Adventure Magazine Cover, April 3, 1918 — page 102: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

100 Being forward, the ship was afraid to run into the wind toward shore on account of fanning the flames aft, and they were asking for help. The Dixie was a bare hundred miles away, and the nearest other ship was three times that. It was up to the training-ship. The Senator carried a big passenger-list, and a good part of her cargo was ammu- nition. When the Dixie picked her up, she asked that rescue hurry, as the passen- gers were demanding to be allowed to take to the boats, which the officers refused to do, as long as the Senator could steam back- ward toward land, and there was a chance of getting control of the fire. The Dixie answered that she was coming at full speed, and the final word from the Senator was that the fire was gaining, and there would be barely time to get the passengers to safety before the ammunition would be in danger. She had changed her course, and was running toward the Dixie, with the offshore wind on her beam. “We will sight her before daylight,” said the captain. ‘‘We are making eighteen knots and she about fifteen. That will give us about three hours. Let the crew sleep for two of them, and then call the Fire and Rescue Party.” “Aye, aye, sir,’ answered the first lieutenant. ‘‘The boat’s crews will need all the rest they can get. I would suggest, sir, that I have the cooks called so the men may have their breakfast before they are called away.’’ Lighting up the sky just as the dawn was lighting the east, the lookouts caught their first glimpse of the burning ship. An angry red glow, topped with smoke, almost hid her forward decks. The wireless was silent. Half an hour before the office had been burned out, and the last message had been “Aurry!”’ Mustered around the Dixie’s decks were the members of the Fire and Rescue Party. Most of the men who were to handle the boats with the boarding party were from the second division, and Cain Dugan was in charge. The other divisions were cast- ing off the securing lines, and getting their own boats provided and ready to rig out. “Get them all ready,’ was the first lieutenant’s order. ‘‘The Senator’s boats will be overloaded and some of them are too far forward to use.” As the ships drew nearer together the Adventure _Senator stopped her engines and began to lower her after boats. The sea was smooth and the launching not difficult. “Do not overload the boats,” signaled the Dixie. ‘“‘We will use ours to supplement yours.” It was soon light enough to see the men and women lining the after rails of the ship, and the groups around the boats. The Dixie was now close in, and as soon as her way was stopped the order came, “‘Away Fire and Rescue Party!” The first men went in the two lifeboats with only the regular crew and hospital steward. The cutters and launches would follow, and some of them carry the artificers, portable extinguisher detail, and artificial breathing apparatus. ‘The first boats were to rescue the lives and the others to fight the fire, if it were feasible. Running alongside the burning ship the boats filled to capacity and returned to the Dixie, then went back for another load. It was hard, exciting work. The passengers came first, some of them cool, some half-hysterical, most of them insisting on bringing their baggage. The Dixie’s men mingled with the crew of the Senator, lifting children and women into the boats, comforting the frightened, keeping back the cowardly able-bodied who pushed for- ward for first places. Cain Dugan had returned for his second load. The Senator’s boats and those from the Dixie had thinned out the passengers. Dugan was his usual self. On his first trip he had quarreled with a sailor from the Senator, and knocked the man down when he sought to take a place in the boat. “Get out,” he said harshly. ‘‘We’ll get you in plenty of time.” But the man came on, and Dugan struck him. Not until then did he see that the man was badly burned. “Served him right,” he _ growled. ““Shovin’ in. Why didn’t he say he was hurt?” : “You didn’t give him time,’ expostu- lated the hospital steward. “TI intend to report you for it.” All this had not improved Dugan’s temper. On the way over he had abused his crew for slowness, when they were rowing as if in a race, for the fact. that they were taking part in a rescue, and that the fire might reach the ammunition on the Senator and blow her up at any COnniclo@oo S (C@