The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-10-24

only a vast stretch of water and every
spot of it just alike-simply nothing
but the heavens to locate ones posi-
ton by.
was safe SO long as the bulkhead
would hold, as the storeroom was
amply provided with canned goods Of
all kinds and several gallons of wine to
replace the absence OF water. Beng
hungry ard tired from the long watch
ings, and thinking that l might need
more strength to fight again. l pro-
ceeded to attend to the inner man.
All during the day sat in my prison
and listened to the creaking of the
rudder and wheel which was
just over my head. II they had
taken a correct compass course for
Gibraltar, then within ten days we
would be in the Mediterranean again.
if not we would probably be piled upon
the beach helpless wreck. Thus for
two days and nights sat and thought
of the many hideous things the cargo
of rafting dead mems bones could
conjure in my mind, of my
dead comrades, of probable ship
wreck Or dreadlng lest any mo-
ment those fendish heathens would
again seek to take my life. l was so
completely wrapped up in my thoughts
that had not noticed that now the ship
was laying over at a fearful angle, and
while laboring heavily by high sea
was rushing through the water at a
terrific rate Of speed. 1t came over ne
suddenly that we were in heavy gale
and the men on deck did not realize the
danger in not reefing down the square
sails to relieve the vessel of the terrible
strain. Every timber in her was creall-
ing and straining until it seemed she
would go to pieces. Then I heard 4
fearful crash on deck and realized that
something had carried away; the flap
ping canvas thus set adr:ft was pop
ping in the wind like rifle reports, and
over my head / could hear the men
rushing hither and thither. How l
itched to go on deck and risk my
chances with the men in order
to set to shipshape the wreck
age that must be scattered over
the decks. Another crash came and
the little vessel righted herself in the
water SO that I was sure the
fore and main masts must have
carried away and relieved her of the
strain. l could not stand it much
longer below, and was just debating
with myself the question when heard
the men getting the boats over the
side. They had lost all hope and were
abandoning her. My first impulse was
to rush out with them but another
thought struck me that the vessel now
seemed quite buoyant after the strain
was relieved and that the ship was
much safer than small boat in a
heavy sea. After waiting for some
time to let them all get away VEN
tured out cautiously. and found that
not living soul had remained. The
decks were all awash fore and aft and
covered with the wreckage from aloft.
ing carried away on both the fore and
main masts. No wonder the poor
Arabs were frightened, although there
was no danger whatever.
They had pulled off from the ship
several hundred yards and were view
ing the wreck, expecting to see her
sink at any moment, no doubt. After
watching for nearly half hour they
started rowing away to the southwark,
one boat following close in the other S
wake. Whether they had provided food
and water could never tell, for even a
compass was not missing;from the ship.
l Immediately turned to cutting tho
wreckage away. letting it drop over
board. I worked through the entire
day and fur into the night until ex-
haustion drove me to my lonesome
bunk. The next morning arose early
and resumed my work, for it relieved
me of the lonely hours and the thoughts
of grinning skull bones. BY night the
shivered spars were all overheard and
considerable order restored. After set
ting the fore sail, which had been
spared in the smashup, as best could
alone l went aft to the wheel and found
she had steerageway, SO locking the
wheel after heading her toward Amer
lea proceeded to make myself COM
Portable. BY observation on the sun
that day found myself about 81 de-
grees latitude north and II degrees
longitude west
Thus for two weeks drifted slowly
in homeward- bound course with fine
weather, the storm having abated in a
short while after the crew had aban-
doned her. At the end of that time
was becoming quite accustomed to my
lonely passage, for there was nothing
needed but company to make me per-
fectly at home. The wreck was sighted
by steamer from Havre bound for
New York. She took the bark in tow
and landed her safely home minus the
masts and crew, which 1 am afraid
must have persisted in short time
George w. Crusselle, in Atlanta Con-
Stifuti0n