Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1893-02-11

=. Marion Crawford Reports an Exciting
Time on an Italian Steamer


=. Marion Crawford Reports an Exciting
Time on an italian Steamer.
Speaking of Jewels" said F. Marion
Crawford, the author, to reporter recalls
10 me an incident on an Italian steamer. 1t
illustrates tie overpowering greed for gold
and the estimate some people place upon
their worldly possessions. 1t also illus
trates a mans splendid nerve.
1T was on my last trip up from India.
1t was dinner hour My seat was on the
captains right. Opposite me sat an old
English sea captain. Next to him was a
Calcutta English merchant who had ac-
cumulated a fortune and was returning to
old England to enjoy it. He had invested
large sum of money in rich jewels, and
they were aboard with him. There were
only few of us who knew that the ships
safe contained many thousands of pounds
sterling worth of diamonds and rubies
1--WE were all laughing and talking and
enjoying our meal immensely. No one
thought of disaster or accident.
Next came sudden and tremendous
shock, accompanied by humping, bump
ing sound from the hold as if we had struck
upon rock. The sensation was indie
scribably painful There was a noise of
running about on deck. The passengers
blanched with terror, and their eyes start
ing with fear. Wives threw themselves
| into their husbands arms. Mothers pressed
their little ones to their breasts All was
confusion and disorder. Everybody was
panic stricken. 1t seemed as if we could
hear the waters rush into the aperture we
were all certain had been torn in the yes
sells bottom. Every woman screamed, and
| the men were about as badly demoralized
THE English sea captain sprang to his
feet, exclaiIning, Well, guess we are done
| for 1t was supreme moment.
1.-THE owner of the jewels was a pitiable
sight. He was the first person to reach his
feet, clutching the back of the revolving
chair with one hand and pressing the other
lightly against his heart His face was a
sickly livid; his mouth was open and his
eyes wild
My Godi my jewelsp
His tones were scarcely above hoarse
whisper The mans terror was so great
that he fascinated me, and for moment /
forgot my own apprehensions. l could not
take my eyes off his face. You see, his first
| and only thought was his jewels Every
other person in the saloon was thinking of
his life, but this mans mind in that mo-
| ment of terrible suspense was centered
| upon his wealth.
There was but one man who remained
in his seat and apparently unmoved, for if
| he experienced any fear he certainly did
| not manifest it. At the moment the crash
| came the Italian captain had stretched out
his hand to grasp bottle of wine between
his plate and mine. The muscular move
ment did not cease. The hand grasped the
bottle, and, conveying it to his glass, he
coolly poured the red liquid full to the
brim. He returned the bottle to its place
| and glanced up almost inquiringly at the
| terrified creatures who were ranged in all
sorts of attitudes expressive of their respec-
| tive feelings.
1T was all over in few moments, you
know. The passengers with their next
thought instinctively looked toward the
| captain, and seeing him so calm hesitated
| before taking their mad fight up the sa-
| loon staircase to the deck, as all were con-
| templating. At that moment one of the
| petty officers hurried down the staircase
and whispered word in the captains ear
| DO not feel alarmed, my friends said
the captain in clear, reassuring tones, which
at once soothed the emotions and stilled the
| fears of his hearers, there is no danger and
! we are not on rock
The man with the jewels dropped into
his seat as limp as a rag and as weak as a
babe great sigh OF relief escaping from
his lips. The relief was of course general,
though our appetites were seriously i'm
paired. We then learned that the cylinder
head of one of the low pressure engines had
blown out and the piston rod was having a
parrot and monkey time all by itself. 1t
was an exciting experience-one which
would not care to go through again. New
| York Sun.