The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-06-26
LIFE ON THE OCEAN WAVE.
A Story of the Trsckless Deep by
Clark Russell.
From Wit and Wisdom.

q u1al bLedtUeTt DOn6NhIu DOuud a
New Zealand port, was approaching the
meridian of the Horn, but on parallel
more southerly than it is 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 is mid
summer, and the weather of that morning
was as fair and still as a breezeless April
day in this country, but the swell OF the
vast tract of ocean ran easelesslY-remi-
niscent respirations OF q giantess whose oon-
fict with the heavens is eternal, and whose
breathing pauses are very few and far be-
tween, indeed. Over this long, dark blue,
westerly swell the great metal fabric went
sweeping in long, floating, launching court
| estes, whitening the water astern Of her
| with mile of wake.
The frosty sun, whose beams in that sea
have something Of the silvery brillisnce OF
| the electric light flashed score of constel-
lations out of the gilt and glass and brass
| about the steamships bows and quarters
| and decks. A number OF passengers were
| pacing the long hurricane platform. Far
| away on the starboard beam, poised star
| like upon the keen blue rim of the ocean,
| was an iceberg-a dash Of crystalline light
against the airy sky that out there, low
down, wore the delicate hue OF the opal.
Other wise the ocean swept naked to its con-
fines, plain OF rich, deep blue, with the
heave Of the swell shouldering the morning
glory under the sun as it ran, and making
that part of the deep magnificent with light.
The chief officer was on the bridge; the
first breakfast bell had rung and the cap
tain, smart as a naval officer, in buttons
and lace trimmings. quilted the chart room
aud joined the mate to take a look around
before going below. This skipper was a
man Of eagle sight, and instantly on direot-
ing bis eye over the ships bow he exclaimed
What is that black object yonder"
The chief mate peered and the captain
leveled a telescope.
IA ships boat said he, and seemingly
full Of people,"
The boat, when sighted, was some three
or four miles dis ant, aud the speed of the
steamship was about thirteen knots. In
| few minutes the alarm in the engine room
rang its reverberatory warning, sending a
| little thrill Of wonder through the ship, so
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 ceases
lessly throbbing through the long fabric
| languished, and in few minutes, to an
ObueE SunulOuo VI LILO l1l6DhI JOhRuo OtIOW1
| ceased, and the great steamship floated
along TO her own impetus slowly till the
| boat was within the t)ss Of a biscuit off the
| bow, with the passengers crowding to the
side, and sailors and walters and steerage
folk blackening the rail forward.
The occupants Of the boat consisted of
| eight Wild hairy, veritable scarecrows of
| men, dressed In divers fashione-Scotch
caps, yellow sou'westers, sea boots, toll.
| worn monkey jackets and the like.
| BOAT ahoy!" halted the captain, as she
| slowly washed alongside. What Is wrong
| with you"
A fellow standing up In the stern sheets
cried back in strong yankee accent:
For Gods sake, sir, take us abroad Our
nothing lef. to eat
Look out for the end of line" bawled
the captain. "Are you strong enough to
| get aboard without helpn
AYE. sir. we'll manage It'll"
A rope was thrown, and one after another
the fellows came swinging and scraping and
scra milling up the clean side of the steam
ship. The passengers crowded around and
gazed at them with curiosity and pity
Their sympathetic eyes seemed 10 find
famine painfully expressed In the leathern
| couutenances that stared back through mats
| of hair.
ave must let your boat CO." said the
captain,
Cant help it, sir; thankful enough to be
here, l reckon" answered the fellow who
had called from the stern sheets and who
acted as spokesman.
Anything belonging TO you to come
outs"
Nothing, by the eternal! Let her 20, sir.
II sailors sea blessings can freight craft
she Amt going TO float long"
The boat was sent adrift, the engine bell
sang out, once more the great mail steamer
was thrashing over the long, tall heave of
Cape Horn swell.
How came you into this msssl" inquired
the captain.
The man who had before spoken made
answer.
Were all that's left of the crew OF the
Boston bark George Washington. She was
a whaler, 1S4 days out 1t were four days
ago, was the first TO smell fire, some while
arter o'clock. in the middle watch
lit wanted ten minutes to six bells" ex-
claimed a man, and a general emphatic,
hairy nod followed the interruption.
al was the first TO smell fire" continued
the other, ''call it what hour we like.
gave the alarm aud all hands turned to with
noses and buckets. But there was deal oil
oil in the hold, and the ships planks was
thick with grease besides, and that gave III
no chance. By 10 o'clock in the morning
the flames had bursted through and was
shooting up mast high, and then we calcu-
lated 1t WAS time to look TO the boats"
The others stood listening with hard
solid, leathery faces, generally gazing with
steadfast ewes at the speaker. but sometimes
: glancicg askant at the captain and the
crowd of others which stood around.
"There was a tarnation ugly sea run.
ming" the man went on, "aud, the whee
being desarted, the ship had fallen off and
! lay in the trough. and the lowering Of tbs
stern boats, whalemen though they wa
who had the handling of 'em, cost our COM
pany of twenty eight souls the loss of al
hands, saving them as stand afore ye..'
"a bad job. A measly, cruel. bad jobF
here broke in a large jawed man, whose
brew and eyes we're almost concealed by I
quantity of coarse red hair.
well, US eight mel got away in the
boat" proceeded the spokesman, "brt 1gine
along with US nothin' but a small bag Of
bread and about six gallons OF fresh water
We've been washing about since Tuesday
= and now, the Lord be praised, here we be
with a chance of getting something to eat
and, what's more pleasurable still to oul
. feelings, the opportunity of comfortably
turning inn
A murmur of pity ran among the passsn