The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-07-24
THE DOCTORS STORY.
BY MARK TANNER, NJ. D
IC0nclnGed l

done, one oil the sailors engaged III the uuty
lost his footing. and but for the timely aid
of a rope swinging close by would have
fallen into the hold.
"'That would have been an awkward
fan.' l remarked to Littlemore, who was
standing by. He would have gone down
to the bottom of the ship
"'Oh,' replied he, that is not the bottomi
we have tanks running fore and aft the
whole length Of the vessel, which we fl by
pumping in water whenever we are lightly
laden and require more ballast to steady the
ship. You must come down with me one
day and have look at them; they are
worth looking at
"Of course / got leave from our captain
to 60 ashore while in harbor; took run up
to Niagara, and saw that wondrouS speci-
men OF Natures handicTaft; went up the
Hudson River; aud hurried back to reJoin
my ship, hich was intended to sail on
Tuesday for Old England; and | need
hardly say that | was anxious to get back TO
NY bride, from whom circumstances had SO
early severed me-
"When got on board I found that we
should start on the following afternoon, all
the cargo being nearly on board. There
not being time to revisit my friends in New
York, l amused myself by watching the last
portions Of the cargo shipped and lowered
into the hold.
lie next Gay ABOUT IL O'CLOCK IN the
morning, hearing my friend Mr. LittlemOre
say that water was to be pumped into the
tanks at 4 o'clock in the afternoon, as we
were very lightly laden, and seeing the
round manhole leading down into them
open l thought that l would take advantage
of the opportunity and examine them. |
looked down. All was dark as midnight,
and having on my uniform coat took il off
and laid i: near. / lit candle III one of the
large ships lanterns hanging hard by and
was about to descend when l was suddenly
stopped by a voice calling out:
'HallOa, mate, don't take my lantern
at was from the carpenters mate, W no
was working close at hand. He scarcely
recognized me at first without my uniform
and after little chat with him | said that:l
was going To look at the tanks and would
bring back his lantern. | descended by the
manhole and found myself in place about
four feet hlgh-one long division running
down the center all the length of the ship,
crossed at Intervals by transverse partitions
leading into one another by means of q
manhole just sufficiently large to pass
through, while here and there similar open
ings enabled one to pass from one side to
tie other through the central longitudinal
partition. Here were MASSIVE side-beams
and iron cross irderS dividing this. the ac-
Iual bottom OF the vessel, practically into
partitions twenty-eight feet below the water
line. 1t was novel, aud to NE as landSman
something stupendous, this Wondrous work
of mans ingenuity.
at interested me as well as astonished
me, and on l went on the pors side of the
ship, now STOPPING low IL avoid the cross
giTdeTs, passing here and ag in through
small opening, weird shadows cast around
me by the hlckering light Of my amp, until
finally reached the iOrepart of the vessel.
Crossing then through an opening on my
right, | retTaced my way in similar man
ner on the starboard side. On / went until
1t appeared that | was taking much longer
tine to get back than | had to come the
length of the ship, l could ind no opening
above NE. However, there must be the
opening somewhere, and of course should
find it. But no; | became convinced had
gone round the ship twice. Becoming ner-
vous at this idea, stumbled and fell,
dropped my lantern and the light went out.
Pulling myself together l began to reflect
on my position.
''As had kept steadily to the left, must
have missed the compartment: so | COM
menced working diagonally through the
openings IN the central partition, and came
cut once more to the end of the ship.
Working back In a similar manner, now
striking my head violently against girders
above, now my knees against those below,
cropping my way through the manholes, /
arrived again at the other end of the vessel.
IN o ray OF ight-no opening. Appalling,
horrible as the conviction was, the conclrl-
sion was irresistible. The opening by which
| had descended had been coveredl The
HdLCl Udu pttH GiUoeLt NeNtTLtl6leSs, q
hatch there was, and | must find it; so,
commencing again feeling my way with one
hand before me and with the other feeling
the roof above me it was not long before l
came to circular rim. Yes this was I'M
mistakaby an opening, but closed. l en-
deay0red to push upward the central pOr-
tiun, but in vain. In doing this felt some
soft substance, and the od0r left no room
for doubt The odor of red lead was IN
mistkaable. The cover had been placed on,
/ ....T. 7
sealed down, imprisoned twenty-eight feet
beneath the water level, in the tanks of the
Khedve.
The perspiration which in my exertions
had been pouring from NE now turned to
cold sweat, soaking through every pore
Bruised, bleeding and half exhausted |
commenced calling for help at the top of my
voice. But all in vain. My tongue became
dry and throat parehed. What was my
voice at that depth in vessel of $500 tons,
whilst cargo. cattle. passengers were being
brought on boald, and all the varying prep
araIions for steaming out of dock that even
ing were going on.
Il tried to tiud my lantern, hoping to be
able to make use of 1t to strike the cover 10
my prison, and found piece of loose iron.
Hope reviyedl l should be able 10 get
head now. At it l went bang, bang bang!
surely l never struck so hard before or
since as in those blows for liberty and life
But useless all my efforts, vain all my cries
OlOMs. i gave myself up as IOSt
Il should perish slowly here of hunger
and thirst whilst friends were within few
feet Of me. Suddenly / fancied | heard
sounds, and carefully noting the position of
the hatch, | CROPPED my way toward the
center Of the vessel. Here l distinctly
heard voices, succeeded at intervals by a
heavy fall and crash. | was near the coal
bunkers, and again endeavored to make nv
self heard, with no better result than be-
lore 80 l went back to the point Of my
entrance into what now seemed my living
tomb, and sank exhausted below it. Then
remembered Littlemore having said they
would pump in water at o'clock that after
noon. should not starve to death, then; l
should drown-drown like rat in hole.
Tears fell from me, and 1 became almost
maddened at the thought.
" had never, l think, felt fear before. I
had seen service In the field in India; had
looked upon death in various forms. / had
been where bullets laid my comrades dead
around me, and felt no tremor. Death had
never appeared TO me 80 dreadful as some
believe 1t But to die like thisl 1t was too
fearful! l began ntw, in my utter despair.
to try and think how long had to live. /
must have been there some hours. l re-
fected that as the water was pumped in the
air would become compressed, and | should
be suffocated before the water got high
"Suff0cation or drowning! which was the
easiest death Of the two, wondered. felt
horror the thought of my young, loving wife
haunted me, that she should be left so ILL
provided for to struggle on through the world
alone. oh, she would never even know
what had become OF me! might think that
was still alive, and had abandoned heri I
saw her soft, tender glances, her gentle.
loving, trusting look. On, no; she would
never think that OF me.
THUS rejecting, in "a half-maddened
state, | felt something creeping over me
and brushed from my hair the cockroaches
which were always swarming about me
Reused by sense of loathing from INV tam.
porary stupor of despair and exhaustion.
commenced striking the iron roof and
sbrieking for help again. What was that
dull sound | heard? A .gurgling noise, a
dull, duh thud, followed by a rush of water?
Again, again. and faster still. Oh, merciful
hcavenl all hope is oyeri Lost, lost, lost !!
They are filling the tanks! know no MORE
become unconscious
ga sensation of fresh and cooling air. A