Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1892-11-11
CHAPTER X
pRvPARATroSS

Mrs. John Allaire. While there was
absolute certainty as regards the death
of her child, this was not so in the case
of her husband Might not John and
his companions have survived the wreck
of their ship and have taken refuge on
one of the numerous islands of the
Philippine, the Celebes or the Java
seas? Could it not be possible that they
had been restrained of their liberty by
ONE native tribe and were without any
means of escape? This was the hope TO
which Mrs. Allaire was henceforth to
cling with tenacity so extraordinary
as to bring about in San Diego and else
where change of opinion as regards
the Dreadnaught-
There were frequent consultations at
Prospect cottage, which, rich as she
now was, Molly had not been willing
to leave. Capt. John had left her there
on sailing away-he should find her
there on his return She resolved to
make not the least change in her mode
of life until her husband was once more
back in San Diego. She was determined
that the same simplicity should charac-
terize her style of living: that she would
spend nothing additional except as
called for by her expeditions and her
charities.
The important task to which Hollis
ter and Capt. Willis first turned their
attention when in consultation with
Mrs. Allaire was to fix upon the course
which had been followed by the Dread
naught. It was necessary to establish
this with the greatest exactitude posi-
ble. The house Of Hollister g. Co. had
shipped goods by this vessel to the
Indies with instructions to touch at
Singapore, for which port she also car
ried consignment of merchandise.
Now after getting away from the Amer
lean coast the probabilities were that
Capt. John had passed in the neighbor-
hood of the Hawaiin archipelago or
Sandwich islands. After leaving the
Anson archipelago the Dreadnaught
had no doubt taken the direction of the
Mariana and the Philippine islands,
thence through Oelebes sea and Macas-
sar strait to the Java sea, which is
bounded on the south by the Sunda
islands, in order to reach Singapore.
The strait of Molucca, which is formed
by the Malay peninsula and the island
of Sumatra, opens on the west into the
bay of Bengal, in which, outside of the
Andaman and Nicobar islands, there
was no place where the wrecked crew
could have found refuge. Beyond all
doubt, John Allaire had not reached
the bay of Bengal, for inasmuch as he
had not touched at Singapore, and this
was now known to be the case, it must
be that he had been unable to get be-
yond the limits of the Java sea and
the Sunda islands.
As for supposing that the Dread
naught instead Of following the May
lasian route had attempted to reach
Calcutta by threading her way through
the difficult passes of Torres strait
along the north coast of the Australian
continent, no good seaman would have
dreamed of such thing. Capt. Willis
insisted that Capt John would never
have taken such a rash and uncalled for
step as to expose his ship to the dam
gers of this route The idea was not to
be indulged for a moment, and it was
resolved to confine the search solely to
the route already marked out as the one
most likely followed by Allaire.
The fact is that the Caroline, Celebes
and Java seas are filed with thousands
of islands of all sizes, and there it was
that the crew of the Dreadnaught, if
they had survived the wreck of their
vessel, might be living on some desert
isle or be held in bondage by some
tribe. Having agreed upon these points,
1t was resolved to send an expedition to
the Malaysian seas. Mrs. Allaire then
made proposition which to her mind
was of greatest Importance. She asked
Capt. Willis if he were inclined to take
command of the expedition.
As the Flying Cloud had been laid up
by Hollister & Co., Willis was on the
waiting list, and therefore, although
taken unawares by this proposition of
Mrs. Allaire, he didn't hesitate to
place himself at her disposal, condi-
toned upon the consent of Mr.. Hollis
ter, who gladly accorded it. and
thanked Willis for accepting.
''rm only doing my duty" replied
Willis, land everything in my power to
find the survivors of the Dreadnaught
shall be done. II Capt. John is alive
John is alive" exclaimed Mrs. Al
laire, in tone positive enough to ST.
lence the most incredulous.
Capt. Willis now began the discussion
of several points calling for settlement.
To ship crew worthy of this expedi-
ton would not be a difficult matter
But there was the question of vessel.
Of course for such an expedition as this
the Flying Cloud was in no wise suited.
1t was not sailing vessel which n wise
navigator would choose in order to un-
dertake such task, but steamer.
At that moment there were lying in
the bay of San Diego several steamers
suitable for such an enterprise. Mrs.
Allaire commissioned Capt. Willis to ac-
quire title to the swiftest one of the
lot and placed the necessary funds at
his disposal. A few days sufficed for
this transaction. Mrs. John Allaire be-
came the owner of the Davitt, the name
Of which was at once changed to the
Molly's Hope, most appropriate name
under the circumstances and one of
good augury.
1t was a screw steamer of nine hun
dred tons burden and constructed with
very commodious coal bunkers, which
would enable her to run long distances
without recoaling. Rugged like three
masted brig and carrying large spread
Of canvas, her twelve-hundred-h horse
power engines would easily enable her
to attain speed of fifteen knots an
hour. Under these conditions of speed
and tonnage the Molly's Hope, which
was good sailer and easily handled,
answered all the requirements of pas
sage through confined seas, filed with
islands, islets and reefs.
1t need hardly be said that Mrs.
Allaire did not remain inactive while
these preparations were making. She
with Capt. Willis in work
ing out every detail, using her fortune
with "A free hand, not being willing to
neglect the smallest matter which
might contribute TO the success Of the
expedition.
BY July II the Molly's Hope was ready
TO put to sea- Mrs. Allaire went on
board In the morning in order to exact
a last promise from Capt. Willis to do
everything in his power to discover
traces of the lost ship. She had no
doubt in her own mind that he would
They would bring John, they
would bring his crew back with them.
In tone of such profound conviction
did she repeat these words that the
crew broke out in applause. Every man
m ss,f III