Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-10-04


course. As we drew near the other
side of the Atlantic we got more and
more out OF our bearings. and at last
| the fogs told us we were somewhere
| OIL the banks Of Newfoundland. but
where no one was quite sure. IL seem.
ed to me it had all happened before, or
l had read it, or dreamed it. At all
events, it was hardly Il surprise to me
when, on the tenth night, just after
midnight. the awful crash aud shock
took pIacc-a sensation which no one
who has not felt it can imagine in the
lcast-and we knew that the Antarctic
had struck.
1t is a fearful thing, il you come to
think OF IL, II great steamer filled with
living souls in the full flow OF life and
health, and in one moment the call
coming to each of them to die. Before
you could have struck match the
"hol" snip was IN panic--crics, ter
ror, confusion. agony-Oh. it was aw
fuI! | trust never to see such "A scene
again. | made my way through it all
IA II had neither eyes nor ears, and
got to the statc-roOm ! had long ago
found out was the one which belonged
20 my girl. ! knocked at tho door
with a heavy hand; even at that awful
moment "A thrill ran through me at the
thought nf standing face to face with
her agalh.
"Winnyn' | cried. "comc out! make
haste! there is not "A moment to losc!"
The door opened as spoke, and she
stood just within, ready dressed. even
to her little black hat. The cabin light
had been left burning. by the hH,tor's
orders, and it fell full on me as stood
there in my sailors jersey and cap. /
wondered If she would know me. |
forgot the danger we were in--iorgJt
that death was waiting close at hand
forgot that the world held any one but
just her and me.
"Dick'' she cried" son. Dick.
Dick!' and sna fell forward in a dead
faint on my shoulder.
All my senses came back to me then
and | threw her over my arm and ran
for the deck. A great fur-lned cloak
had been dropped by the door of "
ladies' cabin. There was no light. but
stumbled over it as ran. | snatched
it up and carried it with me.
Up above, all was in the widest
chaos; the boats ovcriillcd. and push
ing of; the ship settling rapidly; peo-
pie shouting. crying, swearing. One
hears tales Of calmness and courage
often enough At such times, which
make ones heart glow as one reads
them; but there was not much heroism
shown in the wreck Of the Antarctic.
The captain bohaTed splcndidly, and
so did some of the passengers. ba. the
M Of hp nj b,.
mad with terror, and lost their heads
altogether.
, | saw tage was not a chance sor tho
otcr-cTeetsd boats in that sea, and |
sprans sss Gass rigging. Vas not
second too soon, Il score of others fol.
lowed my example, and with my pre-.
cious burden | should not bavc had
chance two minutes later AS it was,
l scrambled to the topmast, and got a
firm hold there Winny was Just com
ing to herself. had wrapped her
round like 4 baby IN the fur cloak. and
with my teeth opened my knife to
cut rope which nung loose within
reach. With this Iashed her to me,
and fastened us both to the topmast.
The ship sank gradually; she did not
keel over, or should not be telling
you the story; she settled down. just
her deck above water. but the great
seas washed over it every second and
swept it clean. The boats had gone!
One or two of the crew. floating on
loose spars. were picked up afterward
no more. The rigging was pretty
fuIl, at least in the upper part; down
below, the sea was too strong. The
captain was near me. felt glad to
think he had been savcd-hc was not q
coward like some OF the others.
How long was the longest night you
ever knew? Multiply that by thous-
and, and you will have some idea Of
that nights length. The cold was aw-
fu. The spray lroH" on the sheets as
it fell; the yards We're slippery with
ice. stamped on Winny's feet to
keep them from freezing. Did you
notice that limp little? shall
walk lame as long as | live. Some.
times there was a splash in the black
water below, aS some poor fellows
stitlencd hold relaxed. and he fell from
his place in the rigging. There was
not a breath of wind, nothing but the
bitter, bitter fog. How long could we
hold out? Where were we? How long
would the ship last before she broke
up? Would it be by drowning or by
frecZingP We asked ourselves these
questions again and again, but there
was no answer. Death stared Us in
the face; we seemed to live ages of
agony in every minute-and yet, will
you believe me, that all seemed little
in comparison to the thought that
after all the struggles and the sorrows,
after all those ten long weary years,
held my girl in my arms at last!
She had pulled ono corner Of the
cloak around my neck Il stood on
level just below herr, and her hapd lay
there with tit was the hand that
warmed me more than the cloak-and
her cheek rested against my own. Oft
en- l thought its coldncss was the cold
ness of death, and aITnost cXuItod in
the thought that we should die togeth-
er. And then | would catch the muir
muir OF the prayers she was uttering
for Us both, and know that life was
there still, and hope lived too.
Well, WELL Why should dwell on
such horrors, except to thank the m"r-
cy that brought Us through them alp
Day dawncd at last; anG there was the
shore near by, and soon rockets We're
fired, and ropes were secured, and one
by one the half-dead liv:Gg were drawn
from their awful suspension between
sky and sea, and landed safe on shore.
They had to take Wnny and me to-
gether, just AS we were, and even then
they had hard work to undo the clasp
Of my stiilened arms about her. knew
nothing then, nor for long after; and it
is wonderful that Winny was the first
to recover, and that it was she who
nursed me back to life and reason.
And how did | ask her to marry meP