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Showing posts with label old salts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label old salts. Show all posts

Wednesday, July 19, 2023

Watch The Bubbles Boys!

Hello everyone.  Praise the Lord!

I was visiting my uncle on the old family farm in Central Wisconsin.  He was sharing with me about his old navy days the destroyer USS Wadleigh in 1954.  Those old destroyers were very small, and they could just disappear in the large ocean. He volunteered for destroyer service because they traveled the most around the world.


One day a large storm came upon them! One of the old salts said, "watch for the bubbles boys!"  The order went out to baton down all of the hatches!  As the little ship was thrown around the crew down below grew afraid!  When they rolled over at a 41° angle,  they were not sure if they capsize or not!  

The captain of the ship got on the intercom and shouted for the crew to prepare to abandon ship!  The crew immediately got into their life vests. Again,  one of the old salts yelled, "watch the bubbles boys!"
At this point all of the crew were down below in their life vests. My young sailor uncle asked one of the old salts what "watch the bubbles" meant. The old salt explained like this.


If the ship would capsize and flood with sea water, you follow the bubbles!  Bubbles will always flow upwards, towards the surface.  He said to watch the bubbles and swim in that direction!  Every compartment on the ship always had two hatches. One could be opened and closed at will, this is the main hatch. The second hatch is the safety hatch. That hatch would always remain closed, but always unlocked. It is the way of escape!

The ship rode out the storm and eventually came out of it. That day they didn't need to follow the bubbles! As Christians,  our way of escape is to follow the Bible. The bubbles of God's Word will lead us to safety in our time of distress!


William James Roop