Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1892-08-11
THE CASTAWAYS.
Eight Shipwreoked Mariners and
Their Unvarnished Tale.

On December morning, in the year
1883, a mail steamer. homeward bound
from = New Zealand port, was APP
proaching the meridian OF the Horn,
but on parallel more southerly than
IL Ia 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 ia
midsummer, and the weather OF that
morning was as fair and still as n
breezeless April day in this country,
but the swell of tn vast tract Of ocean
ran OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES respira-
tions Of a giantess whose conflict with
the heavens Is eternal and whose
breathing pauses are very few and far
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 mile Of
wake.
The chief officer was on the bridge;
the first breakfast bell had rung and
the captain, smart as a naval officer in
buttons and lace trimmings, quilted the
chart room and joined the mate To take
a look around before going below. This
skipper was a man OF eagle sight, and
instantly on directing his eyes over the
ships bow he exclaimed:
What is that black object yonder?'
The chief mate pecred and the cap
tain levcled telescope
shlps boat, SAID he, and seem
ingly inll 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 fe" minutes the
alarm in the engine room rang its re-
verberatory warning, sending a little
thrill of wonder throughout the ship 80
rarely Is that telegraph handled ON the
high seas.
II count eight men, sir, cried the
chief mate, with binocular glass at his
eye.
Again the engine-room alarm rang
out; the pulsing that for days had been
ceaselessly throbbing through the long
fabric langnished' and IN a rev min
utes to another summons OF the metal
tongue below ceased and the great
steamship Heated along to her own i'm
petns slowly ull the boat was wthin
the loss OF a biscuit on the bow WIN
the passengers crowding To the SIDE
ana sailors and waters and steerage
folk blackening the rail- forward
The occupants OF the boat consisted
of eight wild, hairy, veritable scare
crows OF men, dressed in divers fash
ions-scotch caps yellow souwesters,
sea boots, toil-worn monkey jackets
and the like.
Boat ahoy" hailed the captain, as
she Slowly washed alongside "hat Is
wrong with your
A fellow standing up in the stern
sheets cried back IN strong Yankee
accent t-.-, :,
"for GODS sake SIR take us aboard
Our water almost given out ana there n
nothlng leit TO eat
LOOK ont Tor the END OF llne'
Dawled the captain Are You strong
enough 10 get ABOARD WITHOUT heip|
aye sir wen manage IT,
rope was thrown, and one after an
Otner inc iclloWs came swinging auu
scraping and scrambling up the clean
side OF the steamship, The passen-
gers crowded around and gazed at
them with curiosity and pity. Their
sympathetic eyes seemed to find famine
painfully expressed in the lcathern
countenances that stared back through
mats Of hair.
"We must let your boat 60, said the
captain.
Cant help it. sir tina nkful enough
to be here, l reckon" answered tho
fellow who had called from the stern
sheets and who acted as spokesman.
Anything belonging TO you 20 come
out?'
Nothing, by tho etarnal. Let her
90, sir. II sailors sea blessings can
freight a craft she amt going 20 foat
long"
M