Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1885-08-28
TWAS ONLY BLACK SAND.
Thrilling Experience OF n Captain on
the Erie Canal
New York Time

New York Times
A New England skipper, a shipping
clerk, and the captain of canal-boat
sat on the rail Of a Goldfish schooner
aud discussed the decline of the Ameri-
can merchant marine The clerk was
wise in fine points of law, the skipper
was filled to OVERLOOKING with wrath
against the land sharks at Washing
ton, and the captain assented with
cheerful readiness TO the msst conflict
ing of opinions. The clerk wanted
To reform congress By congressional
legislation, the skipper was on the
polat of blowing up the capitol With
dynamite, and the captain conceded
with both opinions by remarking that
either remedy, if successfully carried
into effect, would produce astonishing
results. Still. he ventured 10 suggest,
it would be measure of precaution TO
use powder instead of dynamite, as
gunpowder in even the shotgun of the
south was more deadly than all the
dynamite ii the British isles.
But it's SO dangerous TO handle"
said the skipper.
Hoy soi" inquired the clerk, who
had handled uucounted tous OF eNplo-
siyes.
You never can tell it from black
SAID"
Then there was silence for several
minutes. Then the captain spoke.
is black sand particularly danger
ous2' he asked.
Mighty dangerous"
"How so3" asked the clerk, with a
tinge of humiliation for his ignor>
ance.
when you're down on the Chinese
coast, and you load up your guns with
black sand in mistake for powder to
rebel an attack by pirates, you're al>
ways sure to be murdered, because the
black sand will not go off,"
Wont it3" asked the captain, in a
tone that implied that it would.
Il never heard" said the skipper
The clerk was dumb through newly>
found ignorance.
You see that scar" said the caps
tain. pointing to red ridge across his
cheek.
We'll, give US the story" urged the
skipper.
1T was years ago." began the cap
/
line on the Erie canal from Albany to
Buffalo. | mad beautiful boat and
four fast horses every few niles. We
carried the mail, and always had a
good load of passengers. One trip we
took on board a lot of small barrels
labeled black sand One of the bars
rels was accidentally broken open, the
cover lost, and quart or SO of the
black sand scattered about the hold.
The barrel was set DAT of the way
rear the wine cask, and apparently
was for. often. At dinner time some
more wine was wanted by some of the
passengers, aud | went down TO dra "
it from the caSk. As the hold was
dark took a broken piece of candle
for light. Scarcely knowing Whist
l did l stuck the candle upright in the
black sand aud sat down on the floor
to draw the wine. l had been up all
night and was very tired, and some
how or other l fell asleep. l must
have shut off the faucet W lille asleep,
for when l awoke the wine pitcher
was filled aud the faucet closed. AS
l reached out my ha.d to take up the
candle | saw a sight that froze my
blood with horror. While had slept
the candle had burned low and was
on the point of Pickering out. In an
other instant the flame would reach
the powder-for of course it was pow
der, and not black sand-and blow
boat, crew ana passengers to atoms
l died a thousand deaths in an in,
stant I was paralyzed with fear,
aud could only wait with staring eyes
for the end. Death was already at
my throat. The SQUAD of laughter in
the cabin came strangely TO my e..
They were feasting Ia the face Of a
terrible death. AT last the end came
the light tl;ckered for moment,
faeed up for the last time, and then
"Aud then!" whispered the skipp, r
and the clerk with breathless interes
''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 fell
forward in faint"
But the SCARF" asked the clerk.
''Kicksd by mule; usual way with
canal men,"