Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1892-11-17

shouted in wild excitement;
"a salt A sail"
The cry sent the blood coursing |
through our veins once more, as we |
followed the direction Of his gaze, and |
saw, towards the northeast, tho wei.
come sight.
Our first sensation OF Joy was soon
followed by anxious doubts. Our lives
depended on the course she was steer
ing, and of that we must remain In igN
norance for some time.
II she proved TO be close-hauled, she |
would bear down on us In few hours;
but II her course was northward we
were doomed men.
"What Is she?" asked the captain
"lIomoward boundl" cried one,
mo; can sec her head-aailsl" said
Capt Burton.
She was standing towards the berg
OF that there could be no doubt-and
our hearts were lifted up again. Sud.
denly her attor-sails darkened, while
those forward still shone white.
"Shc has tackled We are losti"
| She had come rs close TO the berg as
was prudent, and was now standing
away on the opposite tack.
snow, men, let us make last effort
for our livesl" cried the captain, taking
of his coat and jumping on athwart
and waving 1t as a signal OF distress.
! We all shouted till our voices failed
us, but the vessel kept her course and
sank below the horizon, and wo were
alone again on the sullcn sea.
We all sank into the boat, crushed
and hopeless, This bitter disnppoint-
ment, coupled with our long exposure
to cold and wet and the want OF food,
quite unnamed us. II turned me sick
and faint. My head swan, as though
the boat were in the vortex of whirl.
pool, and swooncd away.
When | recovered consciousness be-
camo aware, from the motion OF our
boat, that we were In comparatively
smooth sea.
A few stars were visible and could
see the outlines OF my companions hud-
died together in the stern. Their list
less conversation reached me, and they
were talking OF our probable position,
which was supposed to be somewhere
near the South Shetland island, bar.
rem rock lying quite out OF the track Of
ships
They talked like men resigned 10
their fate. They had abandoned all
hope and considered the msclves doomed.
Just before dawn u cold sea fog set.
tied upon us, making our position even
more miserable than before.
When the dawn appeared there were
indications OF q clear sky, and when
the sun rose the fog rolled away like n
curtain. To us the effect was like that
Of stage spectacle, for every man
staggered simultaneously to his feet
and stared with incrcdulous eyes ut the
sight before him. am certain that
for second or 40 we all thought we
were dreaming.
Right ahead OF us lay q large brig,
her foretopmast, maintop- gallantmast
and jib-boom carried away. and the
. wreckage still floating alongside.
BRIG ahoyl" shouted Capt Burton;
, but there was no response.
! Again and again no shouted, while
we, with suddenly revived energies,
!, work ed tho boat alongside.
No sound or sign Of life camo TO US,
. and she was evidently abandoned. She
! proved TO be an Italian brig, laden
with coal, but with both her matches
stove In.
Our first care was 10 sound the we'll
There were four feet OF water In the
hold. The pumps were choked. and we
. were powerless, therefore, TO keep her
aHoat Her crew had evidently aban.
doned her In n panic. for we found
clothes in the forecastlo and ample pro-
; visions ON board.
2 After u hearty meal end n welcome
exchange OF our wet clothes for dry,
we returned 10 the well, and found the
water In the hold had not increased In
depth.
81 do not believe she Is leaking. Tho
water must have gone down through
the hatehes," Capt Burton said.
And this proved TO be the case.
You may imagine our feelings Of re.
lief and Joy. The food, so much need
ed, and the change OF clothes, added 70
this new hope Of escape, revived our
energies, and we set 10 work TO clear
the wreckage and rig up q Jury top
mast and jib-boom
The matches were secured against
further accidents, and before night set
In we had shaped a course for the Falk-
land islands.
The log-book showed that tho brig
was bound from Cardiff 10 Valparaiso.
and. we afterward learned that the
crew had been picked up by the vessel
We had sighted.
Next day we succeeded In clearing
the pumps. The wind freshened into
another gale, but by careful seaman.
ship we weathered II without much
further damage, and had the satisfac-
ton Of bringing tho brig 10 our desti-
y nation In safety.
The salvage money came 70 n pretty
good sum, which, when II was divided,
compensated In some measure for tho
hardships we had endured owing TO the
loss Of our fine ship, the Golden Eagle.
j. A. HigginSon, In Golden Days
--
Spain, as a country, Is still terribly
backward In matters OF sanitation, but
II has progressed somewhat during the
- last century and u half. In the year
1890 the cleaning OF the streets OF
Madrid was actually forbidden, the
physicians OF the city being Of opinion
that the filth was wholesome and the
innovation unnecessary.