Daily national Republican. (Washington City [D.C.]) 1870-1872, 1872-09-21

Ihe htofI OF Her0's ueeth.
The London Daily Telegraph, In lis Issue
Of September g. says
"Noble as Ia the tale Of the Blrkonhoad, II
finds It's parallel In the account of the death
Of Paul Elsou, English pilot In charge Of the
ship Rothe5ay. On tue 10th Of July this
vessel, which had three days before cast of
the Calcutta tug aud steamed safely out Of
the horrible jungles aud swamps OF the Sun
derbunds, was caught by cyclone. On the
3Oth she lay wreck, all hopes VI saving her
long past. Then the pilot, Paul Elson, the
one man who secms 10 have had bis wits
about him. collected few volunteers, and
rugged raft. Thirteen only OI the crow got
on herr tic rest were frantic with terror
some praying, others drunk, others rnVlng,
others dashed inGNtriCably 10 the slnking vOs-
sci. ElsOn was the last To leave the ship;
lCaplng overheard, he swan 10 tho raft, cut
the bawscr that held her, aud constituted
himself by Inherent right her sole officer.
Within an hour the doomed vessel bceled,
lurchcd heavily, and went down head first.
All that day and all that night the raft
drillcd, heavy seas breaking over her. 1--WE
wcrSup IN our necks In water" says the mau
who tells the tale, for she hOated low" All
that night, nevertheless, ElsOu, who was u
powerful swimmer, swan round aud round
the raft lNshlng her together and strengthen.
Ing her rs best he could. Ever and au1u the
furious breakers washed u man OF, Aud then
would the brave pilot, who had not only the
heart but the strength Of giant, strike out
toward him and carry the drowning wretch
back. But al last Il became apparent that
the raft must he broke up, and that a second
and smaller raft must be constructed to relieve
the other. This, too, the pilot effected almost
single handed. The large raft hOAted away
into the night; ElsOn and three other mon
took the smaller, while on tue other dTlited
away u native boy, Paul ElsUn's servant; Of
whom hitherto, IN the midst Of all bis terrible
toll the brave pilot had never once lost sight
No kept near hun he tended him rs q
llolhor would tend her child he gave him
our last supply Of drinkablo water"
THE vessel had III K On the 10Th Of July I;
II was now the - Of August. The raft was
drifting under araging tropical sun for three
days there had been no food, no water wOrse
than this, the frall support Itself began TO
break up, an J., swimming about In n heavy
surf, Paul ElsOn became much exhausted.
The end Of course could not now Us far OF.
First Que Of the men was washed away, and
then another, until Elson himself aud the
ScotChman who tells the story were the sole
survivors.
"'Pilot said $50 the narrative rins-'we
must fight II through oh, FrasorN Rn-
swsred he, 4 can't hold out any longer
-" Then heavy sea broke upon US and
knocked him of. / found II impossible 10
hand on, aud was forced TO let him go"
Aud so the story ends. The body OF Pilot
ElsOn, worn out by his lnccssant labOrs,
noats away into the great deep, there TO lie
| till the sea shall give up Its dead. For hour
after hour he had lAbored and tOiled, wasting
himself and his Strength In the effort To sue
cor those whom he had under his charge, 4
hundred times over he forgot to think of him
self; he broke Ills great heart In au obstinate
effort TO save, not himself, but the others.
| AL night he swan around tho raft tighten
ing a rope here, wedging In a spar there
when the native boy was dellrious he handed
him the last drop Of wafer; when hope grew
desperate his CHEEKY voice brought back
| fresh life and strength to the dUsOlatc; and al
last, when all strength Is gone, when thOsI
stout limbs were cold and numbed and we'll
nigh dead, aud ialntness, brought by III,
delugiug salt spray aud the dreadful bllndinl
sun, has set Uneven then the brave man die
as he ought 10 have died-endlng molly. 81
told him" says Fraser, THAT II he cOuldn'
hold on | would lash him" He then made
some exclamation about his poor wife, ant
said, 81 try TO stand it," but a huge wave
rearing It's hundred foamlng crests Agains
the skies, washed Paul Elson oh-hls bod
TO the deep, aud his soul to his God.