The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1892-08-18
THE CASTAWAYS.

THE CASTAWAYS.
Eight shdpwrocked Mariners and
Their Unvarn;shed Ta,o.
On a December morning, in the year
1883, mail steamer, homeward bound
from q New Zealand port, was sp-
preaching the meridian of the Horn.
but on a parallel more southerly than
it is now the custom of steamships to
take in rounding that stormy, ice-girt,
desolate and most inhospitable of all
headlands-
December in those distant regions is
midsummer, and the weather of that
morning was as fair and still as q
breezeless April day in this country,
but the swell of til vast tract of ocean
ran selessly-reminisoent respira-
tions of q giantess whose conflict with
the heavens is eternal and whose
breathing pauses are very few and for
between, indeed Over this long. dark
blue, westerly swell the great metal
fabric went sweeping in long, floating,
launching courtesies, whitening the
water astern of her with q mile Of
wake.
The chief officer was on the bridge;
the first breakfast bell had rung and
the captain, smart as q naval officer in
buttons and lace trimmings, quilted the
chart room and joined the mate TO take
alook around before going below. This
skipper was man OF eagle sight, end
instantly on directing his eyes over the
ships bow he exclaimed
What Is that black object yonher?"
= The chief mate peered and the cop
tain leveied telescope
"A ships boat" said he. ',and seem
ingly full Of people"
The boat when sighted, was some
three or four miles distant. and the
speed of the steamship was about thir-
teen knots In few minutes the
alarm in the engine room rang its re-
verberatory warning, sending little
thrill of wonder throughout the ship 50
rarely Is that telegraph handled on the
high seas.
81 count eight men str" cried the
chief mate, with a binocular glass at his
eye.
Again the enginc-room alarm rang
out; the pulsing that for days had been
ceaselessly throbbing through the long
fabric languished, and in q few min
utes to another summons Of the metal
tongue below ceased, and the great
steamship foated along 10 her own inn
petus slowly till the boat was within
the toss Of biscuit off the bow, with
the passengers crowding to the side.
and sailors and walters and steerage
folk blackening the rail forward.
The occupants of the boat consisted
of eight wild, hairy, Washable scare
crows OF men, dressed in divers fash
ions-Scotch caps, yellow sou'westers,
sea boots. toil-worn monkey jackets,
and the like,
Bout ahoyw hailed the captain. as
she slowly washed alongside. "Whuti is
wrong with you?"
A fellow standing up IN the stern
sheets cried back in q strong Yankee
accent:
For Gods sake, sir, take US aboard!
Our waters almost givenout, and there's
nothing left to eat"
Look out for the end OF line
bawled the captain "Are you strong
enough to get aboard without helpP"
"Aye, sir, we'll manage IT."
A rope was thrown, and one after an
other the fellows came swinging and
scraping and scrambling up the clean
side of the steamship The pessen
gers crowded around and gazed al
them with curiosity and pity. Thei'
sympathetic eyes seemed 10 find famine
painfully expressed in the leather
countenances that stared back through
mats OF hair.
1--WE must let your boat CO. said ths
captain.
Cant help it, sir, tina ukful enough
to be here, ! reckon" answered ths
fellow who had called from the sterl
sheets and who acted as spokesman.
4 '.Anything belonging to You to conn
outs'
Nothing, by the etarnal Let he
60. sir. II sailors sea blessings Col
freight craft she amt going to foa
long"
The boat was sent adrtft, the engin
bell rang out, once more the great mai
steamer was thrashing over the long
tall haave of Cape Horn swell "
"How came you into this mess%' tn
quired the captain.
The man who had spoken befor
made answer:
4 'We're all that's left Of the crew Q
= tho Boston bark 0obrse Washingtou
She was whaler. one hundred an
sighty-four days ont Il were fou
days ego ! was ths hrst 70 amell Ars