The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-01-10


getting the southern air We Ioaged for, the
tropical balm we had p-2yed for when the
cold winds came fresh from frozen Lacra-
dor; b1s tie winds noE cane charged
with rain, and the decks. though sheltered
By canvas, became slippery. Elderly gen
tEersn, anxious 10 display their activity
before an appreciasizg a7dlencs largely
composed Of ladies, did so AZ the
expense Of uncoush awkwa-iness
and heavy falls There came .
night Of horrors. The sea became ex-
traTagzntly high The DARK hills reared
and fel around rs with s1ch 2o-senso1s
sGrgss that. though the winds were loud
efficiency 20 accom-. fo- The vast success
sion Of casar4cts Ike Niagara among
which we we're pl1nging; ard the concl1s-
ion was We were IN the wake Of WeS-
India hurricane On the zav 70 ravaze
Northern Europe, and We thought with
pity Of the poor people CO TIE Ems and
E.ruria far away TO the north. though
possibly they we're having : better time
than we. The darkness around our ship
grew dreadful, broken only ~ barsts OF
whiteaeSS, telling n the overwhelming
gloom that some tremendous roller had
hurst into s mountain IS OF snow
The screw caught the old c0Iefal
habit Of sprlEgi1g from the water
and shaking the iron e6IAce OF which We
rode rs II resolved 20 break II n many
pieces. The violence OF the sea came n
sharp shocks. The screw talked. and is
was easy 10 interpret i 20 say, Il shall
break before morning" repeating the
phrase with endless iteration and die5o.l-
cal assurance And we were more than
SO miles from 3 spsck ofland. the nearest
being the Azores. and the storn-tossed
and weary passenger could only say hack
20 the screw, 2rriculsIe IN frantic str1g-
giles: please, Mr. Propeller, do lot
break short OF away OF here Il would 5e
so announcement Please. Mr. Propeller.
don't do i this sine-some other tine and
place. dear Mr. PropeIler-no. here. hot
p-opel, please-at least for 3 lev daTs"
MiSerF seemed 10 increase. 4 gray
haired woman was saving some
thing IN the seclusioa OF her
sta.e--oom. and IS passed the door, hear
ing an appealing voice. and thinking per-
haps she wanted help. / paused for
moment. She was unconscious Of the
presence Of any one. and was saying. her
hands ciasped- bot N appeal, but N
despair: %, misery misery Hi.eryis
4 young man, travelling for his health,
moaae1, saying: 'Fooll fool fool that
was .! tals was 10 be summer
trip, and here We ars in helm hell,
suppose; forever Pleasure Zip! Pleas
ure! Mercifal Father-pleaSEret The
noises OF the night augmented necessarily.
and became agoaizlIg. The WOODWORK
scresched against the iron. The screw
had no conjunction. and its jars we're
like joits n q wagon on corduroy road.
As the ship tumhled upon the ware
and plunged, the screw gave the whole
structure horrible shake and made each
passenger souIrm n his sGuirming berth
! had thought the upper berth the better
one, ca, the rolling Vas 50 great l feared
should &c flung 70 the aoor, and there were
strange goings on by the sound upon that
loori I turned q button and the electric
light revealed the situation. Ny trunks
and travelling bags iron 5ootiack. boots,
new hat and hair-oTGsh were az i ike the
witches II the Tom O. Shanter Jig I ad-
mIre6 the agility Of the hat and hair
brushes; and SIS for the trunks, rhey
SWING corners according 20 the old quad
rifle call, and faced partners; then hands
als round with the bag and the boots II
Vas an snimating spectacle. l attempted 70
restore order; and when one trunk was
forced into its proper place. the other
would rash forth with . hop. skip and
jump. seeking whom to devoCr Il oe-
CURED 70 me that would 60 on deck and
see 10 the navigation for q few moments.
i lady N the door OF her sts1e-oon hold
ing on with both hands. her beautiful hair
flowing long and free. and 20 the best Of
my knowledge and belief forgotten. her
face white and drawn. the fash of her
Dight-dress seen under her SecluGIng ulster,
asked pitifully: DO you think there Is
any immediate danger2" about what,
maasme?" was my brutal response. '.Oh,
this awful storm but, madame. there IS
no storm. The nj ht IS sqDaily. that Is all
We ere N the safest place IN the world It
Is disagreea5.e. 10 Be sure, but not danger
Gus II the least, | assure Won" '.0h,
thank y0u," said the lady. with deep graft
tade for my brazen story The sound
was so awful" she said. IT thought we
must be in s frightfai hurricane" an
deed, no, said, with q think quite the
ar OF . superior old sailor; "a hurricane
is much more amusing" This tine she
seemed 70 detect 3 twang OF insinceritv.
In the Glnlng-room there was a group of
croaching hgures-ladies on the way TO
the south Of France-ladies of high social
consideration, going tor pleasure from
lands o. snow 70 lands of sgn''-but they
had found the terrors of lonesomsness in
their rooms intoIerable, and tied 10 the
saloon, awaiting the worst as they
believed. Their alarm was most
touching. The laundering thurnps Of
waves against the broadside OF the ship
were not agreeable-indeed, had passed far
beyond the range Of conplacent humor. /
said would report from the deck. The
p3nic-stricken ladies' said But is the
deck accessible?" Certainly il was. /
found. when ascending, that while the
ocean was truly dismal and in q grand
passion, there were men washing the deck
and behold, the heavens were Respondent
with tnnumerahse stars. Indeed. the stars
never looked more solemn and glorious.
The LADIES' would not believe in the calm
sailors 81 work above. and in the starlight.
until persuaded them 10 20 I'D and see
for themselves. They felt better
Tor lew minutes, and descended with
comparative compoSure. 4 few minutes
later Ne shipped slamRing sea, and the
green water rushed n torrent down the
aft stairway, ct the very spot where the
pale watcher had asked me IL there was
immediate danger. | supposed at ths
time that she must have perished with
fright. But she afterward stated that she
had sunk for time into stupor of ex-
haussIon which resembled siuTnber. and
she had not had the energy Of intelligence
20 be interested in the conversion Of the
stairway into rapids. and the clarnor of
the servants wlping up the water had not
troubled her IN her nightmare A hurao~-
lsE said IN the morning that he had ac-
counted TO his wife for the sound Of many
waters IN the ship and some of the state
rooms ny saying that an ice-cooler had
exploded Only two persons could be
found who had slept through the night
Il was the night of our desolation. After
Il came day OF cOnsoling. quieting of thu
sea, the waves softening awav. rhongh
there were squaliy showers that. as TIE
sun shone, decked the heavens in
superb array Of rainbows. Ii a
rain oow-chaser had been on board
ne would have had some hours
OF unparalleled temptation. One rain
bow, q complete arch on the western
sky, was far the most splendid that | have
seen since boy, when the rainpows wara
bigger than now. This one was q marvel
OF glory, IS the rainbow began in the