April 8 Tuesday – Sam’s notebook: “Before midnight, storm came on. Much rolling. Violent squalls of wind, with downpour of rain, lightning—one boom of thunder, rather mellow. Took shelter in Delaware breakwater before dawn. Several other vessels—coal tugs outside with women & children in the barges. Myriad of ducks / On Knees for Matches. Fine piece of navigating” [NB 45 TS 9].

Sam’s ship log offers a somewhat less cryptic account:

Before midnight a storm came on. Much & competent rolling. Violent squalls of wind, with heavy downpour of rain, some flashes of lightning—one solitary thunder-boom, rather mellow. I put on a dressing-gown & an over-coat & went up to the poker-chapel at 2 a.m. to smoke. Found everything on the floor in a mess, & the matches underneath—but on my knees I secured them in time to explain to the Commodore, who put his head up for a moment. Then Hutton came up, & said, his bed was wet—which compelled comment.

The deluge of rain blotted out the coast-lights, & we had to find the Delaware Breakwater with the lead, after running many miles beyond it. Secured shelter there before dawn—a handsome navigation exploit. A big ship followed our lights & saved herself from destruction thereby.

Tarried all day. Other vessels in refuge with us—among them a great liner. Very stormy outside.

Myriads of ducks [MTP].

April 8, ca. – Thomas R. Lounsbury wrote to Sam, wanting to know “what in hell is an oesophagus” in his “Double-Barrelled Detective Story.” (Sam’s line: “Far in the empty sky a solitary oesophagus slept upon motionless wing”) [MTP].