The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1889-02-02
SUNK BY A METEOR.

SUNK BY A METEOR.
A. Sailors Yarn OF q Strange Incl
dent In tho Pacific.
stroyed by Failing Star-She Sinks
In = Second. Carrying tho Entire
Grow with Her.
Peter Werngren, an old Danish sailor,
who had cruised in every ocean on the face
Of the globe, but whose seafaring days are
nearly over, because his joints are growing
stiff and his eyes weak with age, was asked
by New York Sun correspondent what
was the strangest thing he ever saw at sea.
The old man stirred his toddy and unused
for few moments, and then said:
II saw something once in tho line OF what
call the MISUNDERSTANDING it doesn't
happen in the ordinary run OF things-that
gave me queer turn. It was when I was
nate Of the Antelope, a British bark: sail
ing between San Francisco and Liverpool.
We cleared from this port in the winter OF
1850, but the Antelope never reached Liver
pool She caught fire, from the cooks
galley probably, and was burned when
about four days from the end OF her voyage,
spd only two OF US were picked up.
~ wasn't going to tell about that. Lots Of
sailors have had chat kind Of luck, and
there's nothing strange about it So you
don't want to hear that story. What I
started to tell was 3 queer thing about
shooting star. We were becalnled in the
Pacific about nine or ten degrees north OF
the equator, and, il recollect right, in
something like 1913 degrees west longitude.
The Antelope lay there like log, rolling on
the swell tit to make man sick. The sails
tapped against the mast with dull, booming
sounds, aud the only draught of air you
could feel was what they made The water
was like molten lead, tapping heavily against
her sides. ii you never were in one OF
those Gains, you can have no idea how
gloomy it makes man.
1T was the second night in the caln, and
the port watch was on deck. The moon
was stunning clear; every thing was still,
but Cor the creaking noises always about .
ship anoat, and as there was nothing to
keep lookout for except indications OF
breeze, which didn't seem likely to come
along, although we had puckered our lips
out of shape whistling for it, the men were
browsing under the bulwarks, aud the man
at the wheel was snoring.
"L was leaning over the rail- looking at q
brigantine becal1ned about three miles away
on our starboard quarter. We hadn't spoken
her, and didn't know what she was OF where
she was from. I could tell by the taper of
her nasts that she was American built, but
that was all. She was a trim little craft,
and it was enough to break a sean1an's
heart the way she was wiped off the face
of the earth that night. To be sure the
Antelope wasn't treated much better a
few mouths later, but fire is one OF the
things sailor reckons among tao chances
Of hlS calling, and many gocd ship is
burned at sea. But don't suppose any 9TH
ural fate in tAls world as that br.gantine.
Mind Cont say I know it never happened
before, because strange things always are
happening at asa, and seme Of the stranysst
nsver got told. Because why! Men don't
live to tell 'en.
"Weu, was leaning on the rail, a. about
six bells, with my cheek in my palm, hook
ing away whore the brigautine kay in the
Moonlight. The motion Of the bark on the
swell was slow and kind Of soothing, and
had got sort of half dreaming with the lazy
roll Of her, when l was startled broad
awake by a bright light IN the sky. Look
ing up / saw great ball Of fire rushing
down through the air on q slant, and there
was dark cloud above. BY the time had
hauled in the slack of my mind enough to
know thSt it was shooting star, the glare
of it got 80 bright that the light Of the moon
was CT no more account than slush lamp,
and tbs stars were put out altogether.
"Thece was 81 rushing, Kissing sound in
the air as the thing came down. When it
got pretty near the light almost blinded me,
and could see nothing hut tho hory CLEAN
Of it on the water. 1t wasn't as long from,
the time it hove in sight until it struck as
I've been telling how it looked. It must
have been travelling like cannon ball, Or
may be good many more knots minute
In the glare lost sight Of the brigantine.
I heard crashing sound, and the ball Of
fire disappeared, leaving every thing black
beforesmy eyes for moment.
sWhen had blinked the right sight back
into my eyes and got used to tho moonlight,
that seemed pale and sickly. glanced over
the starbcard quarter to where the brig
antine had been, but there wasn't trace
of her to be seen. could hardly believe
my own eyes, although they were a good
pair in those days, before the dust OF the
sea had dulled them, and / thought
/ must have been bit dazed by
what had happened and got con-
fused in my bearings. But in nc
direction was so much IS spar in
sight, and OF there on the quarter there
was rising and falling Of short waves,
their tops catching the CLINT OF moonbeams,
that showed where the shooting star had
gone down into the sea. That was where
the brigantlne had been.
"That flash and roar OF the falling star
had aroused tho watch on deck, and the
men were gathered in . group by the fore
mast, blinking their eyes and wondering
what had happened. They had seen all
that had, and didn't know what had made
the great glare Of light. told them to loo's
for the brigantlne and sent a man aloft to
see if any thing could be made out where
she had been. They were just about struck
dumb when they saw the sea clear OF ali
craft but our own, and asked me It the
brigantine had blown up. The man aloft
reported that he could not make out any
thing.
'sThey were taken all aback when told
what had happened, and being super
stitious lot, as forecastle hands are apt to
be, they shook their heads and mumbled
o,,nopp %havnooluac aho,1t <ha devil being