The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1939-1949, 1941-08-14
LishtsofNewH,k
By [. [. STEVENSON

Down at the tip-end of Manhattan,
where the Hudson and the East riv-
ers meet and flow on out to the sea,
is a large building with a green
beacon, memorial to the liner tt
tanic which went down % years ago,
the mast and yards of a ship, and
a cleaning cross high on the roof.
The address is 25 South street. That
number is known around the world
since it is the site of the Seamen'S
IChurch institute. There sailors, no
matter whence they come, always
find a welcome. Some are able to
lpay for bed and board. Others ar
rive penniless. Their financial state
makes no difference. The institute
looks after their needs. 1t banks
money for them, makes loans in
times of distress, looks after mail,
furn shes religious consolation or
finds job for the mariner who is
ON the beach. Also it maintains
school wherein sailors may learn
to become officers. And that's only
a fcW of the many activities.
A,--ays busy place is the Sea-
mems Church institute. The war
has made it even buster. The re-
Gently issued annual report shows
that during the year, % crews Of
,torpcCoed ships were given shelter
and necessities. In connection with
!file report, there is a review Of the
year written in blank verse by Mar
jorle Dent Candee, editor of the
Lookout. the institutes publication.
In it, she highights some Of the
drama of the institute. For in
stance one day there came crew
of Finnish seamen. Their ship, the
Villa. had been torpedoed. The ex-
plos:on had cut the vessel in two.
Many men were lost. There was
no time to save belongings, merely
scant minutes I'm which to "climb
down with burned hands clinging to
fine ladder" The survivors were
made welcome ait the institute, fed,
clothed and sheltered, and in time
they went back to sea.
| Sailors of many nationalities
reach the Seamen's Church insti-
iifute. There was crew of Jaw
anese., They couldn't speak the lam
tguage and couldn't eat the food.
The institute found an interpreter,
gave them rice, fish, spices, stove
land fuel. To express their thanks,
they dressed in silks and brocades
land danced their native dances.
Among their visitors was the Prin-
cess Juliana of Holland. Fourteen
British officers and 38 Lascar sea-
men escaped from the freighter
EImbank when it was shelled by
German submarine. The master
died of bullet wounds while in a
ilifeboat. The rest Of the crew, with
sfhe mate in charge, were rescued
iby the Pikepool and brought to the
institute. r
!! In the year covered by the report,
children came to the institute-259
OF them from London, Oxford,
Coventry. For more than four
weeks they lived and played there,
and in their play forgot the black
outs and the bombs. Then they
were taken away by foster parents
TO live in American homes '.for the
duration" And I've been told that
after the youngsters left, the insti-
ltute seemed lonely.
. Another bit of the drama Of the
sea that is constantly revealed at
the Seamen's Church institute: Five
hundred miles west of the coast OF
Ireland, the Norwegian freighter,
Tricolor saw a light blinking
SOS" Signals rang in the engine
room. Speed increased. When the
disabled ship was reached, it was
found that a torpedo from U-boat
had dealt death and disaster to the
Norwegian freighter Tancred. Life
boats had been launched. True to
the traditions of the sea, the captain
had been the last to leave the ship.
The master of the Tricolor greeted
the skipper and men of the Tancred
with tears of Joy. He had once COM
rnanded the Tancred and knew
every man like a brother. He
brought them to New York-and the
Seamen's Church institute.
A group of gamins were haunting
the chauffeur of an expensive motor
car parked in Rockefeller plaza.
The chauffeur. the redness of his
face attesting to the strain, attempt
ed to maintain his dignity by ignor-
ing the remarks, which by no means
could be considered complimentary.
Just as he seemed to be about to
pop a couple of buttons, a hard
boiled taxi driver came up and scat
tered his tormenters with threats Of
humiliation.
"S'an right buddie," declared the
rescuer in response to the victims
thanks. 1--WE hackies gotta stick to-