The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-03-04
TALBOTS LAST VOYAGE.

On surf fringed island of the Pacific
where the smoldering twin volcanoes
| frown on flower strewn plains, and thu
cocoanut palms nod drowsily to thu
| 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
clements of such heroism and pathos
that it must touch all hearts till Glory
forgets to honor Valor and Love lays
down bis golden rose.
He was 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
ly enough, the result of bit of practi-
Cal humanity on the part of her COM
nanding officer.
In the winter Of 1869 congress ap-
proved bill for deepening the cut in the
harbor of Midway island, and for more
than twelvemonth after the appropria-
ton was made the work was carried on
by Capt. NOW COMMODORE Sicard and a
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 fired and the
Saginaw's nose turned homeward. San
Francisco was the objective point, but
before shaping a 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-
walls 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 reMsnce could be had upon its
accuracy, and the stars went out so early
in 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 2 a. m.
At this hour, the log showing dis
lance of thirty-fve miles made since S
o'clock of the afternoon preceding, he
ordered the mainsail close reefed and
the engines to be kept just turning over.
put as the dead reckoning shows twelve
miles still to run the topsails were left
standing, and this unfortunately gave
he ship decided Roadway, for she was
'unning 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
car under our very bows, and wall of |
white fire barred the way. High in the |
llr played spray Of phosphoric bright |
less, and the sullen boom of the surf was |
Ike the ominous detonations of minute |
Jun.
1t was the reef!
The shrill cry Of the lookout, Break |
RS ahead!" seemed to deprive the men |
# both speech and motion. They stood
IS II paraiyzed, and it was only when
he officers leaped to the ropes, tugging
Ike madmen, that they followed; and |
ven then they moved heavily-"hke in
dream" the captain said; and though
hey hauled and reefed, mechanically.
heir eyes were fixed gloomily on the
inc of leaping surf, and their ears were
lied with the sound of the death blows
aiming on tie ships sides.
The engines We're reversed on the echo |
( that awful Cry, the watch tumbled
p, and all hands struggled and strained
t the topsSils, while the air resounded
nth the hoarse voices of the officers Civ
ig and transmitting orders, and the
iercing shrek of the bos'n's pipe cut
ne air like scimetar.
For few minutes the balance of
hances hung even. But the pressure of
team was too light as against the pull
the topSalls, and just as the canvas
-as clewed up she rose on the crest of
-eat wave and fell on the ridge of the
aef.
In ten minutes she bilged-she had
CODED her holds at once-and yet SO
God was the discipline that not only
'as every soul landed safely on the ISL
nd, through wind and rain and snatch
1g seas, but few stores We're saved as
iell
Here was cruel reversal OF situa-
ons From rescuers they were become
oJects or rescue. and of this last the |
nances seemed too remote to be enter
lined, except Is hope.