The Republican., 1892-08-05

middle watch"
1T wanted ten minutes to six bells"
exclaimed a man, and general, en-
phatic, hairy nod followed the inter-
ruption.
81 was the first 10 smell fire." con-
tinued the other, "call it what hour We
like. / gave the alarm and all hands
turned to with hoses and buckets. But
there was a deal of oil in the hold, and
the ships planks was thick with grease
besides. and that gave us no chance.
BY ten O'Clock in the morning the
flames had bursted through and was
shooting up mast high, and then we
calculated it was time to look to tie
boats"
The others stood listening with hard,
solid, leathery faces generally gazing
with steadfast eyes at the speaker, but
sometimes glancing askant at the cap
tain and the crowd of others which
stood around.
There was tarnation ugly sea rum
ming" the man went on, land, the
wheel being desarted, the ship had
fallen off and lay in the trough, and the
lowering of the stern boats, whalemen
though they was who had the handling
of 'em, cost our company of twenty
eight souls the loss of all hands, sa wing
them as stand afore ye"
"a bad job! A measly, cruel, bad
job" here broke in long-jawed man,
whose brow and eyes were almost con-
cealed by a quantity of coarse red hair.
! We'll, us eight men got away in the
boat, proceeded the spokesman,
bringing along with us nothin' but a
small bag of bread and about SIX gal
Ions of fresh water. We've been wash
ing about since Tuesday, and now. the
Lord be praised, here we be. with a
chance of getting something to eat,
and, what's more pleasurea BILE still to
our feelings, the opportunity of COM
fortably turning in"
murmur of pity ran among the pas
sengers, several of whom were ladies,
and there was more than one somewhat
loud whisper to the effect that the cap
tain ought really to send the poor crea-
lures forward at once to get some
breakfast instead OF holding them
starving and dry with thirst to talk.
The eagle-eyed skipper, however,
asked several questions before dis
missing them.
"Since, then, by their own confes-
sion, the fire gave them plenty time
to escape from the bark, how was it
they had left her so ill-provisioned as
they represe nted?'
This was most satisfactorily account
ed for. other inquiries of like nature
were responded to with alacrity and in
telligence. Every sentence that one or
another of them let fall was cor
roborated by the rest Their tale of
suffering, indeed, in the open boat
was almost narrowing, and the cap
tain, with the first note of sympathy
that his voice had taken. ordered them
to go forward. adding that after good
hot meal had been served them they
might turn in and sleep for the rest of
the day wherever they could make
| a bed.
At the breakfast in the saloon moth
ing was talked about but the American
whaler that had been consumed by fire,
the dreadful drowning of some two
thirds of her crew and the miraculous
deliverance of the survivors from the
inexpressible perils and horrors of an
open boat in the solitude of the
stormest part of ocean the wide world
over. A benevolent gentleman pro-
posed absorption. Before the
luncheon bell was rung sum of thirty
pounds sterling had been collected.
The incident was break in the mo-
notony, and when the eight men reap
peared on deck during the afternoon
they were promptly approached by the
passengers, who Obliged them to recite
again and yet again their mela ncholy
story of maritime disaster
On the morning of the third day fol-
lowing the date of this rescue a ship
was sighted almost directly in a line
with the vessels course As She was
neared she was seen to be rugged with
stump or Cape Horn topgallant masts;
she was also under very easy canvas.
which gave her very short-h anded
look in that quiet sea Great wooden
davits overhuug her sides, from which
dangled a mum Der of boats. She pre-
sented very grimy, worn aspect, and
had manifestly kept the sea for months.
1t was observed by the chief officer.
standing on the bridge of the steamer.
that the eight rescued men, who were
looking at the sail ahead along with
some of the crew and steerage passen-
gers, disclosed several symptoms of
uneasiness and even of agitation. Sud
denly the stripes and stars with the
stars inverted. were run aloft to the
peak end-a signal of distress. The
engines were slowed and the steamers
head put so as to pass the vessel within
easy mailing distance. man aboard
the bark stood in the mzzen rigging.
steamer ahoy!" he roarcd.
Hello"
81 have lost "a boat and eight of nv
men, Have you seen anything of hero"
The captain, who had gained the
bridge, lifted his hand.
Bark ahoy.'' he cried What bark
is that"
"The George Washington. whaIer. of
Boston, one hundred and cighty-four
days out"
The captain of the steamship con-
ccaled sour grin.