The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1877-11-22
Selsat Sagg.
SINARIHANISM At SEA.
An Ocean Steamer VlCtualing a
Starving Crew.

Star line, is six days out upon her voyage
from New York to Liverpool; six days
out and still throbs onward, ever onward
The weather has been superb, the sea
smooth as q billiard table, the sky blue
as that of Italy, save when wooed by
the sun as Jupiter wooed Dame, in a show
er ofgold The passengers have become
familira one with the other, and even
the stiffest and most shirt.Collared are
not contemptuously naughty when an
observation is made anent the glorious
weather. Pools are made upon the run
of the ship; chess, draughts, dominoes,
and whist are played in the saloon and
smoking.room, and shuttle. board and
uuoits are enjoyed upon the deck Brown
flirts with Miss Smith in odd out'of-the-
way corners, only known to Brown and
the gay young lady Aforesaid; and Jones
pays devoted attention to Thompson's
widow,who is going to Europe-poor dear
thingl-to endeavor to stifle her deadly
grief for her defunct lord, and-just to
have little quiet enjoyment in Paris,
very quiet and proper, ana all that sort
of thing. Timid passengers are on terms
of easy footing with the subordinate Off
Cersand daring ones speak to the captain
as though he was mere ordinary son OF
the great republic upon the sidewalk of
Broadway instead of on the bridge. .ofthe
BrittaniC, and $50 miles from anywhere.
Sentimental young ladies pore over gush
ing novels in deck chairs, to the display
of dainty buttoned gloves and still dain-
tier. buttoned boots, intensely ccquettish
head.wraps framing their charming faces
in colored worsteds Of the most becoming |
and beWitching Colors. Elderly ladies
read serious books, printed in large Type,
and crochet as industriously as Penelope |
herself. Elderly gentlemen will insist
upon perusing the Herald or Sun, as |
though in their sanCtums on Murray Hill |
OF Wall street. Languid swells take con-
stitutional walks in order to fit them |
selves up for the dinner-bell and the poor |
steerage passengers, who dare not pene- |
trate beyond the foremost, gaze with in
tense curiosity at all that is going on in |
that great world from which they are so
peremptorily excluded. Everything is an
event at sea-from the setting Of a sail to
a ship in the ofting, from the whistle of
the "bo'sn" to the glimpse ofa whale. A
puff of smoke in the far, far distance de-
notes an ocean steamer, and from the
moment it appears till it becomes lost to
sight the passengers continue to watch
as if all they loved best on earth were
contained in the disappearing craft. 1t
was glorious morning, and the Britain.
mic was six days out.
"Is that ship, Captain2" asks an in
quisitive passenger, placing his ocean
glass to his eyes and sweeping the oting'
"Yesw
ave seem going for her"
Fright. She's flying signals of distress"
In an instant all is commotion amongst
the passengers. A ship in distress, on
fire, water-logged ,sinking,and wild idea
gained favor that she would disappear in
the yawning deep ere the Britannia could
possibly come alongside her,
The ship lay about ten miles to port
She was thing of beauty upon the wa
ters, bark, with snowy sails all set,
painted ship upon painted ocean.
The captain, officers, and crew ara be-
Beiged with questions as to the nature of
the small flags that hang limp and lifeless
upon the mizzen shrouds
'Is she sinking, captain?" |
II think can see hole in her hull"
"I'm certain shson fire; there is smoke
coming from abaft the mainmast" the
Ia, Of lonIdpoar u,an 'oc fhair
attire, becomes strictly nautical when
six days out. .........
Perhaps there's sickness on board.
yellow fever.
"She looks like pirate" exclaims a
gushing young lady,who has been perns-
ing a thrilling romance of the deep, land
had better be careful not to approach too
close captain"
AS the Britannia drew nearer, the ex-
element became more intense.
'She is anugly-looking customer"
"She's French. | see the triColOr."
eyes, but it's like the flag of Italy"
"Itsly? I'll lay you seven to ten she's
q Frenchman."
Can you make out her signals, Cap
tain?" .......... ....
Thus referred to, the captain briefly re-
piled in the affirmative. What mex
haustible patience must ye possess, ye
captains of ocean steamersl What hum
dreds of thousands of idiotic queries have
ye to replyto? What apprehensions have
ye not to allay? What ignorance to edu-
Catel What audacity to sit uponl
"Yes," responds the captain.
"What is she?" lm
"Italian."
"Where from?" .-t e.. ..aH
"Messina." f.
"What is the natter" aaa
''She's short of provisions"
"a starving crew" flies round the ship,
and ghasty tales of men being reduced
to the desperate resource of feeding off
each other until the last man is left to
steer the ship and die alone, are circula-
ted with startling rapidity, and swallow
ed with gluttonous avidity.
"a boall She's lowering boat"
"Thank heaven there is somebody alive
on boardw ar.
"See the men sliding down the rope"
"0ne, two, three, four, FIVE"
The progress of the boat is watched
with the keenest interest.
"There are seven men in her."
mo, five. counted them"
"How slowly they are pulling"
The great steamer stops her engines
and drifts. The sensation of stoppage is
strange and soothing, but startling. The
brain is sbraCed up to the perpetual throbs,
and the sudden ease-oR produces reac-
ton difficult to describe, as it is a sensa-
ton to experience, not to write.
The tiny boat-what a cockle.shell it
appears from the immense height of the
walls of the floating city!-comes within
hail, and a strange series of sounds pass
from the Leyiathan to the minnow, and
vice versa.
"Who speaks Italian?"
A swarthy sailor, with eyes black as
jet, and gold earrings in his ears, swings
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