The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1880-05-04
THE DAILY STAR
TIE PHANT0A In THE AIR.

We passed through bearings otralbs
with everything humming Our ship was
the Warren, Captain Blake. We were
bound far north ON a surveying expedi-
tion. ..-......-...-
was aloft serving the footrope on the
maintopsailyard where. h had become
jammed against the faast when far
ahead Of me, looming up from the CEN
ter of an ice-foe, l saw something huge
and black. q.
/ at once notified the captain, who,
with spy-glass in hand, mounted aloft
at il, some kind of a craft which has
been stove in and capsized in. the ice|
said he.
Then he gave orders to lower the quarter
boat, which, soon after, With good crew,
was speeding along toward the object.
was one of the crew, having been
called down to take INV thwart; and / at
once proclaimed my opinion that the
craft was the. bark Winchester, vessel
whichw had spoken during gale lew
days before.
Having expressed my opinion to one
Of the boats crew, an old tar he said that
he, too, thought as ! did, although no
trace Of the vessels name could eds
covered, her sternboard having been,
ripped off by wave and ice.
The mainyard was braced forward on
our return, and we proceeded on, our
course.
Next morning we were obliged to tack.
There was a thick fog bank, and the
same huge foe of ice we had seen on the
day before, ahead of us, as we came
round,
lwas looking toward it earnestly, en-
deavoring to make out the capsized
wreck, when, far up in the air, far above
the ice, | beheld the figure of woman,
family discernible through, a slight mist.
There it was, apparently floating. along
through the air, waited by the breeze.
was about pointing it out to my
msssmates, when, TO my chagrin, fog
cloud rolled over the mirage and con-
cealed it. Soon our knightheads, spirit
sailyard, foreri2ging, foretopsailyard,
every available part Of the ship, in fact,
was crowded with blue jackets, all anx-
iously gazing toward the spot l. had
pointed out. ,..
Wesnow were running two points free,
under whole topsails, and topgallant-
sai1s, SO that we made good progress. In
q quarter Of an hour the fog cleared,
when there again, sure enough, was, my
mirage-the form of the girl, still appar-
emily floating along Through the air
1t now bore about point off our lee
bow, wherefore orders were given to the
quartermaster to keep off. He obeyed,
and we went. booming swiftly, along,
with the cold spray and little splinters
OF ice flying around our. bows like
showers of diamonds. Away we went, in
chase, as it were, Of the mirage, which
seemed slowly to recede from us as we
bowled along.
One old tara sheet-anchorman-
rolled his quid, and shook his mead SOL
emnly. ..''
"That ere's a sprite," he growled,
"Rve heard Of them things afore, and, /
know that no good will come of our.
chasing it.
Just as he spoke, the girls form,
growing fainter and fainter every mo-
ment, suddenly vanished. s4
The sheet-anchorman shook his head,
as much as to say, "You see Twas in the
right then went about his business 8
Meanwhile the ship had approached
within quarterofia mile of the foe,
when, the fog again clearing, we saw the
mystical figure, still seeming to main
tain its position in the air. ID
The captain ordered the mainyard
backed and the cutter lowered.
LADS" said he, addressing his men,
when they were mustered aft, "there's a
woman somewhere in distress-probably
floating on a cake Of ice. We'll have a
hard pull, / doubt not, to get her, but
what is hardship, it it be the means of
our saving human life! Who'll volun-
teerw - 3Arr.or t.'>I,
A dozen men. myself among them. at
once stepped forward, touching, their
caps. The cutter was manned, and away
she went, cracking along through the
ice.
The plul was hard one, sure enough.
Themen tuggcd at the oars until the
breath seemed nearly worked out of
them, while, in spite Of the cold weather,
great drops of sweat rolled down their
faces 5.,a5.. ...[. ..-t. ... ,..,
Meanwhile, every time we threw a
gIance over our shoulders there was. a
mirage still, as far off MS ever, moving
along through the air. '
"Pull aheadl'' our captain would ex-
claim, cheerily, zone more stroke"
Aud that one more stroke was given
over and over thousand times, bring
iug us no nearer than before. ~
Crack! crack! crack!-thug! thug!
thug! went the ponderous oars, until our
heads swain with our exertions, and the
the gold band round tile, captains cap
lookedaike yellow, glittering snake. .
Wehad not proceeded much further
when the mirage disappeared, aud a gale
pounced upon us screaming like thou
sand demons. The bergs were tossed all
around us, and a stoyen boat seemed il
prospect. The huge masses kept grating
agaiiist of1r' vessel. notwithstanding the ex.