The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1890-11-08
BURIED IN THE OCEAN,

BURIED IN THE OCEAN,
1t was in my twenty-sixth year that
my ship, the Osprey, owned by Fowler
Brothers, was chartered to come to San
Francisco for wheat. We arrived here
safely, loaded wheat, and soon were out
side of tho Golden Gate heading for
home. Everything went smoothly, and
nothing occurred to forewarn me of the
terrible adventure the future had in
store for me.
We were TO the southwark of Valpa-
raiso when / fell ILL., 1t was kind Of
faintness that would suddenly and with
out warning come upon me, so that ]
often fell on the deck and lay there un-
til some one could come TO my assist
ance This continued without my get
ting much worse until we got down off
the Magellan straits, in the latitude of
Cape Pillar or thereabouts
One day, "A gloomy, forbidding day,
such as the mariner often meets with
down there, had the afternoon watch.
and was experimenting one of my men
who was fixing ratline in the weather
mizzen topmast rigging The fellow
was very clumsy, to say the least of it.
| got annoyed watching his awkward
ness; more annoyed, in fact, than was
warranted think, now thatI look back.
But | was growing more and more
irritable every day, which was probably
owing to my fainting spells. Suddenly
l became so excited that l jumped into
the mizzen rigging, and was into the top
in a t1ice. was about to pull the fellow
away from his job when a fit came on.
A sudden mist clouded my eyes. Ny
senses left me; reeled and fell from the
top to the deck. In my descent l struck
once or twice, which caused me to turn
over, with the result that fell on my
head
When | recovered consciousness was
lying IN bunk in the hospital, Still
there was thick mist before my eyes.
| could indeed see everything so as to
recognize where was. but somehow my
eyes refused to move about, and could
only stare straight up at the deck
tried to turn in my bunk, but | could
not. To raise my arm, but | could not
To sit up, but my muscles failed me.
At last the truthstruggled into my dark
ened mind. perceived at last that
was in perfectly cataleptic trance
The strange part of it was that my mind
was almost as active as ever / knew
all that was going on about me, and
felt an overwhelming terror at my pos
sible fate.
1t was soon made known TO me. The
captain entered my room. / could heal
indistinctly, as if it were afar off. his
footstep on the deck. Then the steward
also came in. heard them consulting
together, and both came to the conclu
sion that was dead that my neck was
broken by the fall.
"Tell Sails 10 come in and take his
measure. We must bury him to-lnor
row while the fine weather lasts"
heard the captain say, and presently th'
sailmaker came in and measured me fol
the last hammock should ever sleep in
/ could not feel him, but knew by hi
motions what he was doing. will no
describe how they laid me out on tn,
cabin table and left me there, Will,
Sails. close by, made my shroud. Stitch
stitch stitch went his needle, seeming
to enter into my brain every time in
stead of the thick canvas. lean distinct
ly remember that while ] lay there tn,
steward tried to close my eyelids, but
thank God they few up every time ant
left me the poor consolation of seeing
the preparations for my doom.
AT last all was finished. The cahva
was spread ON the deck and / was lai'
! in it. Then the sailmaker began L
! stitch me up. He had stitched up al
/ but my face when l heard him say h
had lost his knife. A rigid search wa
made everywhere, but it could not b
/ found, so Sails returned to work, and al
that time was thinking in my duh wa
what fools they were for not looking int
my shroud for the lost knife. AS after
ward learned, it was next day at moo
that | was carried on deck and laid on
plank preparatory TO being shot over
board. The men one by one took a loo
at my face, and then it was covered u
forever. The burial service was read b
the captain, there was Il little delay, an
then the plank was tilted, and l she
into the bitter cold water Off the Dieg
Ramirez It must have been the shoe
that brought me TO my senses, for as
sank down, dragged lower by the she
at my feet, felt my feeling aud actio
return.
AT the same moment my right hanC
released from its dread inertia, graspe
what instantly knew to be a lmit
Mechanically l forced the blade an
ripped my canvas slwoud so that II
shot fell, and began to rise TO the su
face. In a few seconds, suppose, a
though it seemed years, / opened m
eyes-for il is curious fact that whi
lay in a state of coma they RENAME
open, yet when my feelings returne
with the shock l closed them at once
and saw once more the light OF da.
which had never expected to see agaii
was an excellent swimmer. and ha
soon regained my breath and cast frol
me the canvas which impeded my NOV
ments Then l looked around over Il
waters, aud saw that my miraculol
High Of all in Leayening Powe
~