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the U. S. became, as far as transmarine service is concerned, virtually, a Shipless Nation. Her commerce in 1914 was congested at every port because of lack of ocean tonnage, and at this hour, her very national life is imperiled because we haven't sufficient bottoms to transport troops, food, etc.

Few people understand what the U. S. Shipping Board is; and for what it was created. This Board needs that support which the English people give to the Shipping Committee of the British Board of Trade. The British people stand behind England's Maritime policies, because they have been educated to understand that England's Maritime interests are the very backbone of her commercial welfare and national security. This great war has proven it. SIDNEY STORY.

I'

Prophecy Coming True

Reprint of an Editorial in "The Boston Transcript" March 6th, 1912.

(SHIPS AND THE MIDDLE WEST)

T is a relief from the tirades commonly accompanying the discussion of the Amer

ican merchant marine to come upon a phrasing of the question as unclouded with senseless detail as that of Mr. P. H. W. Ross in the current issue of the "Fortnightly Review." The writer sanely observes that this planet consists of waters as well as lands; that the waters are the only continuous area on it, and that "whole civilizations have rested on the intelligent use of the waters of the earth, as well as on the use of the lands."

Here is no vexed debate on the prices of steel in Belfast as compared with the prices of that same steel at Camden, N. J., and a discussion of the labor aspect, during which we are lost in a swamp of many windings. Mr. Ross believes, and rightly, that once the main issue is properly understood the details will adjust themselves. He proceeds accordingly:

"One (form of national greatness) is based upon the exploitation of a nation's.

marine possibilities; the other on its continental possibilities. The British Empire and Japan are instances of the first; Russia, the United States and China of the second. But no nation's complete stature is attained until both arms are exercised. Britain, at present the most ambidextrous of the family of nations, has exercised her continental muscles in the growth of her colonies; . . . Germany and Japan have within the last twenty years performed prodigies of marine expansion; . . . but the United States, after a long period of continental development, will double its wealth and power for usefulness by superimposing upon its already stupendous continental civilization a marine civilization perhaps as great as that of Britain."

This is more than prediction; it is something very close to accurate reasoning. A gentleman with the far sight of Mr. J. J. Hill has announced that the country is already "filled up" and the next era of trade expansion must be marine. This has been corroborated from numerous quarters. Mr. Ross assures us, and credibly, that all that is now needed to obtain the beginnings of a rehabilitated merchant navy is to let the Middle West understand that these sea carriers are, in fact, necessary for the continuance of its prosperity. And the encouraging reflection is that, if explanations prove futile, in time the Middle West is certain to find out this for itself.

At the Annual Dinner on March 26th a Reception to the guests will be held at 6:30 P.M.

T

From the Forecastle to the Cabin

By CAPT. SAMUEL SAMUELS

(Continued from February Number)

CHAPTER VI.

HIS unlucky vessel was never known to make a successful voyage. Crews could only be induced to go on board of her by extra pay, and then only the most adventurous would ship. On the voyage before that on which I joined her a murder had been committed. The ghost of the murdered man was said to appear nightly at the quarter-moons, in the middle watch, with a sheath-knife stuck in his throat, presenting himself at the starboard gangway, as though he had been slain there and then thrown overboard. The St. Lawrence was lying at the Walnut Street wharf, Philadelphia, having been purchased in that city from a Boston house at a very low figure on account of her unfortunate reputation. She was chartered from Mr. Oakford, now residing in the City of New York, by three young Philadelphians, Messrs. Welch, Mifflin Lewis and Charles Willing (who celebrated his coming of age off the Cape of Good Hope in 1840). The love of adventure of these three induced them to accompany the ship as supercargoes. If they are still alive these gentleman will pardon me for using their names, but the incidents of this memorable voyage may be interesting to their children.

The ship was loaded with a general cargo for a trading voyage around the world under the command of Captain Drinker. We left Philadelphia in the fall of 1840. After saying good-by to our friends, with many forebodings we proceeded down the Delaware in tow of a tug. While towing and preparing for sea we had a taste of what we might expect from our chief officer, Mr. Hennessey, who was noted for his brutality. When the decks were cleared we were mustered aft, and watches were chosen. If my memory serves me right, we had a crew of twelve able seamen, two ordinaries, and two boys. I was one of the latter, and was chosen on the port watch. For the landman's benefit I will explain that crews are divided into two watches, starboard and port. The port watch is commanded by the chief officer, and the starboard by the second officer. After our first supper on board, when we were below, we compared notes and swore to stand by one another to the death in resisting cruelty, and even went so far as to swear to throw Mr. Hennessey overboard rather than submit to his abuse. We took the oath on our sheath-knives, and the men, as it proved, were quite capable of carrying out that oath. How many

captains and mates have been put down as lost overboard, when in reality a murder has been perpetrated, will probably never be known.

Afterwards we fell into a conversation about the many murders which had been committed on this ship, and all sorts of marine horrors. Of course none of us were afraid to face a ghost. When we shipped we knew to what we might look forward, and we were all anxious to see a ghost and prove our bravery. Such boasting I never heard, when a thump overhead caused us to jump as though a dynamite mine had been sprung under our feet. This thump, we found out afterwards, was caused by a handspike; the jar from it put the slush light out. At the moment of its occurrence we heard also the cry.

"All hands on deck. Brace around the yards."

We obeyed the order in an instant. The mate commended us for our alacrity, saying, “Boys, if you always turn out as quickly as this you will save me from hurrying you along with the toe of my boot."

When we went below again, of course we said, and tried to make one another believe, that we were not afraid, but only went on deck so quickly to obey orders. Nevertheless, I never saw such a scared lot of men in my life. I know that I was well frightened, and no doubt all fancied, as I did, that the thump had come from the ghost.

The following morning at daylight we cast off the tug, set everything alow and aloft, including the port studding-sails, to a brisk northerly wind. After crossing the Gulf Stream we doffed our winter clothing for light summer rigs. The wind had now hauled into the northeast, and the ship was spinning along at the rate of ten knots an hour. This carried us fairly into the northeast trades.

The captain being a pious man, we had prayers on Sunday. The morals of the ships, as far as he was concerned, were very good. But that did not prevent the mate from swearing fiercely at us whenever the captain was out of ear-shot. We had been out sixteen days, and had entirely forgotten about the ship's being haunted, when one evening at eight bells, after we had pumped ship, tightened home the sheets and taken a sway on the halyards, the mate, with an oath, struck one of the men with a belaying-pin. The man drew his sheath-knife, but before he could use it the mate struck his wrist and broke the arm. We were about to attack the mate when the noise aroused the captain, who, with the second mate, ran

forward to see what was the matter. The mate said to the man he had struck: "If you say how this was done, curse you, I will murder you."

The captain was in the midst of us in a moment, asking the mate what had happened. His reply was: "Nothing, sir, except that Bill, in swaying on the foretopsail halyards, fell off the rail and broke his wrist." We, of course, were silent, but we determined to have our revenge. Bill had his wrist set by the captain, and stood his watch as usual, fully determined to knock the mate on the head on some dark night and drop him overboard. This could easily

be done, as he usually slept in his watch on deck on the weather-rail, supported by the mizzen-swifter and monkey-rail. (The ship had a very wide rail, with a high monkey-rail.)

As there is nothing to do after dark in running down the trade-winds except to steer, all hands slept on deck, pretty well tired out after the hard day's drilling the mate usually gave us. The ship was a perfect workhouse. It was continually scrape, paint, tar-her-down, and holy-stone, and for a change it was holy-stone, tar-her-down, paint and scrape; but so far we had been fairly well fed.

We had been out twenty days. The moon was at her full. I had just struck two bells in the middle watch. It was my trick at the wheel. The wind had become light as we were entering the doldrums. I was leaning against the wheel, building air-castles and rescuing princesses from enchanted islands. I had finally been made an admiral, when I was suddenly startled by a sepulchral voice:

"How do you head?"

To describe my terror would be impossible. Every hair seemed to stand on end. I was seized with a cold shiver, and became utterly speechless. I tried to call the mate, who was asleep on the weather-rail, but could not articulate a sound. Then the voice spoke again.

The sound appeared to come from over the taffrail. I made one spring to escape from it. Letting go the wheel, I rushed forward, pulled the mate off the rail, and yelled at the top of my voice,

"A ghost! A ghost!"

The mate seemed to be stricken with the same fear that I had. The men forward, frightened out of their sleep by the cry, jumped up, armed themselves with whatever they could seize, and retreated as far as they could towards the knight-heads. Not a word was spoken. Suddenly we saw a white apparition come from behind the cuddy-house and instantly disappear. This was enough. We had all seen the ghost. There was a great scampering among us as we hurried farther forward, some into the head and others out on the bowsprit. No one would for a moment suppose we were seventeen as brave

men as could be found on any man-of-war in battle. This had made cowards of us all.

It is necessary to digress to describe the situation of the deck-houses. On deck aft, over the cabin entrance, was a house about eight by ten feet. The entrance was aft, two windows being on either side, and two on the fore-end. In the forepart was the pantry, out of which, on either side, was a passage leading to the cabin stairs. Abaft this house was the skylight over the cabin. Still farther aft was the coach-house, not seen on vessels of the present day, with its two rooms on each side for the petty officers and the boatswain. The paint lockers were aft. The open space was occupied by the steeringgear, binnacle, etc. I am thus particular in describing the situation of these houses because of the tragedies that were enacted in them in the latter part of this voyage and on the homeward trip.

We had not yet recovered from the fright when suddenly the captain appeared with his passengers and after-guard. They were armed to the teeth, and, coming forward, demanded the meaning of this mutinous conduct. The captain's eye fell upon Mr. Hennessey, of whom he requested an explanation.

"There is no mutiny, sir, but the ghost has been seen by the man at the wheel," said the mate. "Who was the man at the wheel?"

"I, sir," I replied.
"What did you see?"

"The ghost."

"What did it say?"

"How do you head?'"

"You were asleep at the wheel, you young scoundrel!"

"No, sir; I heard it twice. The second time I looked aft and saw something white coming over the taffrail, whence the sound appeared to come." "Well, go on."

"When I ran forward and cried out something— I was too scared to know what-Mr. Hennesey followed me. That is all I know."

"Where were you, Mr. Hennessey?"
"Walking the quarter-deck, sir."
"Did you see the ghost?"

"I heard a voice and saw a strange apparition, which was the same that frightened the man at the wheel."

"That is enough. I have heard all I care to hear. I will now prove to you that the ship is not haunted, and it was I who asked how she headed. You young reprobate"-addressing me—“go take the wheel again. Lay aft all hands, and you shall hear the ghost."

I took the wheel. The crew came aft and arranged themselves around the cabin door. Suddenly a voice was heard:

"How do you head?"

THE BLESSINGS OF WAR

By

P. H. W. Ross, Author of "The Western Gate," etc.

President, The National Marine League

Not a brief for war, but a sane, forceful, striking discussion of the spiritual and material benefits that emerge eventually from the suffering and chaos of war.

Shows the opportunity to America as a result of Germany's thrust for power, and discusses present and future events and tendencies in the light of history.

A strong aid in the inculcation of ideals of discipline and service such as the individual of today must develop to co-ordinate himself with the new national movement now expressed by universal military training.

Profusely illustrated and handsomely printed in two colors; forty-eight pages, with cover in four colors.

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"What are you afraid of, you infernal cowards? I am no ghost."

This remark was made by Mr. Willing. In the mean time the captain had come on deck to witness the effect.

"You see," said he, "the ship is not haunted. Ghosts don't use such forcible language."

Captain Drinker was one of those luxurious East India skippers who rarely come on deck after ten o'clock at night. Before leaving Philadelphia he had a speaking-tube put in from his berth to a point directly over the head of the man at the wheel. A speaking-tube was never seen or heard of by a sailor before. He had not had occasion to use it until the night of which I am speaking, when he was awakened by the shaking of the sails caused by my castle-building and consequent bad steering. He no doubt was on the alert, as we were about leaving the trade-winds. The crew were too sound asleep to hear anything. In fact, Jack never does hear, nor would he come on deck to save the ship from wreck unless the watch were called. He never loses an opportunity to sleep, and some sailors can sleep with their heads in a bucket of water. Many have I seen punished for sleepiness by being made to ride the spanker-boom.

The captain, hearing the sails shake, brought the speaking-tube into requisition. He asked twice how she headed, and then heard us all run forward yelling. Not understanding the cause of the noise, he supposed we had attacked the mate, and rushed on deck in his light silk pajamas, emerging from the after-part of the house. Seeing us all huddled forward, his first impression that there was a mutiny on board was confirmed in his mind, and awakening his passengers, he armed them hastily and they all came forward as described.

We were not assured, however, by this oral and ocular demonstration of the captain that the ship was not haunted.

We had long since passed the Cape Verd Islands and lost the trade-winds; and after box-hauling and bracing around the yards in order to work south of the doldrums, we finally passed the equator, which I had never before crossed. I was the only one before the mast who had never crossed it; therefore, in order to make me a true salt, Neptune came on board and shaved me.

On a bright equatorial morning we had fairly entered the southeast trades, with deck holy-stoned, squillgeed and swabbed. All hands were ordered to breakfast. Afterward they were turned to with the exception of myself, and I was ordered to prepare for being shaved. At six bells my chum, Jack, came down to take me on deck, saying:

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