The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1886-07-16

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BY this time all hsnds were on the
alert, and many officers old and young,
had tumbled up from below at the
hall
"But, my good man, if it was really
a light which you saw some one else
must have noticed it too.''
"Don't know nothin siabout that,
sir; but l can swear to;,it. What l
seen were"
"a bright light on the, starboard
beam' sang out the starboard waist
lookout at tins moment, and-"I saw
it!' echoed several voices; bat before
the officer of the watch. could turn
round towards the direction indicated
it was gone, and the starboar1 beam
presented one uniform sheet OF I'M
penetrable blackness.
"Waist there! What was ltlike?"
"Somethin' OF flash light, I'should
say, sir, Z" replied the lookout Every
bright and very short--gone in a mo-
ment-like"
By this time the captain and COM
mander were both on the bridge, and
the whole ship was alive with curiosi-
ty.
'What CAN'T be?" asked OF the old
boatswain against whom | brushed
III the darkness rs walked aft. "a
'"Iis a boat" said he; .'that,4s
what it must be. The capn he al
lows its a boat, and he's pretty sure
to be right. Some poor souls. whose
vessel has foundered among the ice
whalers, most likely-tooktto the
boats, they have. | saw that there
light myself-seemed very close to the
water, it did. They seen our lights,
and burnt a Aash-light. If they got
another, they'll show that, too, pres
And now the voice OF the command
er rang out: .'Mr. Sights"
4Ay, ay, sir" replied the gunner.
"Clear away your two. foremost
guns on the maindeck, and fire. blank
charges at short interyals; and get
some blue lights. and show them in
the fore-rigging at once"'
"Ay, ay, sir. And away went the
gunner to. see his orders carried out
Instantly.
But ere his head had disappeared
down the hatchway, "a bright light
on the starboard quarter" roared
out the marine sentry at the lifebuoy
right aft; and once more everybody
turned sharp around to find nothing
to gaze at but the universal darkness.
"Hands about ship" was now the
order, and in quick succession came
from the bridge the we'll known com
mands in the sharp, Imperative voice
OF the lieutenant OF the watch: Ease
down the HEINZ Helms n lee!"
"Raise tacks and sheets" &c. Ana
as the splendid old ship answered her
helm like n boat-andt began to fill on
the other tack, "Maintopsail haul"
for our courses were furled, ''Head
braces' "Of all, haul" and we were on
the other tack.
The ship was now brilliantly ,illu-
minated by half a dozen hlue1ights
| burning in the fore and main rigging;
while, as we began to move ahead
once more, our bow guns blazed forth
from the maindeck one after the other
d roar which we fondlv imagined
would be more welcome than the most
delicious music to the ears OF the poor
| storm-tossed castaways in that frail
boat which we now hoped to rescue
from the wrath OF the raging sea- At
intervals there appeared again the
bright but transient flash which had
| first attracted our notice:and through
I the roar OF the waves and the Shrek
| of the wind we at times imagined we
could hear human voices shouting no
doubt for help, and all eyes were
strained to the uttermost through the
blackness so try and discern the first
glimpse of the boat itself. The last
flash had told us that we We're steer
ing directly for it, and on we sped our
blue lights kissing and llaring in Our
rigging, our guns ceaselessly roaring
out our sympathy and our desire to
| save.
keep sharp lookout forward
there" '.Life-boat' S crew, fall IN att"
and we prepared to lower the port
| quarter-boat, which was told off as q
life boat" --that is, for any purposes
OF rescue, although the state osthesea
was anything BOT favorable for boat
duty; but when we thought of that
poor boat tossing about on the storm
veNed sea with Its freight of shiverin.
and half drowned men, aye, and may
be woman or two among them, and
I;then remembered the frowning ice
bergs and 'fhe fearful dangers which
they represented, no man hesltated
and had volunteers been called for tc
man the life boat, tine whole ships
company would have come forward
Well can remember the almost chok
ing feeling OF thankfulness in my owl
heart wnen | thought OF the wild 10,
| of these poor outcastSat the prospect
OF so speedy Il rescue. and anticipated
the delight OF welcoming them on tn,
1 quarterback OF so stanch and safe {
ship. But all in a moment my antic
ipations and my sentiments OF graft
tude were scattered to the winds.
keep heraway, sir, keep her away
came roar from the forecastle
you'll be right down upon her! !
large full-rigged ship right ahead o
u.s.
Up went our helm, and the ship
head paid off, and rs we strained ou
eyes in the direction indicated W
could dimly make out, to our intens
surprise and unspeakable wonder, tn
huge, shadowy, ghostly outline OF al
unusually large vessel. No signs O
life appeared about her. The ligh
which.had first attracted our nouic
was now no longer to be seen. He
, masts, yards and sails were only jus
visible-not as black, hard shade,
against the sky, but pale, spectral, a
{ if mere vapor-barely to be discerned
yetleaving no room tor doubt. Their
she sailed, a veritable phantom ship
All hands gazed at her i'll silence. Th
, blue lights We're allowed to burn out
', and no fresh ones We're lighted. Th
, great guns ceased to-. thunder on tn
maindeck. The lifebpat's crew NUT
, tered unealsly amon&e themselves, a
Is ll.:.,.x