chok-
ing gas. The heat during that
day increased until pitch bubbled
out of the deck seams. You
couldn't stand on the deck for
the heat and if you went aloft
you froze with cold. What a
mess! Every now and then there
would be sort Of muffled thud
below and great clouds puffed
out of the matches.
Mrs. Horton sat in her chair by
the R1izzen cool as a cucumber
She, too, had faith in her hus-
band. But Horton knew he was
licked. He called the mate.
Better get the boats oversize,
mister. 'Twon't be long before
she goes up"
THERE were only two boats
left; the third had been
smashed in the hurricane. We put
the boats oversize and stepped
masts in them, loaded provisions
and started north for the ship
ping lanes. the two boats attach
ed by long line; 1t wouldn't do
for them to be separated during
The night, for only one carried the
instruments necessary -tn-tal<e
hath ia safety
The captains wife sat in one
boat, and TO see her you'd have
thought she was on a pleasure
trip There was a woman fit for
any man TO marry She took her
trick at the tilIer and refused any
favors; wouldn't take a drop
more than her ration Of water
even. Luckily for us there wasn't
much wind. just enough TO take
us away from the Ontario. We
were about two miles distant
when:
There she goes" shouted the
mate.
We rested on our oars to look
hack. There was a terrific blast
and the masts disappeared in
smoke and flames We saw bits
Of wrecksge flying through the
air and flashes OF spray where
they hit the water When the
smoke cleared there was no sign
of the Ontario.
The captain looked long at
where his ship had disappeared.
then wrapped himself in his boat
cloak and took the tiller.
Due north. mister" he ordered
the mate, and we pulled ahead
II was cold That small boat
was packed with men and dun
mage and there was no room TO
move. Spray splashed inboard
every minute and froze on our
shoulders We were cramped.
frostbitten and miserable. but we
went on hoping for a sight Of
another ship. or, If the worst
came to the worst. praying to
last long enough 70 reach Terra
del Fuego before one OF the no
| torious Cape Horn sou'westers
struck us: that would have meant
the end Of every mothers son
Of us
We watched the captains boat
astern. our faces purple with cold
and the breath coming out OF our
mouths like steam. Some Of the
men begged to be allowed to row
so as to keep warm FOR there
vas only room for four men to
row at time We huddled to-
Cether like sick monkeys but the
cold came between US until we
ached with IT,
Have you ever been real cold ?
I mean. like sitting all night in
the snow with no clothes on, in
cold that first seems TO numb
YOU. then you start to ache until
the ache goes into your very
bones and you shake. not so much
with the cold. but the very pain
of Add to that starvation "a
tions and the fear of death and
that will give you an idea Of
what we went through. Icy water
thrashed over US necessarily and
We bailed with ice half filling the
hailers.
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