Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1885-08-29
IT WAS ONLY BLACK SAND.
Thrilling Experience of q Captain ON tn,
Erie Canal.

| "a N0W CuXIauu 5AlppCIS q 5ulppluS
clerk, and the captain of q canal boat sa1
on the lee rail of a Goldfish schooner anG
discussed the decline of the American
merchant marine. The clerk was wise
in fine points of law, the skipper was
filled to overlooking with wrath against
the land sharks at Washington, and the
captain assented with cheerful readiness
to- the most conflicting of opinions. The
clerk wanted to reform congress by con-
gressional legislation, the skipper was
on the point of blowing up the capital
with dynamite, and the captain conceded
with both opinions by remarking that
either remedy, if successfully carried in
to effect, would produce astonishing re-
suits. Still, he ventured to suggest, it
would be q measure of precaution to use
gunpowder instead of dynamite, as gun
powder in even the shotgun Of the south
was more deadly than all the dynamite
in the, british isles.
"But it's so dangerous to handle" said
the skipper.
"How so?" 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.
lis black sand particularly dangerous?"
he asked.
mighty dangerous"
"How so?" asked the clerk, with q
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 repeal an attack by pirots, you'er 81
ways sure to be murdered, because the
black sand will not 20 off,
won't it?" asked the captain, in q
tone that implied that it would.
never heard" said the skipper.
The clerk was dumb through newly
found ignorance.
"You see that scar" said the captain,
pointiog to red ridge across his cheek.
"Well give US the story" urged the
skipper.
ut was years ago." began the the cap
tain: II vas running fast packet line
on the Erie canal from Albany to Buffalo.
l had a beautiful boat and four fast
horses every few miles. We carried the
mail and always had big load of pas
sengers- One trip we took on board
lot of small barrels tabled black sand
One of the barrels were accidently
broken open, the cover lost, and quart
or so of 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 went down to daaw it
from the cask. As the hold was dark I
took broken piece of candle for light.
Scarcely knowing what l did I struck
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 somehow or other fell
while asleep, for when | awoke the wine
pitcher was filled and the faucet closed.
As reached out my hand to take up
the candle l saw a sight that froze my
blood with horror. When 1 had slept
the candle had burned low and was on
the point of Pickering out. In another
instant the flames would reach the
of course it was powder, and |
not black sand-and blow boat Grew, and
passengers to atoms. died thousand |
death in an instant. was paralyzed
with fear. and could only wait with star
ing eyes for the end. Death was already |
at my throat. The sound of laughter |
in the cabin came strangely to my ears.
They were feasting in the face of ter
rible death. At last the end came; the |
liget fickered for a moment, flared up
for the last time, and then
"And thenw whispered the skipper
and the clerk with breathless interest.
"And then went out. As it was moth
ing but black sand for molders' use,
nothing occurred beyound the upseting
IF the pitcher of wine as I fell forward in
! faint"
"But the scarf" asked the clerk.
Kicked by mule; usual way with
anal men,"