The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-08-23

close together did the throbs of the
engine come that they appeared like a
steady vibration. In twenty minutes
the Aull was so close that her every
outline was clearly visible in the bril-
liant moonlight Her captain saw that
! the tombstone was gaining rapidly.
and the volume of sparks that poured
| from her stacks in q roll of inky smoke
told that Sorgenson meant to keep
ahead if the expenditure of fuel would
| do it.
The tombstone gained steadily. In
two hours the boats were abreast. ten
yards apart! The Swedish captain Of
the Aull could be heard shouting his
orders to the men. He was everywhere.
One moment he would be telling the
engineer what 70 do, the next would
find him directing the placing OF fuel,
at another he would have his hand on
the wheel in the pilot house in an en-
deavor to make short cut in the river.
The lights from the furnaces of both
boats CLEANED on the surface of tho
water, rivaling the moons brilliant
| rays. The passengers on each of the
boats could hear the others, as they
talked excitedly of the race. The noses
of the boats were exactly together as
they entered the long and beautiful
stretch of river just below Rocheoort.
On the right rocky wall, covered with
clinging ivy, rose to q height Of one
hundred feet. Over it the full moon
beamsd. but the shadow of the great
l. ,,lf Id - ~ = I
of the stream. Into this narrow, deep,
black river the boats plunged like
things of life. The Johnstonc had
little advantage and not side of meat
had been used.
"Pile on the bacon, boys!" Bristow
shouted, and with yell the grease was
hurried into the furnaces The Aull's
captain felt that he was beaten. He
had used the best of his fuel early in
the race.
pile her on. boysw shouted Bristow.
Keep her hotr'
Inch by inch the tombstone moved
ahead.
There's butter on boardr' cried Miss
Bernard. Burn it and I'll pay. The
Auil must win"
So butter in cakes and baskets was
smeared over sticks of wood and fed to
the greedy flames in the boats fur
naces. Her engines responded, too,
for the slight gain that the Johnstoae
had accomplished was soon overcome,
and the Aull passed the other boat
Bristow shouted orders and the meas
ured ''choo, choo," Of the exhaust pipes
became hoarser than ever It was
neck and neck. Then the tombstone
began to gain again. There was bend
ahead, where the bluff broke for few
feet, only to rise higher than ever q
dozen yards beyond. For this bend
the boats worked The thing was to
reach it first. Bristow with his own
hands piled the meat into his furnaces
until the Johnstone again passed the
Aull. 1t was something akin to d curse
that Sorgenson uttered when he found
the last of his choice fuel spent. On,
on, sped the tombstone. 1t was ten
yards ahead and gaining! More food
for the flames! Twenty yards and at
the bend first! A mighty shout went
up from the Johnstone's decks when
the boat rounded so that the Aull could
not be seen. 1t was soon visible again,
however, but the tombstone was gain
ing each minute of the time In half
an hour it was fifty yards ahead. In
another hour it had rounded another
bend and the race was won. 1t had 4
start that the Aull could not overcome.
just after midnight the lights at
Rocheport landing were sighted. The
passengers were still on deck, talking
of the race. A pail of black smoke
hung half mile back from the john
stones stacks and only by bending the
ear could Que catch the faint, measured
thrum, thrun, thrum Of the Aulls en-
gines, far back on the moonlit river
Homer Banford, in Detroit Free Press
Teacher Ito class in chemistry
"What does sea water contain besides
the sodium chloride that we have men
tioned?" Bobby Snith-"Fish, sir"