OVERBOARD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 12660, 14 September 1904, Page 1 (Supplement)

OVERBOARD.

The signal;" Man saved .fluttered at the cruiser's main truck, and every man in the .squadron heaved a sigh of heart-felt relief ; for ■when tlie ever-present peril is. realised - and ; ;: some:'-luckless ■ seaman is. struggling in the immensities' of the'.ocean all hearts beatin unison, grades : and ,; distinctions of rank vanish, and from the Admiral to the lower dack sweeper there is but the one : human desire to save the life that is endangered.: It was the usual story. A man sent over ' the side to do a job of work, and as toon as the eye of authority was removed for an instant he had slipped out of the bowline put round him; for.-; safety,; then camera, missed ' hand-grasp, and he was overboard-.' s '; But the cruiser was going slow at the time, and he was seen to go half-a-dozen revolutions astern of the great twin screws brought her up dead,"-ahd before her way was checked' "the lifeboat was in the water and the man, swimming easily, was picked up. There was hardly time to hoist the " Man overboard" signal before it- was replaced by "Man saved.' ;" As the "signal :ca:ne:: down, with -.a stamp • and; a rush and a scurrying and pattering of bare feet, the cutter came once more to her davits, the telegraphs rang. down to half-speed ahead, and the: great vessel, forging through the smooth sea, once move took tip her station in the line. 'That night the commander was dining alone with the captain in the cabin of the latter. 'The.iiieh. were close personal friends* in iso far as it is possible for anyone to hold such a'relation" to the man who of necessity dwells so much aloof as does the captain of one of "His Majesty's ships and vessels-, of 'war." '"".• . ~' . ... ; Dinner was ever, and the captain "pushed the decanter across the table to his guest and* lighted his cigar. "I congratulate you ;on a. smart bit of work in picking up that man''.'.'.to-day,, he said; ''why, be was barely overboard before he : was inboard again." ," Yes," replied the other, slowly filling his glass, "we certainly didn't lose much time. ''Of course, the exasperating idiot had just taken the bowline off Mm: ' 'cause I couldn't quite reach.' "Ever been overboard yourself queried his superior. "No, I'm thankful to say that I never have, sir." '' Well,:. then you don't; know the sensation; I have, and it ain't pleas-; nut." "When '.was j that?" "Years ago ;i; When I was a youngster in a frigate. We ; were- under sail at the time, fresh breeze just far 'enough aft : : to'; carry aj; topmast stuns'l,: and I was skylarking with another midshipman in the main rigging. I slipped going over ■ the , futtock shrouds, rolled head oyer heels all- the way down the rigging,: and :■ so i overboard." ~ "And : then?" "The officer of the watch saw me go, jam-, med his helm down, carrying away, the topmast stuns'l boom and fore-topgallant mast he came to -the' wind; ;,. but he had the boat in the water and, picked -up in the most wonderful ; smart way I wasn't hurt, and could swim all * -right, arid it ; was | broad daylight -but.: the sickening ; , sen-. ! sation of* going down between the crests j ! of the waves and losing sight of everything but the sea and the. sky is, one thai I have.'! never forgotten, and never shall. However, there was a counter-irritant for me when I got on board, and- a new fright that clean drove out the terror of being overboard for the time being." y. "What was that?" "Well, when I was landed, dripping '-on the quarter-deck the captain roared out ' Send that young gentleman aft,' and aft I went just :as . 1 was. Look at the.topmast stuns'l boom, sir,' he shouted at me. ; 'Who's going to pay for that -fore-topgal-lant mast. I'd like, to know, just because a pack of idle, lazy young vagabonds must go skylarking; and falling overboard? Don't you dare to fall overboard s»gain, sir, confound you ! Go down and change ; your clothes tell my steward to give you a glass 'of grog.' y I thought : that :■ it -was, all very hard lines, except the last part, but the fact of the matter was he was more badly frightened than I was. You see he was a very old and very dear friend of my mother's, and she had succeeded in getting me put into his ship, and he felt himself responsible. He asked me to breakfast the next morning, and was kindness itself, but he didn't forget ; neither did I."Commander E. H. Currey, R.N., in the Pall Mall Gazette.