Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1892-12-29
The Story of a Wreck.
Thririing and Romantic Account Of
q Nutiny ut sea
m w. CLARK RUSSELL.


l busied my head with all kinds Of
schemes to save the ship md believed
II would be no hard matter 10 do 50 Il
the water did not come into her more
quickly than she was now making H.
Unfortunately, there were only two
parts Of the ships hold which We could
get into--namely, right forward in the
fore-peak, and right aft down in tho
lnzarette. II she had strained n butt,
or started any part OF her pianking OF
outer skin. amidships or anywhere In
her bottom between these two points,
there would be no chance Of getting at
the leak unless the cargo were slung
out OF her.
But the leak could not be considered
hopeless that did not run over n foot
an hour into the ship and with the Ber-
mudas close at hand aud the weather
promising | did not yet despair OF
bringing the ship into harbor. At
half past eleven Cornish came and
took the wheel and the bOatswain and
again sounded the well. There was
just thirteen inches which showed that
the water was coming in at the rate Of
foot an hour, no more and no less.
We called tho steward and pumped
Though this proved that we could
keep the water down tho prospect Of
pumping every hour was very disheart
cning. At best We should be able tc
obtain but brief snatches OF rest
had been on deck now for foui
hours Mt one stretch; 50. leaving Corn.
ish ut the wheel, | lay down ON the
stewards mattress In the cuddy. while
he seated himself on the bench with his
head upon the cuddy table, and snored
in that posture
But we were all aroused again with
In the hour by Cornish, who called to
US down the companion, aud away we
tloundercd, with our eyes gummcd up
with sleep, to tho pumps, and YEARLY
worked them like miserable auto
nations.
The dawn found mo again ut the
wheel, having been there half an hour.
/ scanned the broken, dcsolatG hori-
zon In the pale light creep ng over It,
hut no ship was in sight. The sea.
though not nearly so dangerous M it
had been, was terribly sloppy, short
and quick and tumDlcd very often over
the ships sides, making the decks, with
tho rattle that encountered them, look
wretchcd.
I hal not had my clothes of mo
Tor some days and the sense Of per-
sonal discomfort in no small degree
aggravated the profound feeling OF
WEAKNESS which achod like rhcumatism
In my body and absolutely stung In my
legs. The skin Of my face was hard and
dry with long exposure to the terrible
wind and the saltwater IL had blown
and dried upon it, and though my
undertaking was dry, yet II produced
all the sensation of dampnoss upon my
shiu aud never Ia all my lifo had | felt
50 uncomfortable, weary and spiritless
as did standing at tho wheel when
the dawn broke, and ! looked abroad
upon the rugged fields Of water and
found no vessel in sight 20 inspire me
with n moments emotion of hope,
| was replaced at the wheel by the
boatswaln and took another turn at
the pumps. When this harassing job
was ended went into. tho forecastlo,
making my way thther with much
difficulty.
| had a sacred duty TO perform and
now that the daylight was como it was
proper 1 should go to work.
| procured n clean hammock and
with the help of Cornish 1 spread 1t out
upon the deck and laid the body OF
poor old Mr. Robertson upon II.
brought the sides of tho hammock to
meet over the corpse, and held them
whilo Cornish passed the stitches.
then sent him to find me n big holy
stone or any pieces of iron, so as to
sink the body, and he brought some
pieces Of stone which secured m tho
CLOVIS Mt the foot OF the hammock
We left the face exposed, and raised
the body onto n bunk and covered it
over. Having completed arrangements
went aft and Knocked at Miss Rob-
ertson's door,
She opened tho door and looked at
me inquiringly, but seeing me glance
toward hcr fathers cabin, she under
stood all of u sudden, and covered her
face with her hands.
al have left his faco uncovered for
you TO kiss" said, gently, laying my
hand on her arm.
She went at once into his cabin, and
closed the door upon her and waited
outside.
She did not keep me long waiting.
think, brave girl that she was, even
amid all her desolating sorrow, that
she knew | would wish the burial over,
SO that we might address ourselves
again to the ship.
IL leave him to you now she said.
thought she meant that sho would
not witness the funeral, and was glad
that she had so resolved, and | accord
ingly took her hand to lead her away
to her cabin.
''Let me be with youl" she ex-
claimed. "Indeed, indeed, | am strong
enough to bear il. | should not bo
happy II did not know the moment
when he left me, that l might pray to
God for him then"
"Be 1t so, 1 answered. IL will call
you when we are ready"
She left me; and Cornish and the
steward and | went into tho cabin to
complete the mournful preparations.
l cased the body completely in the
hammock, and we then raised itup aud
laid II upon the stage, which We had
made TO answer for stretchcr, and
over II threw n sheet. so that only the
sheet and the ensign was visible
This done, consulted with Cornish
MS TO what part of the deck we should
choose in order to tilt the body over
board, II Is generally the custom to
rest the body near the gangway, but
the ship was rolling too heavily TO en-
able us to do this now, and the main
deck was ailoat; so we decided on
carrying the body right aft, and thither
We transported 1t, lodging tho foot of
the streteher on tho rail abaft the port
quSrtor-boat