The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, February 10, 1901, Page 8

#==HE waves were rolling mountaln themselves into ghould be a loss of life among them. Down the from the station ca the wn by two he hors of a biting wind t crew row s w as the horses e lashing wa- rked together with a swing vo-oh! Now from ashed into the - and seven staggering ains of sea, er the sides of the toss- king their places beside the Out of the sound of the hing waves e men came back indis- n was giving the com- ads! Ship oars! Give the starboard! Give r peirs of oars struggled against the beat of the ocean. The trim white . ver the wave only to be dashed ree times were the com- and the boat forced out into before the Golden Gate ke a white swan ing the rolling waves ing upon her, and the dropping, sending the waves in ut the swells lden Gate cir- rising perpendicularly to ng masses of water, and 3 beyond it out passed. tes or so com- actice, and the er way again to shore. As n ver the last wave ars and bounded ng themselves ents, and strug- But the Gold- m their grasp and his big rubber boots ' wet; if you wan: go aboard—here, 1 will carry through t you!” r as though eight pounds were no more than a d myselt being g water. An- was pitched into the a seat at the front. The ughed. ugar ner salt?” quer- ““Cause if yez be, yez'll sure get fore we' come ashore.” here’s y’er life preserver—put hit on. W’en we get amongst them swells able to go overboard, with the boat whole of us!" buckled on the awkward bundle of nd the captain gave erders to pull S s N away. There was a rough ten minutes getting over the first breakers. We were beaten back twice, but the’ elght strong oarsmen buffeted steadily until thé half- dozen shore rollers were climbed. Then ‘we went cutting through the water, rising on the small swells and dipping down on the other side like the flight of the swal- low. Further out we met the big swells— madly rolling mountains of water. When each one was upon us there came the clear, firm order of the captain, “Alto- gether lads; give way, port side; look out! Over she goes!” The bow of the Golden Gate, shooting - upward perpendicularly, leaped over the curling wave and came down gllding lro‘n the top and out into the level of the'sea, the eight ‘pairs of oars dropping simultaneously at the com- mand of the captain, and onward again fo the next wave. Presently a large swell came unexpect- / %\&&\ edly, and before the captain's order counld be executed the curling mass of water came pouring over us with the sweep and the force of a torrent. I had been stand- ing up in the bow of the boat and calight the full benefit of the intruding wave. I sat suddenly down. The action was tinpre- meditated and entirely involuntary. My clothing was drenched, but by the time I had caught my breath the water had dls- appeared through the safety valve ar- rangement of the lifeboat and the boat was dry. Just as I started to my feet again a monstrous bank of water came pouring over us and emptied the larger portion of itself upon my back. We had gone through the wave instead of over “‘Sure, an’ they put a job up’on yez. whispered the good-natured Irish sallor next to me. “They wanted to hear yez holler.” 1 bad no doubt of it, and was glad to know that I had not disappointed them. Farther out the sea was smoother, the sun shining brightly, and the rise and fall of the oars kept-time with the motion of the boat. A mile from the shore we cir- cled about, and at the captain's command the Golden Gate began a series of maneu- vers—the cutting of pigeon wings. execu- tion of military figures. etc. The oars cut into the water like broadswords, and the steady pulls sent the white boat shooting through the water at any num- ber of knots per hour. At the order to turn the boat switched about and dartea ahead with incredible swiftness. The end of three-quarters of an hour found us heading shoreward, one of us with a whirling head and &izzy eyes. “Do yez want to go in this thrip, or be yez goin’ out with us to capsize the boat?” queried the Irishman. I preferred to watch the latter proceeding from the shore, and was carried out by the cap- tain, A few moments’ rest, and the Gold- en Gate was again manned and sent climbing over the waves. After a few \ = 'Jr’;mfi > )‘fi{"” PeEving //7\7 i% HE Berypre f,l/ ) pigeon-wing maneuvers thers was & mo- ment of uplifted oars, a sudden dropping of them and the sailors all siid over Into one side of the boat. A moment later there was a whir!, and the bottom of the white craft appeared on the surface, the saflors burled in the water beneath her. Then eight rubber hats popped out of the water, eight pairs of hands laid hold of the Golden Gate and rolled her over, right side upward mbering into the boat, rill was resumed. This was the part of the practice known as “rolling” the boat. In good and bad weather, in smooth seas and rough ones, the drill goes on, tha life-saving crew always in readiness for the call of humanity and in perfect t ing to cope with the anger and treachery of the sea. e -saving crew are ex- pert e 1in, ! them in regular p At each weekly drill the boat is two or three times, and to the eight sail- orslof the crew it is but the sport of a moment to throw over the cra ke their ducking, lay hald of and right the boat again and climb aboard. At the end of the drill the boat came leaping in, the oars were shipped close to shore and the sailors, jumping out, waded through the waves. With their musical chorus of “Heave, y the trim eraft was hoi ing surf and on the boat wagon, and the good, stout horses of the service struggled into a brave trot over the sand and up the hill to the life-sa station. On dark, stormy nights, when the waves roll high, it is good to know that what- ever troubles come to vessels struggling with the wild sea there are eight good men and true willing and trained to the duty of rescue. It is on such nights that Captain Varney and his erew listen well for the signal of distress. and when it comes the Golden Gate is always at hand, ready at a moment's notice to launch into the roughest sea, climb the highest waves and brave the wildest storm. A cheer for her crew!