SHIPS THAT PASS 



251 



elements. The tremendous power in the en- 

 gines carries her through wind and storm, 



spray 



throusrh wave and 



Nothing 



halts 



or 



holds her for more than a moment. As the 

 waters come rushing at her there is an easy 

 bend and sway to the long body; she rises and 

 falls, rolls quietly with a broadside, pitches 

 sharply with a head sea; but there is no pause, 

 no stop. The steady thrust of the screws keeps 

 driving her ever on and on. Far away at sea 

 her motion is still apparent, and finally when 

 she is hull down beyond the rim, and only the 

 black banner of smoke trailing along the hori- 

 zon tells where she " blows," we still feel that 

 she is moving, shouldering the waves away, 

 pushing on and on ; methodically, mechanically 

 if you will, but still resistlessly. 



The mechanism and the method become al- 

 most human in their stuliborn perseverance 

 when the vessel is steaming in storm against 

 fierce head winds. There is the deep plunge of 

 the bow in the waves, the alternate lift of the 

 stern out of water, the swift racing of the ex- 

 posed screws for a few moments; and then the 

 settling down again to a steady thump-thump, 

 thump-thump, thump-thump ! The waves may 

 board her and break davits, bridges, and stan- 

 chions, she may pitch and roll till cabin and 



The power 

 of steam. 



The steady 

 drive for- 

 ward. 



Stemming 



throuy/i 



storm. 



