The Sully County watchman. (Clifton, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1894, 1892-10-22

and, though the captain eyed me rath-
er askance,-I had been to a West-end
tailor on my way through London,-
he was too glad to get me to ask any
questions. so | sailed on the ship with
my girl, little as she knew it. | saw
her the first day or two. looking so
| pale and thin that she was like the
| ghost of her old self, and yet swceter
to my eyes than ever before. The
children she had charge of were trou-
| blesomc little creatures, who worried
and badgcrcd her till longed to cuff
them well. but there was gentleness
and patience aDoIt her quite new to
my ideas of Miss Winny, and l only
loved her the more for it. After the
second day out the wind freshened,
| and | saw no more of her.
We had an awful passage. 1t was
late in November-an early Winter,
and the cold was intense. 1t blew one
continuous gale, and some of our ma
chinery was brokcn-the screw dam
aged-and we could not keep our
course. As we drew near the other
side of the Atlantic we got more and
more out of our bearings. and at last
the fogs told us we were somewhere
off the banks of Newfoundland, but
where no one was quite sure. 1t SEEM
ed to me it had all happened before, or
| | had read it, or dreamed it. At all
events, it was hardly surprise to me
when, on the tenth night, just after
midnight, the awful crash and shock
took place-a sensation which no one
who has not felt it can imagine in the
| least-and we knew that the Antarctic
| had struck.
1t is fearful thing, if you come to
think of it, great steamer filled with
living souls in the full flow of life and
health, and in one moment the call
coming to each of them to die. Before
you could have struck a match the
whole ship was in a panic-cries, ter
ror, confusion, agony-Oh, it was aw-
full! | trust never to see such a scene
again. l made my way through it all
as if | had neither eyes nor ears, and
got to the state-room l had long ago
found out was the one which belonged
to my girl. | knocked at the door
| with heavy hand; even at that awful
moment thrill ran through me at the
| thought of standing face to face with
her again.
"Winnyn' l cried, 'corac out! make
haste. there is not moment to lose"
The door opened as l spoke, and she
stood just within, ready dressed. even
to her little black hat. The cabin light
had been left burning, by the doctors
orders, and it fell full on me as l stood
there in my sailors jersey and cap.
wondered if she would know me. |
forgot the danger we were in-forgot
that death was waiting close at hand
forgot that the world held any one but
just her and me-
''Dickr' she cried ''Oh, Dick,
Dick'' and she fell forward in a dead
faint on my shoulder.
All my senses came back to me then,
and | threw her over my arm and ran
for the deck A great fur-lined cloak
had been dropped by the door of the
ladies cabin. There was no light, but
l stumbled over it as | ran. | snatched
it up and carried it with me.
Up above, all was in the widest
chaos; the boats oyerfilled, and push
ing off; the ship settling rapidly; peo-,
pie shouting, crying, swearing. One
hears tales of calmness and courage
often enough at such times, which
make ones heart glow as one reads
them; but there was not much heroism
shown in the wreck of the Antarctic.
The captain behaved splendidly, and
so did some of the passengers, but the
majority of them and the crew were
mad with terror, and lost their heads
altogether.
w nt oh for fHa
over-crowded boats in that sea. and |
sprang for the rigging. | was not
second too soon; score of others fol-
lowed my example, and with my pre-
cious burden I should not have had a
chance two minutes later. As it was,
/ scrambled to the topmast. and got a
llrm hold there. Winny was just COM
ing to herself. l had wrapped her
round like a baby in the fur cloak, and
with my teeth opened my knife to
cut rope which hung loose within
reach With this lashed her to me,
and fastened us both to the topmast.
The ship sank gradually; she did not
keel over, or | should not be telling
YOU the story; she settled down, ust
her deck above water, but the great
seas washed over it every second and
swept it clean. The boats had gone!
One or two of the crew, floating on
loose spars, were picked up afterward
no more. The rigging was pretty
full. at least in the upper part down
below, the sea was too strong. The
captain was near me. l felt glad to
think he had been saved-he was not
coward like some of the others.
How long was the longest night you
ever knew? Multiply that by a thous-
and, and yo. W.. have some idea of
that nights length. The cold was aw-
full. The spray froze on the sheets as
it fell; the yards were slippery with
ice. stamped on Winny's feet to
keep them from freezing. Did you
notice that limp a little? shall
walk lame as long as l live. Some
times there was a splash in the black
water below, as some poor fellows
stiffened hold relaxed, and he fell from
his place in the rigging. There was
not breath of wind. nothing but the
bitter. bitter fog. How long could we
hold out? Where We're we? How long
would the ship last before she broke