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N a biiclit. cool. Invicoratintr day in ear
when the colonnc trees ot Indian summer lurea
tVin mnw fnrtunate ones to the crolf links and to
A A 2 l. Alan!H f lie nllilvlnr nnnnlvir T7t
"Tm forces, vice president and Reneral rnanap;er of one of the
&5SL tfreat oil companies, surprisingly joung-appearing for his
Pi position ot responsibility, sat at a nuge manogany nat
I top desk in his private office on the twentj-second floor
of one of Philadelphia's s:kyscrapers.
Before him were spread out production and refinery
'''k I i Drints of shiris. and most Drommently, as if most im
portant, a notice which sent flying all thought of
scheduling ocean shipments at anything like required
regularity to meet contract requirements on "the other
Bide."
It was October of the year before the United States
entered the great war. The Teuton submarine warfare on
merchant ships had caused ocean freight rates to ad
vance by leaps and bounds, until in 1915 they had reached
unheard-of levels. Not only were the prices prohibits e
but the scarcity of spate on freight ships became so
pronounced that it was practicallj impossible to make
shipments at any price, except by limited allotments of
the various' countries under which the few available ships
were operated.
Many ships earned in one trip across the Atlantic
Inore money than they originally cost. These conditions
Were each arranging themselves systematically in the
active mind of Forbes, general manager of the great oil
company.
Leisurely he straightened up. Then with his usual
nervous forcefulness he drew a cigarette from a pack
on his desk, snapped a safety match against its box,
drew deeply on the cigarette, and viciously twirled the
match through an open window. Almost lazily he lolled
back in his arm chair, exhaling great clouds of smoke.
Then, as unexnectedlv. he Tiitched forward to crrasn his
frw'p telephone, and in low-spoken, staccato words called a
RtHn man whose evident conversation indicated him to be a
r i ;' in aniTi nrnnr
Barely more than a minute later, Forbes clicked the
telephone receiver onto its inoffensive hook, and pushed
a button as though the very piessure on it could send
r ills iutkciuiuciii ujiu wuiity uvci luu mica iu inu uuci.
f iSX. Instantly a still younger man, whose whole atmosphere
jft&Jsi radiated self-assurance and a pronounced ability to
IS receive and execute orders, stepped hastily into the private
JwX. 'office.
jLf "Mac, how much Perfection oil have we at the Sea-
R there now, and 600 in transit from Titusille, which should
be here by the end of the week. That will give us 7000
barrels to apply on our contract lot for France."
"That's good work, Mac, I've just bought the 'Cupica.'
She's that tub that has been doing service between Africa
and the West Indies, a veritable tramp barque. She's 22C
feet long, 36 feet beam, 23 feet 6 inches deep 1600 dead
weight tons, so your 7000 barrels will just make up a
cargo. They tell mo she has just been fitted out
as an oil burner, twin-screw, and that she'll amble across
the pond in about 38 days. Get ahold of the best insnector
you can find, and go over her. But, we'll use her any-1
way. weve got to get that on across in spite ot H 1"
Mne was the 'Mner" of thu nfflrp. nnrl thn niwv nf tv,a
V
KiftlW other young men who were jealous of his so-called "pull"
SgW One morning, (Just ten days later), he stepped into
t the "chiefs" office as his superior was hanging up his
E hat.
V- 'M "Well, chief, the 'Cunica is loaded, manned, and clnars
jf. today for London, chuck full of Perfpr.Unn lnVmVntino' nil
mS By George, I'll bet those boys will be glad to see her oer
RjAft' there, 'ihey tell me at the river that the reports are
EtY wl twrstained oer what they have to use in their trucks
' my V and ambulances because there isn't enough real oil to
&Sgtv more Ulan keeP the airmen up. Good God ! chief, you've
Kub w yui, muiioj uh uio jou bo x can go over ana get
pijSnto that fight" Mac's face was crimson with youth's
s? men who took the necessities of war "over thero ." and of
'-rft fie just as brave men, boys and women who bared their
jyj ra w mu ucatiijucuiiuK u-ucia turn Hiiciis oi ine nuns.
$r' The chiefs answer was typical. "Hold on, boy, wait
"i until It gets to be your fight. No doubt they -need you,
1 i'.but bo do I, and your wife now." Silently Forbes was
yieased. In fact, he still had to encounter his first time
be displeased with the way Mac worked. He had started
fwf-jsewral times to ask him about the "Cupica," but hesi-
tUd because he knew Mac would be "there" in reason
able time. He had not been disappointed.
i k Bob Forbes had always loved ships and ship men. He
knew lota of'both he associated with both when his big
. bttJcfeee permitted. So now, he knew the man he wanted
t take the "Cupica" across the man he knew could take
aetoweun pits of Hell and its arch-fiends, the German
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That man was Captain Wilson a natural-born "down
east" mariner, with six feet two inches of square jawed,
loyal determination, tempered by an inherent love of firm
kmdnes's. The crew weie, one and all, men picked by Cap.
Wilson he knew them, that was enough.
Just at sundown the "Cupica" cast off, and swung
out into the Delawaie, away from her home moorings
at the Seaboard oil plant. Proudly Cap. Wilson directed
the operations from the wheel-house forward, as the
heavily-laden oil vessel slipped gracefully out into the
current and down the liver on the first lap of her ad
venturous ojage, as though eager to again shove her
nose into the cool, refreshing waters of the ocean in the
depths of which lurked those unseen foes, and fatal
mines thickly strewn about in the well-traveled lanes of
the sea.
On, on she went, knowing no fear, with the staunch
support of her stalwatt crew, whose faith in their officer
was implicit.
Through the dajs of the first weeks all was serene.
Thei job of the look-out in the crow's-nest became
monotonous. He almost wished something exciting would
happen.
As the "Cupica" neared the Irish coast, at breakfast
one morning the colored cook suiprised cveiy one by
wagging his square, kinky head, as with 1 oiling eves,
he said in deep, shaky basso, "Oh, lavvdy, captain, today
we'se sho' gwine to be sank. Las' night ah dieam ma
mammy kiss me and say, 'Lor' bless' you ma chile, pin on
yore life deserver, for ah done had a vision what say
to morrow you'se gwine to a watery grave.' "
Loud laughter at this ominous prognostication fol
lowed the cook back to his galley, and from then on the
story of the negro's dream was mouthed to every one
aboard. Some of the more superstitious men were noticed
scanning the sea during spare moments that day, jet
making certain that they loafed near the great bins of life
preservers.
However, in spite of the cook's warning, not a sub
marine was sighted, and the "Cupica" steamed up the
Thames to London. Here, in maneuvering in the harbor,
amid a bedlam of whistled signals, a confusion and mis
understanding of intentions resulted in a collision with
the S. S. "Angelica Maersk." The minor injuries re
ceived by the "Cupica" did not interfere with the
unloading of her valuable cargo of Perfection lubricating
oil. Captain Wilson then secured drydock facilities; but
labor conditions were such that the "Cupica" lay there
for fivo months before her necessary repairs were com
pleted and she could again take to the water.
In June, 1917, two months after the United States
declared war, the "Cupica" arrived in Philadelphia with
a cargo of chalk.
She was immediately reloaded and in July sailed for
London with another complete cargo of Perfection oil.
By this time, Uncle Sam and John Bull were protecting
the Merchantmen with convoys, and the uneventful jour
ney was made with dispatch and safety.
Throughout the history of the world, men have been
made careless by the absence of conditions to excite
caution. They become rashly bravo through over-confidence
or forgetfulness of danger. Such men are not
fit to bo trusted with the direction of others or to be
shouldered with responsibility for the protection of lives
and property,
9 Such a man Captain Wilson was not. His many hard
voyages before the mast which had won his gold braid,
and his worthy jears upon the bridge had taught him the
treachery of the sea. And the voyages of the first three
jrcojo uj. um uwiui war nau laugnr. mm tho treachery
of tho stealthy foe.
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Captain Wilson knew his danger. He knew and
realized his duty to his owners and his crew.
It was in August of 1917 that our heroic Captain
piloted his ship out of England. Hardly had she left the
English Channel when the lookout and deck office, s
sighted three super submarines as they rose from the
depths, bcaicely two cable lengths away with the glisten
ing water rushing down their sides, as over the sleek
bodies of terrible sea serpents of fiction.
Although surrounded by the vipers of the sea, Captain
Wilson maintained his proverbial stolidity and coolness.
Without notice, even though the subs were within shout
ing distance, a gun boomed and a shell hurtled and howled
over the bow of the "Cupica."
Fearful were the odds against the ill-fated "Cupica."
Even had she been armed, her gun could have been but
futile against the clever service-trained gunners of the
subs.
Yet, with typical Yankee presence of mind, Captain
Wilson engaged the nearest submarine commander in
conveisation, while the men on the lee side hastened to
get the boats and lafts ready.
In perfect English, the German megaphoned "what
ship is that?" And while Captain Wilson shouted "Can't
hear you!" several times, he put the "Cupica" under slow
ipeed ahead, and gradually swung around," as though
drifting, until his bow was a the stern of the nearest
sub and in a direct line between two of the enemy. This
left him at the mercy of only the more .distant sub. and
that one dared not discharge a gun or torpedo for fear
of spreading death among its co-death dealers.
Now near enough to cause fear of being rammed, the
German, who had first asked the name of the barque,
continued his megaphone questioning.
"Who are you, and what is your cargo?"
To which Captain Wilson bellowed his response
"We're the Skip-and-Gct-Thero from Hell-Roaring
Swamp. And if wo could get more than six measly knots
out of this mongrel we'd show you navigating that would
maKo your wheel hand thinK nea joined a circus.
This exhibition of Yankee nerve piqued the Teuton
severely. Ho had not encountered anything
like it on
his voyage of depredation,
Importunately, he repeated his question'
"What is
your cargo "
Passively, Caplaln Wilson replied with a voice that
needed no megaphone. "Why, we have a hold full of lira
burger cheese today, just fresh from the cheese-foundry!
But when we came over we brought a load of shells for
tho Germans!"
"Shells for the' Germans?" repeated the enemy,
"Why, how could you get, them oyer?"
"Shot them over!" answered the stalwart Yankee.
With that, another German appeared at the top of
the conning tower and handed the officer a piece of
paper.
, His eyes brightened, and, he sliook his fist at Captain
Wilson, as ho shrieked in anger at tho jest, and In his
anger reverted to broken English, "AchJ nun I know you.
r-c was aio uupica. von rmiaaeipnia wnicn Dringa to
j der AUlea datf flne . yo, WAnd he turned
pica.
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to the gunners! Realizing his great danger, Captain
Wilson's face blanched, as he firmly stood lus ground
at the forward rail.
A gun boomed, thero was a terrific crunch and the
poor "Cupica" trembled and lurched forward mortally
wounded at her water line.
At this, the men who had leisurely released the boats
from the davits, now floundered over each other for seats
and oars when the blood-thirsty fiends opened fire from
all three submarines simultaneously, plugging the hull
of the ill-fated "Cupica."
After eighteen shots had been fired into her, near
the water line, she slowly began to fill, and In less than
an hour, the vessel with her cargo disappeared beneath
the waves, leaving but a boiling, surging surface to
momentarily mark her departure to the port of missing
ships.
Their hellish deed completed, the three marauders as
silently disappeared, leaving the "Cupica's" officer and
crew to their fate in the open boats.
The storm-swept waves gave desolate promise of
death. Yet, under the most hazardous conditions, the
law of self-preservation is such that strong men set about
doing to their fullest what is to be done to get them to
safety.
Hours piled into what seemed davs. Tongues were
swollen and throats burned with thirst. Some of the
weaker men became exhausted from the nerve-racking
battle against the waves that almost swamped the tiny
boats. They cried to be shot and thrown overboard.
Yet, the up-bearing, hope-inspiring presence of Cap
tain Wilson was felt as he took, an oar to relieve one
of the crew who became nauseated with fatigue. Perhaps
through divine guidance and sympathy, the boats were
able to keep close together.
Night came on. Tollow-burnlng, water-proof lanterns
were clamped to the bow of each'boat to prevent their
being separated in the darkness and lost, the Captain only
being able to guide them toward Bhore by rneans of a
tiny watch-charm compass he wore. In this respect
It is generally understood that the Crew Levick Company is the oldest and one ot
the largest producers of petroleum products. Their superior quality "Perfection"
motor oils and grtases are refined exclusively from the famous Pennsylvania,' varafKn
base crude. r v
CREW LEVICK CO.
Ill NORTH' BROAD STREET, PHILADELPHIA
I BrCWc. 7$.
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fate had been good, else they all surely would have been
lost.
Long hours after the Inky blackness of a' moonless
night had settled, like an opaque blanket over allj the
dulled ears and senses of thb men were quickened by the
well-known boom and swish of waves breaking over rock3.
Could they be near land 7 God grant that hope he
realized! 1
A few minutes later, a "great wave carried the first
boat well up onto a rocky shore, the flow leaving it there
side-tilted, spilling the stiff, aching men over, each other,
too lame and dazed to move, until revived by the second
wave, a little less vicious, spraying their faces ahd
bodies with its cold. Shortly the others safely followedi
making insecure landings, v '
After resting on the wet rocks to regain their strength,
the mqn under the leadership of Captain yilson made
their way to the nearby fishing hamlet. Food and warmth
soon revived the spirits''' and vitality of these ijardy men
of the sea, and before another sun they "were on their
way to London and another berth to defy tjie submarine
peril in taking supplies to the valiant armies of the
Allies. , v
Captain Wilson was later lost .whilo in command of
a ship owned by a Canadian shipping company, which
foundered and went down in a heavy.sea.
Thus ends the story of one of tho best and bravest of
our war heroes, the Captain of a merchant ship which
did its full bit to aid the Crew L6vick Company (to.
deliver supplies of "Perfection" Motor Oils arid Grea.
to our Allies in tho great war.
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