The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1893-09-12

fought her way southwark III the teeth OF
d terrihc shoreWard blast, when ut last
she lost her Smokestack ana her great
screw ceased 10 revolve, they made an
effort 10 sci sail. but rs fast as the can
vas WAS unfurieI il was torn into rags.
Then Captain Savage turned her prov 20
the west ana drove straight Tor the SHORE
No language can describe the suspense
that follow cd The chances were one III
a hundred. and ii is small wonder that
he says it WAS with feeling OF intense
relief that he finally heard the vessel
keel pounding on the rocks. 1t was q
sound that he had momentariy expected
for SIX mortal hours After that came the
two days on the stranded hulk that every
body has read about. The lack of food
and water. the nights spent in the Rigging,
the quick depletion of the slender store
am signal rockets. the constant danger OF
the hull parting Oh the reef and the agony
ot disappointment aS vessels hove INTO
sight only 10 sail away, combined to form
I; tale of travail ana adventure unsurpassed
by any romance OF the sea.
/ asked Captain Savage, Il few days
after his return. what he considered his
worst experience i'll the wreck
My worst experience, he replied, was
after it WAS all over
Then he lit Il cigar and told me this
story which | have cndeavored TO repeat III
as nearly as possible his own words:
You will remember, he said, that
when the crew and myself were finally
10 Savannah we were III ignorance OF the
fate of the women and others who had
left in two small boats the day before.
When | was told that they had not been
heard from my heart sank. FOr nYe days
and nights | had been without sleep. 1t
was not the thought of the vessel That
kept me up, for | knew that had done
all possible and that she WaS lost beyond
human power, but there We're lives lniruSt-
ed in my keeping that | determined must
be saved Several times, even when the
ship was pounding on the rocks, my eyes
would glue together III spite OF me
but | would think of this terrible reSpon-
sibilitv. and it would wake up like II
shock from a battery.
so one may realize how | felt when /
learned there WAS no news from The DuaiS.
Some of the relatives of the missing folks
We're there and / could not bear 10 look
ct them. it was heart-Dreaklng. Well, L
RUSHED down - the dock and ordered The
tu-. It's crew were scattered. asleep at
houe. and il seemed 20 me that We would
never find them. Some CounSelcd waiting
until morning, but i would not near 10 1t.
an. AZ las, aft@r several hours OF hard
work, We got oil.
i beaded me tug for Hunters Point,
which | regarded as the likeiIeSt Sp5t thai
the boats would have made a landing AT.
! cannot describe how slowly That IuS r.'tni-
Ell To move ANA paced mp ana down, barely
able 10 conceal my agitation from III" rest.
some OF WnuIn were kindred OF the III sN.ilS
passengers. 81 last Wc sighted The island
and | nut off i'll 4 small boat. \ moment
after landed met my >ccuud officer, who
la hAu cuarge of one ii tIe life boats.
We are SAFE he exclaimed. before n;ti
time 10 spaaL. Thank Guj' replied, but
where l. me other partyE / don know,
he said. they must be lost
Il turned and sat down om the sand. 1t
seemed 10 me for a moment that | could
60 no further | had built all my hopes
on finding both boats there. and the dis
appointment turneI me sick and FAINT.
I0w 10 20 back without those people /
did not know. But / pulled myself 70
geth"r somehow and told the officer to get
MS passengers ana come Out 70 tie tug.
Where are you going: he asked. J don't
know exactly ! said, but I'm going 10
bud the rest
If Won will look on the map, you will
gee that there is Il chain of islands at that
point on the coast and Il perfect tangle OF
channels crossing i'll every direction inland.
4 harder place to hunt for lost people
could not be imagined 1t is maze i'll
which old fishermen often lose their way.
Il determined to first try The island of
St. Helena, where there is lighthouse
We went back to the tug, which toward
evening got within about five miles Of the
island and anchored. Then | put off 6n Il
small boat with two sailors, bidding the
rug wait our return. As we reached the
island | wanted TO make wasA some dis
lance above, and we entered little chan
mel at shutdown. Presently it came to an
end and we had to 90 back.
That section of the coast is indescribably
desolate and forbidding. Il is rocky.
hroken. torn to pieces Icy the sea. There
i 40 human habita ton anywhere. We
crujsed along this shore all night, trying
frst this inlet and then that, hunting for
the light After midnight one of the sail
ors gave out and swore he could not pull
another stroke | took his oar, and for
four hours / pulled like a crazy man, but
] did not even feel tired: | did not feel
hungry. ] did not feel sleepy. My sole idea
was to reach the lighthouse. 1t was very
dark. and we-snasGwly escaped the reefs.
which were roaring all around us. Now
and then Il wave would wet us to the skin.
il was pure luck that we were not
ewamped.
saw the lighthouse, twelve hours after
leaving the tug We beached the boat, and
! scrambled out, falling repeatedly in my
haste. I had to go about half a mile
through mud knee deep, wading inlets
10 nv vast and climbing over huge rocks
When | reached the house | could have
cried for JOY. for there. drawn close to
the door was one of my own hfeboats
II knocked. and a sailor from the Sa-
vannah opened TO me. He had gone with
tho 1ifeh0at and was sure | had been