The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1891-04-14
TALBOTS LAST VOYAGE.

cocoanut palms nod drowsily to the
rhythm of the sea, there is set memo
rial tablet which bears the legend:
Greater love than this hath no man,
that he lay down his life for his friend"
and the name above it is that of John G.
Talbot, of Kentucky.
His story is only one of duty done, and
therefore is lost to the great public, al
though it still lives in the memory of
his comrades and in the faithful records
of the navy department, but it has in it
elements of such heroism and pathos
that it must touch all hearts till Glory
forgets to honor Valor and Love laws
down his golden rose.
He was a junior lieutenant in the
United States navy, and was one of the
officers of the United States steamship
Saginaw at the time she broke her back
ON the reef of Ocean island in the Oc-
tober of 1870. which wreck was, curious
" enough. the result of bit of practi-
cal humanity on the part of her com
manding officer.
In the winter of 1859 congress ap-
proved a bill for deepening thecut in the
-Aarbor of Midway island, and for more
than twelvelnonth after the appropria-
tion was made the work was carried on
by Capt. (now Commodore) Sicard and
large force of men. The task, however.
was very thankless one, and as the ap-
preparation ran out before it was fin
ished, and the winter was setting in
~early with unusually boisterous winds
and heavy rains, the dredges and cut
ting machinery were promptly taken up
and slowed, the engines fred and the
lnt 20 frr,-
Francisco was the objective point, but
before shaping course for the Golden
Gate Capt. Sicard determined to run
down to a lonely island about seventy
miles to the westward of Midway to
look up any castaways who might have
found refuge there. This island, or
rather coral reef, is so far out of the
track of vessels that such visits are made
not only with the approval of the de-
partment, but by its command, at inter
vals of as few years as is practicable.
That the trip was fraught with the
usual dangers incident ON navigating un-
known waters is at once apparent, but
the first hour out developed new and
strange source of anxiety that proved
unconquerable. The machinery piled
ON deck affected the compass SO sensibly
that no reliance could be had upon its
accuracy, and the stars went out SO early
m the night that they had to run by
dead reckoning.
The sea was heavy and the set of the
current was so unusual that the captain |
gave the strictest orders about the rate
OF speed and the lookout to be main
tanned, and as the ship was due along
side the island about daybreak he took
the deck himself at Q a. m
At this hour, the log showing a dis
tance of thirty-fve miles made since 5 |
O'Clock of the afternoon preceding, he |
ordered the mainsail close reefed and |
the engines to be kept just turning over,
bnt as the dead reckoning shows twelve |
miles still to run the topsails were left |
standing, and this unfortunately gave
the ship decided headway, for she was
running with the trade winds, and it was
case of
The ship was lively and the wind was free.
Suddenly out of the night sprang a
roar under our very bows, and a wall of |
white fire barred the way. High in the |
air played spray of phosphoric bright
ness, and the sullen boom of the surf was
like the ominous detonations of a minute |
gum.
1t was the reef!
The shrill cry of the lookout, Break
ers aheadp seemed to deprive the men |
of both speech and motion. They stood |
rs if paralyzed, and it was only when |
the officers leaped to the ropes, tugging |
like madmen, that they followed; and |
even then they moved heavily-~like in |
dream" the captain said; and though |
they hauled and reefed, mechanically, |
their eyes were fixed gloomily on the |
hne of leaping surf, and their ears were |
flled with the sound of the death blows
raining on the ships sides.
The engines were reversed on the echo
OF that awful cry, the watch tumbled |
up, and all hands struggled and strained |
1t the topsails, while the air resounded |
with the hoarse voices of the officers Civ
ing and transmitting orders, and the
piercing shrek of the bos'n's pipe cut
the air like q scimetar
For few minutes the balance of
chances hung even. But the pressure of
steam was too light as against the pull
Of the topsails, and just as the canvas
was clewed up she rose on the crest of a
great wave and fell ON the ridge OF the
reef
In ten minutes she bilged-she had
2Ooded her holds at once-and yet so
good was the discipline that not only
was every soul landed safely on the isl
and, through wind and rain and snatch
ing seas, but few stores were saved as
well
Here was q cruel reversal of situa-
6ons- From rescuers they were become
objects of rescue, and of this last the
chances seemed too remote to be enter
tanned. except as hope.
The island was absolutely sterile
There was neither wood nor fresh water.
There was no place to shelter, and the
nearest attainable land was !, 500 miles