Show A NARROW ESCAPE ESCA P E by L B EMORY this story was told me by captain prank frank dutcher when we were 9 bout narrow escapes from areat dan clan tera dutcher was an excellent sailor one of the best I 1 ever knew the inci dent related shows what care should be ta taken k en not to overwork those who hold the lives or of others in their keep ing of the numerous acal lents tents by en ell pilots and such persons a very iery large proportion coine come from front the fact that the men can t keep awake or can I 1 retain their faculties from front want ant pt pf rest the n irrow escal es constant ty ly occurring we never heir about I 1 nave have been through storms at sea be he said when I 1 every no ment we were going to the bottom I 1 ve got into ice ie fields when e I 1 cupl os ed pd we would be I 1 e sailed pur weeks with ith a ure tire in the bold hold ta tie e batches hatches battened down to present air getting to it and expecting every min ute it would burn its way 0 it B it the biggest danger I 1 ever assed through wae was in broad daylight with clear skies and smooth waters how flow was that I 1 asked I 1 was running mr archibald a yacht for him as nice a it lean low long craft 1 las as ever eier you saw abbe bad juat gone into for the suni summer titer and I j the owner took hia his family al at ard for a it cruise in new ealand feland waters I 1 here t any other man aboard flat ti at I 1 could divide the watches with me at the wheel and during the run from phil Phin delphia to cape cod I 1 didn t dare leave it the only otter man aboard who knew anything about n was war bob benton one of the hands and all he knew was the waters off the coast of maine had been brought bro ight up in casco bay an tin I 1 knew every etoal st oat i sunken rock and island wand in that arell 1 pelage pelago he was vias engineer of the yacht with an tin assistant it bit it on the way east the engine acted badly and rob bob had bad as much to do in the engine room as I 1 bad had in the pilothouse one morning we left portland to cruise along the coast to mo int de desert ert stopping at certain points by the way I 1 was at the wheel trying to keep awake when benton who I 1 had un der stood was going to catch a few hours sleep leaving bis big engine in care of f 14 assistant came into the pilot b bouse oue and said to me let me tabe take her I 1 in jt it home in these waters and its it s the beat best cli chance atlee of any for you to get t a nap I 1 turned the wheel over to him and lay down on the cushioned bench in the 1 fl hothouse and was asleep within one minute how flow long I 1 slept I 1 don t know but judging by the sun it couldn coulden it have been very long I 1 sprang tor for the I 1 wheel giving the signal to stop at the same time and spun it to port with all my strength I 1 was alone in the pilothouse we were going at full speed an ano a few cable cuble lengths ahead of me the waves were sending the spray against a rock sunken at high tide but now only covered when the waves rolled over it we were al at moat most out of sight of land and not a sail or a emoke smoke pipe visible anywhere to go on to that rock at the rate we were speeding meant death to every man woman and child aboard the longest two or three thre e minutes in my life were those during which I 1 was making the turn to avoid that rock when I 1 had swung off so tar far that I 1 felt reasonably safe and with but lit tie tle headway on I 1 felt myself about to topple over but I 1 knew that wouldn t do and I 1 just got a grip on myself by sheer will power it was a start but a sharp danger and within five min utes after I 1 had awakened I 1 knew we were in deep water when NN ben I 1 pulled the gong mr archi bald was in the cabin and his family were on the aft deck for there was a head bead wind that kept them from corn com lag ing for ferard ard As soon as the owner beard the signal he came nine running for the pilothouse and it t tike take him long to see what was the matter you put back to I 1 ort he eald said and get another skipper I 1 told him that benton bad had come in to relieve me and it id aone out with out waking me he ile didn t believe my story but went bilow for benton and i found him asleep ua lu in his big hunk bunk wak ing him he brought him up to the pilot bouse bongo and said lo 10 me its perfectly plain that you went to sleep at the wheel bob I 1 said didn dian t you come in here and ask me to let you t tike ike her saying that you were at home in these waters and it was a good chance ebalie for me to get a nap did I 1 do that be said with a loot if of tenor ten or on his face did you of course you did why are you uncertain about abou t it asked mr archibald surprised why I 1 woke up suddenly awhile I 1 ago and found myself standing by the rail on the rear lower deck getting off oft my clothes I 1 had been dreaming I 1 was going in for a bath I 1 must have bare been een up to mv old tricks sleepwalking yes it 11 be the death of me some flay day it came pretty near being the of nb ab ird Ws time I 1 said I 1 loud on d lutter lu stay ashore here utter after where aou 11 be likely to injure only yourself mr air archibald saw that it baan hadn t been my fault and told me to go ahead bead for bath where benton was sent adrift nd a new engineer was hired 1 |