San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-12-29
THE WRECK.

It was the 31st of December. l had
breakfasted with my old friend George
St9arin. The servant brought him q let
Ter covered with foreign stamps.
"You allow me?' George asked.
Certainly"
And he began to read the eight pages
closely covered with an English hand.
He read slowly and with serious atten-
ton; with the interest you take in that
which touches you. Then he placed the
letter upon the mantel and said:
That is strange adventure of which
/ never told you; sentimental, however,
and which happened to me. That was
a singular New Years day. 1t was
twenty years ago. was 80 then, and
am so now. was inspector of the in
surance company of which | am now
president. was preparing to spend
New Years day in Paris, as it is the
custom to make a holiday of it, when i
received letter from one of the direct
ors ordering me to leave Immediately
for the island of Re, where three deck
.er from St. Nazaire, insured by us, was
wrecked.
1t was o'clock in the morning. By
10 was at the Office for instructions,
and that night | took the train and
reached La Rochelle next morning, the
81st of December. l had two hours in
which to visit the city before sailing for
Re, and spent them admiring the odd,
severe architecture, its crooked streets,
the sidewalks covered with arcades, not
unlike the Rue Rivoli, but lower, darker
and more mysterious, that seem built for
a scene of conspirators; the old and
striking scenery of the religious wars,
wars both savage and heroic.
When l left La Rochelle it was one of
those dark, oppressive days, crushing
thought, depressing the heart; cold,
gray day, darkcned by a heavy fog,
wet as rain. cold as ice, noisome as the
smell of a sewer. Under this ceiling of
low and sinister fog the yellow sea was
without movement, without life, sea
of muddy, greasy, stagnant water. The
Jean Clinton slid upon it, rolling slightly
from habit, cutting the thick, smooth
sheet and leaving behind a few waves
which quickly subsidized.
began talking to the captain, small
man, as round and well balanced as his
boat. | wanted to learn the details of
the accident was going to investigate,
and which correctly inferred he would
be able to furnish me. We were in the
meantime sailing along the island of Re-
Extending his hand he pointed out
small speck in the midst of the sea and
said, There is the vessel" The Marie
Joseph?'' | asked. Yes" | was as
founded. The speck was fully three
miles from shore. | resumed, But,
captain, there must be twenty feet of
water there" He laughed Not two
feet, tell you. 1t is high tide now at o
o'clock. Go along the beach after break
fasting and promise that at 3 o'clock
you will reach the wreck with dry feet;
you will have two hours to spend there,
but no more, by the way, or you would
be caught by the tide. The further the
tide recedes the faster it returns. This
coast is as fat as a bedbug."
thanked the captain and went for
ward to watch the little city of st. Mar
tiu, which we were rapidly approaching.
The city resembles all those miniature
ports which serve as capitals for the
small islands fringing the continent. It
lis a large fishing village with one foot
on water and one on land; supporting
Efe on fish and chickens, vegetables and