Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1885-10-16
IT WAS ONLY BLACK SAND.
Thrilling Experiences OF u Captain ON the
Eric Canal.


Eric Canal.
A Now Enga and skipper. shipping
clerk and the CAPITA II OF a canal-bOal
sat on the lee ra of II ca lfish schooner
and discussed the de,;linc ci tha Ameri.
can merchant marine. Tho clerk was
wise N tinc po nIs Of law. tAa skipper
was filled to overn,wing with wath
against the land shark, at Washington.
and the CAPITA II aSsoniel with cheerful
readiness t) the most conflicting oil
opinions. Tho clerk wanted to rc;orni
Congress by congressional lcgislat on.
the skipper was OF the point of blowing
up the Capitol with dynam to. AMI the
Captain cJinc. c.ded W til both opinion by
remarking that ethcr remedy, il sue.
cessfully carr ell into clcct. would pro
duco astonishing results. SILL. he en-.
tlired to suggest, it would bo a mca .urc
Of precaution to use gdnp,wicr instea
OF dynamite. N gnn-pOwlcr ir even tn,
shot gan of the South was more dradl,
than all the dynamte in Ae British
isles.
But it's so dangerous to handle. "
SAID the skipper
"lIow So" inquired tho clerk, wha
had handled uncoIntcl tons of explo
sives.
You nevc. can tell it from black
sand"
There was silence for several mi .iutes
Then the Captain spoke
is black sand particularly danger.
ous?" he asked.
Mighty dangerous"
''Iow SOP" asked the clerk, with .
tingc Of humiliation for his ignorance
when you're down Oh the Chinese
coast. and YOU load up your e ms with
black sand in mistake for powder ia
repel an attack by pirates. you're always
sure to he murdered, because tho black
sand will not go oil
Wont itP" askol thu Captain. in .
tone that implied that it would.
Il never heard" said the skipper
The clork was dumb through newly.
found ignorance. .y
You see that scar, )" said the Captain,
pointing to red ridge acros, his check
"Well, give us the s.osy." urged the
skipper.
1T was years ago." began tho Cap
tain l was running fast packet linz
on tho Erie canal from ALBANY to Buf
falo. i had beautiful boat and foul
fast horses every few miles. We carried
the mail and always had a big load oI
passengers. One trip we took on board
lot Of small barrels labeled black
sand One Of the barrels was acoi
dentally broken open. the cover lost,
and quart or so Of the black sand
scattered about the hold. The barre
was set out of the way near the wins
cask, and apparently was forgotten.
At dinner time some more wine wa.
wanted by some of the passengers, and
went down to draw It from th,
cask. AS the hold was dark took 4
broken piece of candle for light
Scarcely knowing what / did | stuck
the candle upright in the black
sand, and sat down on the hool
to draw the wine. | had been ur
all night and was very tired. ant
some how or other l fell asleep. l mus
have shut off the faucet while asleep,
for when Iawoke the wine pitcher wa.
filled and the faucet closed. As
reached out my hand to take up the
candle l saw a sight that frozc m,
blood with horror While had sepI
the candle had burncl low and was OF
the point Of Pickering out. In another
instant the1lame would reach the pow
der-for of course it was powder, ant
no black sand--and blow boat, crew
and passengers to atoms. | died 8
thousand deaths in an instant. | wa,
paralyzed with fear, and could onl,
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. Al
last the end came; the light ilickdret
for moment, ilared up for the last
time, and then"
And thenP" whispered the skipper
aud the clerk WITH breathless interest,
"And then went out As it wa
nothing but black sand for molders
use, nothing occurred beyond the up
setting Of the pitcher of wine as I fel
forward in a faint"
'But the SCARF" asked the clerk.
"Kicked by mule; usual way will
canal men. IN y Times.
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