Daily Yellowstone journal., 1891-02-20
WAITING FOR BURIAL
The Corpse Of a Young Sailor Removed
Beyond the Reach of sharks

The Corpse Of a Young Sailor Removed
Beyond the Reach Of sharks
We had run of the coas until Il
showed only a faint dark line on the
horizon. There was a fair breeze, and
il wa only now and then. as the sloop
lifted 10 a wave. that tha spray was
sent flying over the bows. We had Just
alt, "a the course. and half "a dozen
lines were trailing behind for bluetish.
Ehen the sailor who had gone forward
20 trim down the jib cried ont that we
were close on Il wreckagn. Almost at
the same moment every line was seized
and bitten in twain.
sharks, said the captain as we e1
pressed our surprise. "Of course its
yharks-look there
Astern Of Us and on each quarter
could be seen the dOrsal fins Of sharks,
and the sloop had no sooner been
brought mp into the wind than we
could count a score Of them moving
swiftly about
There is a dead sailor in there
Ehisparai the captain as we gathered
ON the -tarboard bow u view the
wrecka-a
Their. vl- rna foremost e "a tapsail
schooner with ir, long yar' and sal
still ar. and trailing away f-'u
them r scores uf rope" SIS FL. mast
VS. O ar .u tha wave. va Gould
2 r... l- h.-
.s. .'..taraI o..
I... .r I'd few feet ..ra tie
E .I had nor I.. r-afe1
ft ua.. -l.t t.a err l .r-.t
d sgj-. ... violent sgu.I
I'll. OF the wrccaaga was lone
some enough but rha pirtlr. H.- made
more impress. ve by the pr.-.ua. ai the
man eater. We could see them work
ing their way IIto the debris and back
ing out again-weaying n and oat
among the ropes, diving under the
mast-snapping at each other like
dogs AZ they met in the tangle. We
watched the scene for five minutes
without "A word. Then the captain
turned To us with:
There's a dead sailor tangled up in
that topsail yard. We can't see him,
but / know he's there. That's what
draws these sharks.
''WellH' somebody queried.
Wei they say it don't make no diff
ference where the body rests after
death. but I've got a SOFT Of feeling
that il does. Of course, you've hired
the boat, and Of course you maynt
want a corpse towing astem Of Us as
Ne go in; but I'm a-believing the
friends Of poor Jack in there viii feel
the easier for knowing that the sands
over him"
Two minutes later the small boat was
town and pushing among the wreck
ge. When the bellying sail had been
.ut loose and pulled aside the body
was discovered IL was in the slings
of the yard, and held there by a hal
yard which had wrapped about him
after the mast was aflC1t II "a that
of a young man, not over IS years old,
and in life must Eaye been fair TO look
upon Not a bruise could be seen, and
il was plain that lac had died Of stran
gulation while held in the sling. A
search brought 10 light his knife, "a lit
tie change and some trihing keepsakes.
but nothing 10 show his name or th'
abiding place of his friends.
We took the body in tow and saileC
away for "a bit Of sand key near the fol
horn buoy There we scooped out
grave in the wet sands with an par
and laid poor Jack 10 rest, the lionel.
blasts Of the fog horn as the iron buo.
rose and fell On the waves being his re
QUEEN. He may sleep no better unde
the sands, but we can hope he does
Cor. Detroit Free Press.