Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1880-08-12
A Dreamer's Vision.

THE following singular statement Of
facts is contributed to the editors
drawer of Harper's Magazine by Mr.
George A. Hanscom, of Lowell, Massa-
chusettS:
The reading of the " Puzzle for Meta
physicians" in the June number of
your Monthly, recalls to the writer the
most remarkable occurrence of like ma
ture which a nautical experience of
twenty years afforded. This is another
of those experiences which 60 to prove
the occasional thinness of the curtain
which limits the natural vision of NOR
tails.
In 1869 was in Suez, in command of
the British steamship Neera, belonging
to the Bombay and Bengal Steamship
Company company owning line of
steamers born of the necessities of the
manufacturing world when the supply
of American cotton was so largely cut
off by the war of the rebellion. The
line was under the management of Will
liam F. Stearns, now deceased, son of
the late Professor Stearns, of Amherst
College, man who, going to India
penniless, developed qualities which en-
abled him to rise on the flood tide of
prosperity to a colossal fortune and
high social position, but, as it proved,
only to see his riches float out on the re-
ceding tide, and leave his family but
poorly provided for at his untimely
death.
The Neera was lying in Suez Roads,
the canal being not yet open, awaiting
passengers, etc., before sailing on her
return voyage to Bombay. The PENN
sular and Oriental Company's steamship
Carnatic was also about ready to sail
for the same port, and only waiting
mails and passengers. 1t happened that
the passengers for the two steamers
came across the isthmus together, and
that two old friends and school-mates
met, the one to join the Neera, the other
the Carnatic. A day was spent by the
friends, who Unexpectedly met on the
Egyptian desert, in recounting their ex-
periences since they last parted, and,
naturally enough, there was good deal
of badinage between them as to the
comparative merits of the two steamers,
and as to which should first land on the
"coral strand" upon which these
"griffins - were to be initiated into
their duties in the I" civil SERVICE" to
which they had been newly appointed.
The Carnatic was the first to be
ready, and sailed from Suez in the
morning; the Neera left early in the
evening, some ten or twelve hours after
the mail steamer. The night was fine,
and at breakfast-time we had passed
Shaduan Island, were out of the Gulf of
Suez, and into the Red Sea proper.
Breakfast was served on deck, under
double awnings of heavy canvas. The
young gentleman who had left his friend
the day before seemed somewhat de-
pressed in spirits, and during breakfast
said, rather anxiously, "Captain, at
what time did we stop last nightp"
"Stop! We have not stopped since
leaving" was the reply.
"Not even to take soundings P"
"No; the engines have not been eased
since leaving port"
The young man seemed much sur
prised, and finally said that he had a
most vivid and remarkable dream dur
ing the night, and this he proceeded to
relate in substance as follows:
"In my dream it appeared to me that
the steamer was stopped during the
night, and that went on deck to ascer-
tain the cause. saw q boat pulling off
from an island to intercept us, and a
lantern was waved to arrest our atten-
ton. As the boat came nearer saw
my friend Morton standing in the stern.
AS he came up the gangway ladder
said, For Gods sake, Morton, what
brings you here p / never saw him
palmer, nor heard his voice more dis
tinctly than when he said, the Car
natic has struck rock, and gone down /;