Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1892-07-16

The others stood listening with hard,
solid, leathery faces, generally gazing with
steadfast eyes at the speaker, out some
| times glancing askant at the captain and
1 the crowd of others which stood around
There was a taruatlon ugly sea run
ming, the man went on, land, the wheel
being deserted, the ship fallen Fl and lay
/ in the trough, and the lowering cf the
stern boats, whalemeH though they were,
who bad the handling of EN-, cost our
company Of twenty eight souls the loss Of
all hands, saving them as stand afore
ye.'
"A bad job! A measly, cruel, bad job!'
here broke in a longjawed man. whose
/ brow and eyes were almost concealed by a
| quantity of coarse, red hair,
well US eight men got away in the
boat, proceeded the spokesman, "bring-
ing along with us nothin but small bag
| We've been washing about since Tuesday,
and now, the Lord be praised. here we
| be- with a chance of getting something 10
to eat, and, what's more pleasurable still to
our feelings, the opportunity of comforta'
| bly, turning in.
A lnurmur 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 captain
ought really TO send the poor creatures for
ward at once to get some breakfast, in
stead Of holding them, starving and dry
with thirst, to talk. The eagle eyed skip
per, however, asked several questions be
fore dismissing them.
Since, by their own confession, the
Gre gave them plenty time to escape from
the bark, how was it they had left her so
! ilLprovisioned as they represeuted2'
This was most satisfactorily accounted
| for Other inquiries of a hike nature were
responded to with alacrity and intel
! igeLce. Every sentence that one or other
of them let fall was corroborated by tn
rest. Their tale of suffering, indeed in
! the open boat was almost narrowing, and
the captain, with the first note of SYM
patty that his voice had taken, ordered
! them to 20 forward, adding that q good
hot meal had been served TIN they might
| turn in and sleep for the rest of the day
wherever they could make a bed.
At the breakfast in the saloon nothing
was talked about but the American whaler
that had been consumed 10y fire, TIE dread
! tul drowning OF some two thirds of her
crew and the miraculous GelIverante of
! the survivors from the inexprCssible perils
and horrors of an open boat In the solitude
of the stormiest part Of ocean the wide
world over. A benevolent gentleman pro-
posed a subscription. Before the luncheon
bell was rung a sum OF E30 had been col =
! ected The incident was a break in the
/ monotony, and when the eight men reap
pelred on deck during the afternoon they
we're promptly approached by the passen.
! gers, who obliged them TO recite again
and vet again their melancholy story Of
maritime disaster.
On the morning of the third day follow
ing the date of this rescus snip was
sighted almost directly in a line with the
vessels course. As she was neared she
was seen TO he rugged with stump or Cape
Horn topgallant masts; she was also un-
der very easy canvas, which gave her a
very shorthanied look in that quiet sea.
! Great wooden davits Overhuug her sides,
from which daDg!ed a Gunber of boat,.
She presented very grimy, worn aspect,
and had manifestly kent the sea for
months. IL was observed by the chief
officer, standing on the bridge Oh the
steamer, that the eight rescued men, who
were looking at the sail ahead, along
vita some Of the crew aud Storage pass-
| eugprs. discovered several symptoms Of
unae ness and even Of agitation, Sud
! denly he stripes AMI stars, with the stars
| inverted, were run aloft 10 the peak end
! a ignsl Of distress The engines were
slowed and the steamers head put SO as
10 pass the vessel within easy haling dis.
I tanca. A r1an aboard the bark stood in
the mizzen rigging.
"SteameI ahoyl" he roared.
"Heloi"
81 have lost a boat and eight Of my men
Have you seen pn}thing of her2'
The captain, who mad gained the bridge,
lifted his hand.
Bark ahol!" he cried. What bark
is that?"
The George Washington, whaler, Of
Boston, lS4 days OFT.
The captain of the steamship concealed
a sour grin.
How came you to lose your boat and
the men?'
They stole her one middle watch and
sneaked away from the ship.
The captain of the steamship laughed
I'VE have your men safe here he
shouted, "gad to learn that you are not
burned down to the waters edge and that
the rest of your crew look brisk, consider
ing that they are drowned men. Send a
uoat and you shall have our sailors.
Twenty minutes later the eight whole
men we're being conveyed to their bark in
one of heir own boats, most Of them
griuning as they looked up at the line Of
heads which decorated the steamer sides
and indeed there was some excuse for their
SMILES, for among them trey were carry
ing away the ESQ which had been suo-
scribed for them, 1t would be interesting
TO know what their skipper said when he
learned that they had lost fine boat for
him; but ocean mail liners have to keep
time and the steamer could not wait 10
send a representative on board the whaler
to report the many elegancles Of Boston
sea dialect, which we may reasonably as
sumo embellished her skpper's rhetoric
QUEER WAYS OF RATS.