The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1890-04-05
SUNK BY A METEOR.
An Old Sailors Account of a Re-
markable Incident.
A Mysterious Ship Scuttled BY
a Fiery Aerolite.

Peter Wcrngren, an old sailor Of Sar
Francisco, who has cruissd in ever!
ocean on the face Of the globe, bu
whose scafaring days are nearly over.
because his joints are growing stiff and
his eyes weak with age, was asked by
New York Sun correspondent wha,
was the strangcst thing he ever saw al
sea. The old man unused for o few
moments. and then said:
I'VE were becalmcd in the Pacific
about nine or ten degrees north of the
equator, and, if l rscollect right, In
something like 1913 degrees west longi
tude. The Antelope lay there like q
log. rolling on the swell fit to mako q
man sick. The sails tapped against
tho mast with dull, booming sounds,
and tho only draught OF air you could
feel was what they made. The water
was like molten lead, tapping heavily
ssains: hsr sides If you never were
in any of those Gains, you can have no
idea how gloomy it makes a man.
1T was tho second night in the calm,
and tho port watch was on deck. Thc
moon was shining clear; everything was
still, but for the creaking noises always
about ship afoat and as there was
nothing to keep lookout for except
indications of breeze, which didn't
seem likely to come along, although
We had puckcred our lips out of shape
whistling for it. the men were drows.
ing under the bulwark, and the man at
the wheel was oring.
II was leaning over the rail, looking
at brigantine becalmed about three
miles away on our starboard quarter.
We hadn't spoken her, and didn't know
what she was Or where she was from.
could tell BY the taper of her masts
that she was American built, but that
was all. She was trim little craft
and it was enough to break o seaman's
heart tho way she was wiped off the
face OF the earth that night. To he
sure, the Antelope wasn't treated much
better, few months later, but fire is
one Of the things q sailor reckons
amsag the chances OF his calling, and
many . gsed ship Is burned ct sea
But I don't suppose any other craft
ever met such Q sudden and unnatural
fate In this world as that brigantina
Mind, dent say know it never
happsasd before, because strange
thiags always are happening at sea,
and ssms Of the strangest never get
tod. Because vhyi Men don't live to
tell 'em.
'Well, was leaning on the rail at
about six BELLS with my cheek in my
palm, looking away where the brlgan.
tine lay 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 was startled broad awake by Q
bright light in the sky. Looking up l
sav . great bail Of Are rushing down
through the air ON . slant and there
was dark eleui above. By tho time
/ had hauled in the slack Of my mind
enough t. knew that it was . shooting
star. the glare Of 1t got 50 bright that
the light Of tho moon was Of no more
account than . slush lamp and the stars
were pat out altogether.
'Thsss Vas q rushing. Kissing sound
in the air - the thing came down
WAes II get pretty near, the light Al
most blinded me aad could 80 meth
Ing Lut the fiery CLEAN Of it "a
the water. It wasn't . long from the
time It hove in sight until it struck .
I've been telling how IL IssksA Il
must have bcen travelling like . cannon
ball, or mAyb, a good many mere kusts
. minute. In the glare l lost sight Of
the brigantine. ! heard Q crashing
sound. and tho ball Of FIRE disappeared,
leaving everything black before my
eyes iss . moment.
when ! had blinked the right sight
Rack iato my eyes and got used to the
moo Light, hat seemed pale sad sickly,
/ glanced over tho starpOard quarter to