The Logan County banner. [volume] (Logan, W. Va.) 1889-1903, 1891-12-17

18th, latitude 1910 north, longitude
1925 west; pine men; proyisions for
two weelxs.s
That was all These words had been
dug into the wood a. the most lasting
way in which could be preserved the
record Of their disaster and placed in
the pocket Of the coat, since this would
most likely be one Of the first things
70 attract the ere Of search.
"Well, = said the lieutenant in charge
Of the boat, after we had all examined
the writing, there Is nothing more for
Ms to do. but blow her up, SO get the
torpcdoes ready"
THE recall is hoisted. sirIr cried the
man who had been stationed to keep q
lookout ON the ship, and snre enough
blue flag with white center streamed
ont from the mizzcnrroyal masthead Of
the Croydon.
VERY we'll! Look alive and man the
boatF' shouted the lieutenant, as,
glancing to windward, he saw heavy
squall Of wind and rain sweeping down
upon Us II it had been difficult mat
ter TO board the vessel 1t was much
more difficult to abandon her, but one
by one we managed to let ourselves
down the line into the plunging boat
beneath, but not without many a
scratch and bruise. Quickly the men
took their places on the thwarts and
the bow oarsman stood by to cast of
the line that held us.
IAN IMP" asked the lieutenant.
"All but Thomas, sir. replied the
coxswain, glancing at the crew.
here is he-did anybody see
Thomas?p inquired the iieutenant anx-
| iously.
ssSing out for him one Of you," and
one of the men standing up in the boat
put his hands to his mouth and shouted
through them: Thomas! Thomasl'
And as he did so man came rushing
aft from the forecastle house, but with
such look Of terror on his blanchcd
face that few of us recognized him Is
our shipmate.
"a skeletonl A skeletonl" he
screamed, and then fell headlong on
| the deck.
"a ske1etonl' cried the lieutenant.
.'Pull the boat in a little and / will see
| what it 81
The bow oarsman stopped to do so,
but as he did SO heavier sea than
| usual tore under the vessels stern. The
| line that held us, already worn and
chafed, stranded under the added
strain, and the binding squall broke
upon us and carried the boat far away
| to leeward.
! Bravely the oarsmen struggled to re-
gain the ship but the boat was too
small and the seas were heavy and the
wind was now blowing furiously, and,
slowly at first, but soon faster and fast
er we drifted away FROM her. aye could
see the unfortunate man, NOW running
back and forth on deck like some Gagged
animal and now standing on the rail as
If about to plunge into the sea.
Jump. and we'll pick you up!'
shouted the lieutenant. But the wind
caught the words and bore them far
away and he did not hear them, or if
| he did his courage failed him and he
J dared not do it, and soon the mist and
rain closed in about the vessel and shut
him from our sight-
! 1t as a desperate pull to reach the
sh ~ were in eanger of
q " aa.,gAt the
III / e Croydon the
FL W h water. That
b .. us.tn Lyird the ship wf.s an
s ANXIOUS one. The squall that had
caught us In the boat was but the be-
! ginning of a gale, and the Croydon was
soon lying to under storm sails with
barely steerage way. The memory of
that poor fellow on the water logged
bark with his CHASTITY shipmate was
ever present, and few of us who had
seen his terror-stricken countenauce
got much sleep that night. Happily to-
wards morning the gale showedsigns of
abating, and before the break of day
the sea which had risen SO suddenly,
began to go down, aDf as Eoen as it was
possible we lowered boat.
The Croydon had drifted more to lee
| ward than the wreck, but we could soon
make her out on the horizon, and the
welt-selected crew, with long and steady
strokes soon shortened the distance. AS
| we drew nearer the form of Thomas
could be seen through the glasses lean
I ing against the rail.
THANK Heaven! he's still alivet'' ex-
claimed Mr.. Horton. the officer in
charge of the boat. When we came
within hailing distance we shouted to
him words of CHEEKY greeting dbut
Thomas made no response until when
within q few boats lengths he sprang
to the rail, and screaming to us to keep
off hurled pieces>of wreckage which he
had gathered about him at the advanc-
ing boat.
/ He's mad!" we cried; 1.-The night on
board has made him mad. :"
We stopped pulling, and then backed
water to keep clear. of the missiles
which the maniac never ceased throw
ing at us.
I Ordering the crew to lay on their
oars. Mr.. Horton rose in the stern
sheets and said:
We've come to take you back to the
ship, Thomas. Don't you know us?
Don't you know me? lam Mr.. Horton. -
Know you.'' shouted back the poor
fellow, ''of course l do Haven't !
been fighting to keep you off my ship
for the last week? Ha! hap he laughed,
'.and I've done it. too. One boats
Plength nearer and I'll blow you out of
| the water"
| We hesitated, undecided what to do.
OF course we might dash up. and board
the ship, but then there was danger that
| Thomas in his present excited state,
might throw himself into the sea and
be drowned, and so it was deemed best
to act with caution, and if possible to
gain foothold by stealth and then to
seize and put him in the boat We
pulled slowly around the ship, Mr..
/ Horton by soothing words endeavoring
to calm the maniac, who followed us
as we circled about and with many