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About The Oregon scout. (Union, Union County, Or.) 188?-1918 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 5, 1891)
CLARA BELLE LEE. A ROMANCE OF THE SEA. Written for The Scoix, hy C. P. Hinckley. CHAlTKlt V. 'HE noise that I made, in my ex citement, startled her, and she glanced around and perceived me. The look she gave me of joy, re membrance, relief and love I shall never forget. With a joyful cry the threw herself into my arms, crying: "Tom, Tom Chase, dear Tom, is it really you. Thank God, I am saved," and went to hugging and kissing me, and I, her, for that matter, in our joy and excitement, before all of the men. Mr. Swain appeared to have lost his power of speech and was as bashful as a young girl, before the woman he loved. "Hut, Clara," I exclaimed, "for God's sake, calm yourself; my dear, you are safe now. Tell us, in the name of all that is wonderful, how you came here. What ship is this? Are you alone on board?" To all my questions she would make me no reply; she only clung the clos er to me, and sobbed and laughed and kissed me, entreating me not to leave her. It was a long time before I could comfort her; the strain on her nerves had been fearful for the last live or six j days, since that tidal wave caused such awful disaster. She had borne up bravely until rescued. Put now the relief was so great that it had com pletely prostrated her for the time bo- ing. I carried her to our boat and hold her in my arms, trying to com fort and console her. As wo lifted her on board her name sake, Captain Coffin came hurrying to the gangway, and exclaimed : "Great God! Miss Leo, Clara Lee, my owner's daughter. What riddle of the sea is this?" "Poor hther is dead ; washed over board from that ship," she sobbed. Our entire ship's crew stoo I around in dumb silence. Somehow, boy that I was, I had more presence of mind than the officers, on this occasion. "Captain Collin, we had better take my cousin down in tho cabin," 1 said quite sharply, for ho appeared dazed. "Yes, yes; do so at once, Chase," he exclaimed, recovering himself with an effort. I led her by the hand down into the cabin and, by the way, the had never relinquished my hand since she first discovered me on board tho "Potomac" and seating her by my side, on the sofa in tho main cabin, I awaited pa tiently her story. Sho soon recovered command of herself sufficiently to re late her story, and wo listened with breathless interest to her tale. It was some time after the wave had bwept tho people overboard before she real ized the fact. It seemed as though tho hurrieano know that it could do no more mischief, for the sea and wind gradually went down, and when the sun roso in the morning it was good weather again. Tho poor girl had suffered terribly in her mind during tho time she had been alone on the wreck, but those Nantucket girls are used to tho sea, and sho stood it better than a country ,girl would havo done. Fortunately tho cook's galley, being bolted to the deck, had not washed away, and hho was able to cook all tho food she wan ted. During tho time- she was on tho wreck sho had seen ships in tho dis tance several times, but owing, prob ably, to tho "Potomac" being dismas ted and lying low on the water, they had sailed by without noticing the wreck. "For a wonder I had not obsorved your ship, and the first knowledge I had of help being near was when I looked up from tho stove and saw you, dear Tom," said Clara, and sho squeezed my hand warmly. Wo laid that night hove aback, close to tho "Potomac," Mr. Chadwick with his boat's crew being on board that ship, with a light hoisted on the stump of her foremast. Captain Collin had a long conversa tion with Miss Leo in regard to her wishes and plans, for tho poor girl was now an orphan, and owner of both ships and great wealth. Bright and ploasant was tho sky, balmy tho air and boautiful was tho sea, as tho htm roso in its splendor, throwing its bright and shining light on tho two ships, on the morning fol lowing tho rescue of Clam Bullu Lee. Mr. Swain, after a few momenta con versation with Cuj.t-uin Collin, came kurryiiiR 'o the brouk of the quarter deck, and ordtmul all huudtt to lay uft to (hi iiiuiiiniuht. When all hand wtm Kullivrwl in iltwuut, Uujv Cdllll U td lu (lie wltfu nf the (piurlcr U Hll'l tiill-l Him IiI'( CQinpiuiy n dm following word "I have culled you aft, men, to in form you that by Miss Loe's orders, as j owner of this ship, anil also by my ad vice, this voyage will bo broken up, and as soon as we can rig up jury masts on the 'Potomac' we will square away for home. If wc can sail the 'Potomac.' with her valuable cargo safe to port, the salvage for saving her, combined with our oil, will make us a good voyage. Miss Lee requests mo to inform you that in the event of the 'Potomac' having to be abandoned, she will pay you fifty dollars each for the run home. So you see, men, you stand to win cither way. 1 shall place Mr. Chadwick, with two boat's crows, in command of the 'Potomac' and I shall expect every man to do his duty." . The crew seemed well pleased with the captain's speech, and gave him and Miss Lee three rousing chceis, and turned to, with a will, getting the spure yards, masts and sails on board the "Potomac." After three day's hard working the "Potomac" made sail for home. We kept in company with her for a few days, and then, seeing that she was do ing as well as could be expected with her thort sail, gave Mr. Chadwick and his crew thiec hearty cheers for luck, crowded sail after sail on the "Clara Belle Lee" and scudded away lrom the "Potomac,'' as though she was at an chor, and soon left her hull down astern, as we buzzed through it, home- ward bound. In a few days Clara Lee became cheerful and like herself again. Mr. Swain was in paradise. Every moment that he could spare from his duty was devoted to her. He would parade the quarter deck with her and make himself her shadow. L thought ho would gain the prize before wo ar rived at Nantucket, for I could not see how any woman could resist such a handsome and manly lover. He was very much in love. Mr. Swain caught mo once, behind the wlieelliouse, kiss ing Clara, and he turned pale with en vy, and lectured me about it later. He allowed that I should not take ad vantage of her in her trouble; though, to be sure, I was nothing but a mere boy. "Boy," I exclaimed in my anger, "I am three weeks older than Clara, and we have grown up together, Mr. Swain. I havo always kissed Clara whenever 1 wanted to, and always shall. It is none of your business. She is not your wife yet." "None of your impudence, young man," said our first officer, and there was silence between us. Nothing worthy of recording hap pened to us for weeks. We had fair wind and plenty of it. The good ship seemed to realize that her fair owner was on board, and as for Clara, she was never tired of watching her namesake stjrming through the wild waves, as she made rapid progress, day after day, towards dear old Nantucket. Clara watched with unwearied interest the hundreds of tilings there was to ad mire and wonder at. The clewing up and furling of light sails to a passing squall. The setting of canvas afresh as the squall passed by. The shrilling and roaring of tho rising sale; the loud cries of boatsteorcrs; the wild, hoarse shouts of tho mates; the leaping aloft of the seamen and the posturo of their forms as they overhung tho moving yards, rolling up the canvas or tieing tho reof points, with a man astraddle of each yard arm hauling out tho cer ings these and a thousand of like sights supplied her with abundant en tertainment. On the tenth day of August we raised tho American coast and that ovening was ofl'theontnince of Vineyard sound, just as tho lighthouse keeper at tho gay head light on tho island of Mar tha's Vineyard lit tho lamp. It was blowing a fresh breeze, which reefed our canvas for us, and set tho ship to dancing wildly with her yards braced fore and aft. Wo had our onsign fly ing for a pilot, and soon tho little pilot boat put out from shore, and with a feeling of relief by all on board, the pilot was soon on board our ship, and we had an anxious and wild night of it, beating up Vineyard and Nantuck et sound. Tho wind blow half a galo that night and tho ship thrahcd through it, boating to windward, under doublo reefed topsails and coursers, making short boards in that narrow sound, with all hand on dock all tho night long, working hard at tho bracoa at wo constantly tackod bhip to avoid going on shoro, or swung hor oil to clear a Marblohoad fibbing sclioonor, or a Philadelphia collier, that would loom up out of tho d,irknow and Hash by tu like a whirlwind. W'u had our diip' lights out and ull huudi looking out to kuep from run ning Into mjiiikIIiIiiKi for liiuiiiuiuU of khiM nf hII ilHU'iipiiuit through Nulillli li t tllld mi )ll hih Oil-1' Mi I lis liinl wtclt V)U WMu UilIul by a large ship right athwart our jibboom. The long black hull rushed past us, so near that her main yard almost struck our Hying jib stay, and she was gone, like an ocean spirit, leaving a foaming line astern. We were only a few fathoms from death, for such a ship coming upon us in that gale would have sent us whiil ing to the bottom. At threo o'clock in the morning wp weie off Nantucket bar, with Bryant Point light Hashing at us, fiom out of the scud and spray, to leeward ..as if to warn us to look out and keep well oil of that dangerous lee shore. But it was all wo could do to hold our own; tho gale had become terrific, and at every tack we could see that we were losing and slowly drifting ashoie. It lacked one hour of being Hood tide, and we dare not vinture in over the bar until then. Our pilot was only a sound pilot and was nut acquainted with the channel into Nantucket har bor, and there was no one on the ship but myself that knew tho channel. My grandfather was a Nantucket pilot, and in my numerous trips with him in his pilot boat, piloting in ships, 1 had thoroughly learned the channel, and 1 informod Captain Collin that I could take her in, providing she did not draw too much water, for, if she got stuck on the bar, it would be all dav with us. At davbreak we were on our last tack off shore, and the next time wo tacked ship we would have to try the forlorn hope of getting over the bar or go ashore. The old town never looked so dear to us as it did then. Sitting on its throne, down there to leeward, looking out on us lovingly as though anxious to help us, but power loss to do so Captain Collin was a man of decis ion. "Theio is but one way," ho shout ed, through the storm. "We shall be lost as wo are. 1 will try it. Tom Chase, pilot this ship in if you can, and God be with you. Mr. Swain stand by for stays." "Aye, aye, sir," answered our first officer, and his voice rose in a hurri cane roar as he ordered the crew to "man the weather head braces, weath er main brace, weather main topsail brace, lee cross jack braces. Hard down there with your wheel, anil as our noble ship obeyed her helm, and came slowly around in stays, in tho face of that awful gale, his voieo rose shrill and exultantly in pride for her magnificent performance as ho gave tho last command to "let go and haul." We fairly Hew before the galo and in a very short time we were to the bell buoy, and I pointed her straight for Brant Point. Tho wharves and water front were black with people, watching us anxiously, and wondering how the "Clara Belle Leo" cano there, instead of being oil' the coast of Africa. Captain Coflin had ordered the Amer ican Hag and our ship's Hag blue, white and blue hoisted, "for," he said, "if we go ashoro wo will bo wrecked with our colors Hying." Wo struck onco very lightly on tho bar, and that was all, and in a very few minutes wo were in safety in the harbor, and wc camo to tho wind ofl' Commercial wharf, let go bot.li an chors and our short, eventful voyago was ended. Ono month later tho "Potomac" ar rived safely and our voyage was all set tled, and wo all did well financially. Tho crew was soon scattered to tho ends of tho earth. Sonic of them shipped for the Arctic ocean after bow heads, a species of light whale, others on Pacific, Indian and Antarctic voya ges. Mr. ITussey is now in command of a lino steam whale ship. I noticed, last fall his arrival in San Francisco, from the Aictic ocean, with a great voyage 20,000 pounds of whalebone and oil in proportion. Whalebono is now worth Iff) per pound whilo in the year ISiiO it was hardly worth saving. Old Bill Francis married tho widow Chase and thoy live as happily togeth er as could bo expected, considering their temperament. Ho is an honor able, obstinate, truthful, high-spirited, intonsley prejudiced, porfectly unreas onable man, and tho widow I beg her pardon, Mrs. William Francis is as near like him as can bo. About ono year after their marringo as I was walking down Orango street, I noticed a crowd of people, principal ly women, standing in groups or hur rying into tho widow's houto, and thoy all appeared to be highly excited. Cur iosity prompted mo to enquire of an old follow standing on tho sidewalk, what thu troublo wan, and ho informed mo in a dazed sort of a way that the widow Chiibo hail a buhy. "Well," taid I, "U thoro anything ktrungu about Hint. Why should die nul liavo a baby if nhu want ohm." Ho lookwl at mo ami nvr mi wxri'd, hut luiui'd away and w.-n t uw ly ili'Wll I ho lnU, nhukiiiK bin lii'iid W.d liiiitlvlllitf to hiniulf, an though prfcctly unable to gmsp the situation. The occuii onco was absurd. 1 laughed long and heartily. Tho peo- plo, especially the ladies, had known the widow Chase for mi many years ' without a baby of her own ; and sho had always been so kind, loving and claviful to tb. in when their dear ba bies wero Inirn waiting on and tend ing them like a mother that it took them by surprise when tho widow, Mrs. Francis, came to the front with a baby of her own. It was an encroachment j on their picserves, they thought, but ; they turned out in force, and there I never was a baby born on Nantucket 1 that had so much attention shown to it ' as that baby of the widow Chase's. Captain Peter Collin retired from the sea and lived to a ripe old age, lion oicd and respected by his fellow citi , zens. One of his sons joined the noble band of pioneers along in the fifties and emigrated to the Pacific coast, and has done much in reclaiming the West to civilization. He now icsides in tho ' beautiful town of Union, in Eastern Oregon. I Mr. Chadwick is captain of the South Shoal light ship and Bill Francis is mate, and those two worthies often re late to their shipmates, on board, the cruise of tho "Clara Belle Lee." Mr. Swain, after a suitable interval, proposed in duo form for tho heart and hand of sweet Clara Belle Lee. Stand ing before her, looking handsome and manly though white as a sheet, lie re ceived his dismissal firmly and bravely as became tho man. Clara informed fiim, with tears in her eyes, that she could not love him in that way; sho would always respect him, and if ho would allow, would be a sister to him, but could not mairy him. This strange and original expression helped greatly to arouse Mr. Swain from the trance he had fallen into on receiving his dis missal. Ho shook himself together, bowed, wished her well, turned on his heel and walked out of the house and has never seen her from that day to this. Mr. Swain in time recovered from the blow and married a charm ing Nantucket girl. On tho breaking out of the war of tho rebellion he, along with a number of sea-ollicers and navigators, armed with first-class letters of recommendation, proceeded to Washington and offered their servi ces to the government as acting mas ters in the United States navy, but young and inexperienced sons of poli ticians received the situations. Though soon after tho administration saw its mistake of placing inexperienced men in places of trust in the navy and tho officers of the whaling licet of New England were in great demand for the navy. Many Nantucket whalemen rose to positions of trust in tho United States navy. Mr. Swain, however, dis gusted at his rebuff, emigrated to tho beautiful valley of the Grand Hondo, in Eastern Oregon, and has never seen salt water from that day to this. Tho service lost a first-class sea-ollieor and navigator and tho farmers of Oregon gained an indifferent farmer. The ship "Clara Belle Lee" made a groat many successful voyages from Nantucket, until on ono voyago, un der the command of Captain Charles Worth, sho was captured and burnt off ihe Azores islands by tho confederate cruiser "Alabama." As for myself 1 nevor mado another voyago. I went to school, studied hard and graduated from the Nantuck et high school with honors, and then entered Harvard college, finished my studies there and onterd a respectable law firm in Boston as junior partner. The years rolled around and still my charming cousin did not marry, though not for tho want of oilers, for sho had many, some from love of her and somo probably fiom mercenary motives. On a fine spring morning, on the first day of May 18.15, tho fifth anniver sary of my voyago on the "Clara Belle Lee," 1 sat in my ollico on State streot, Boston, reading a letter from Clara. Her letter was full of interest for me, as it related to her approaching mar riage with the man she loved. In a postscript at tho end of her long letter, Clara adds; "Now bo sure and lcavo Boston in time, for you know, dear Tom, I could not think of being mar ried without your prebonoe, ha, ha." And 1 did not disappoint hor. Tho undent church was crowded with tho people of Nuntucket. Fully 2,500 peo ple wero in the build. ng to witness tho marriage of (heir favorite to tho man that she loved. Ah thu minister fin ished reading thu beautiful marriage torvico and pionouucud us man and wife, I turned and oluHping Mr. Thomas Chute in my anus imprinted . - I.I I! I u IO"ing uihs on nur near iipu, aim whinporud in her car, "Fuiowoll to imeut Cl.iru Hullo Loo." this iim Tin mild wlnUr in Kuitoru Onigon ami Wuliiiitfiu iu Ihuii wry favora ble (or l a-kllit II. 4 A k am uiit VwJ -ESNiVeRSL-LC PARIS, 1S5C Tjj Hijliwfc PoaVi'jlo Pr'.iciai, THE ONLiY GRAMQo TTMZ FOR SEWING WAS AWARDED TO WHEELER & WILSON MfG, CO,! 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