Sullivan republican. [volume] (Laporte, Pa.) 1883-1896, 1890-06-20
A CAPE HORN INCIDENT.

A CAPE HORN INCIDENT.
On December morning, in the year
1888, mail steamer, homcward bound
from New Zealand port, was ap-
preaching the meridian of the Horn,
but on parallel more southerly than
it is now the custom of steamships to
take in rounding that stormy, ice-girt,
desolate and most inhospitable of all
headlands.
December in those distant regions is
midsummer, and the weather of that
morning was as fair and still as a
breczeless April day in this country;
but the swell of the vast track of ocean
ran ceaselessy, reminiscent respira-
tions of gianess whose conflict with
the heavens is eternal, and whose
breaking-pauses are very few and far
between indeed. Over this long,
dark blue, westerly swell the long
metal fabric went sweeping in long,
floating, launching curtsies, whitening
the water astern of her with mile of
milk-whiie wake. The frosty sun,
whose beams in that sea have some
thing of the sivcry brilliance of the
electric light, flashed score of con-
stcllations out of the gilt and glass
and brass about the steamers bows and
quarters and decks. A number of
passengers were pacing the long hur-
ricane platform. Far away on the
starboard beam, poised, star-like,
upon the keen blue rim of the ocean,
was an iceberg-a dash of crystalline
light against the airy sky that out
there, low down, wore the delicate hue
of the opal. Otherwise the ocean
swept naked to its confines, plain of
rich, deep blue, with the heave of
the swell shouldcring the morning
glory under the sun as it ran, and
making that part of the deep magnif-
icent with flowing light.
The chief officer was on the bridge;
the first brcakfast-bell had rung, and
the captain, smart as naval officer
in buttons and lace trimmings, quilted
the chart-room and joined the mate to
take look around before going be-
low. The skipper was man of eagle
sight, and instantly on directing his
eyes over the ships bows he ex-
claimed:
"What is that black object yondcr?"
The chief mate peered, and the cap
tain leveled a telescope.
"a ships boat" said he, '.and SEEM
ingly full of people,
The boat, when sighted, was some
three or four miles distant, and the
speed of the steamer was about thir-
teen knots. In a few minutes the
alarm in the enginc.room rang its re-
verberatory warning, sending little
thrill of wonder throughout the ship,
so rarely is that telegraph handled on
the high seas.
81 count eight men, sir" cried the
chief mate, with binocular glass at
his eye.
Again the engine-room alarm rang
out; the pulsing that for days had
been ceaselessly throbbing through the
long fabric, languished, and in few
minutes, to another summons of the
metal tongue below, ceased, and the
great steamer floatcd along to her own
impetus, slowly, and yet more slowly,
till the boat was within the toss of
biscuit off the bow, with the passen-
gers crowding to the side to look, and
sailors and walters and steerage folk
blackering the rail forward.
The occupants of the boat consisted
of eight wild, hairy, veritable scare
crows of men, dressed in divers
fashions-Scotch caps, yellow sou'-
westers, sea-boots, toil-worn monkey
jackets, and the like.
s'Boat ahoy!" hailed the captain, as
she slowly washed alongside. "What
20 wrong with your"
A fellow, standing up in the stern
sheets. cried back.