The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1885-09-26
1T WAS ONLY BLACK SAND.



Erie Canal.
A New England skipper. a shipping
clerk and the Captain OF a canai-boa
sat on the lee rail of Goldfish schoonel
and discussed the decline of the Ameri
can merchant marine. The clerk wa
wise in fine points Of law. the skipper
was filed to overlooking with wratl
against the land-sharks at Washington
and the Captain assented with Cheerful
readiness to the most conflicting o
opinions. The clerk wanted to reform
Congress by congressional legislation
the skipper was on the point Of blowing
up the Capitol with dynamite, and thu
Captain conceded with both opinions b,
remarking that either remedy, if sue
cessfully carried into effect, would pro
duce astonishing results. Still, he ven
tured to suggest, it would be a measur,
OF precaution to use gunpowder insteat
Of dynamite, as gun-powder in even tn,
shotgun of the South was more deadl,
than all the dynamite in the British
isles.
But it's so dangerous to handle, >
said the skipper.
"How sop inquired the clerk, who
had handled uncounted tons of explo
sives.
You never can tell it from black
sand"
There was silence for several minutes.
Then the Captain spoke
''Is black sand particularly danger.
ousp" he asked.
Mighty dangerous.
How SOP" asked the clerk, with a
tinge of humiliation for his ignorance,
when you're down on the Chinese
coast, and you load up your guns with
black sand in mistake for powder to
repel an attack by pirates, you're always
sure to be murdered, because the black
sand will not go of.
Wont it?" asked the Captain, in q
tone that implied that 1t would.
Il never heard" said the skipper.
The clerk was dumb through newly
found ignorance.
You see that scar" said the Captain,
pointing to red ridge across his cheek.
well, give us the story" urged the
aft was years ago." began the Cap
tain; ! was running fast packet line
on the Erie canal from Albany to Buff
falo. had beautiful boat and four
fast horses every few miles. We carried
the mail and always had big load Of
passengers. One trip we took on board
a lot OF small barrels labeled black
sand. One OF the barrels was acct
dentally broken open. the cover lost,
and quart or so of the black sand
scattered about the hold. The barrel
was set out OF the way near the wine
cask. and apparently was forgotten.
At dinner time some more wine was
wanted by some Of the passengers. and
l went down to draw it frsm the
cask. As the hold was dark I took a
broken piece of candle for . light.
Scarcely knowing what did stuck
the candle upright in the black
sand, and sat down on the floor
to draw the wine. / had been up
all night and was very tired. and
some how or other / fell asleep. ] must
have shut off the faucet while asleep,
for when l awoke the wine pitcher was
filled and the faucet closed. As I
reached out my hand to take up the
candle / saw a sight that froze nv
blood with horror While had silent
the candle had burned low and was on
the point Of Pickering out In another
instant theshame would reach the DOW
der-for of course it was powder, and
no black sand-and blow boat, crew,
and passengers to atoms. l died a
thousand deaths in an instant was
paralyzed with fear, and could only
wait with staring eyes for the end.
Death was already at my throat. The
sound of laughter in the cabin came
strangely to my ears. They were feast
ing in the face of terrible death. At
last the end came; the light flickered
for a moment, flared up for the last
time, and then"
'.And thenP" whispered the skipper
and the clerk with breathless interest.
''And then went out. As it was
nothing but black sand for holders
use. nothing occurred beyond the up
setting of the pitcher of wine as 1 fell
forward in faint"
But the scarP' asked the clerk.
kicked by mule; usual way with
canal men. IN Y Times.