The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-12-17

and her maid on deck and left them there
10 watch while | went below and tried to
obtain some idea of the " herea bouts of
the various supplies of which / was in
need.
l procured some Goals from The buukers
rearranged and lighted the stove in the
saloon. and a second stove, by means of
which cooking operations could be carried
on In the pantry; and in the chartroom
came upon an excellent glass. which / lost
no time in carrying up TO Celia. By mid
day l had large flag fying five and
twenty feet above the deck, and bad the
satisfaction of feeling that 30 ship could
come within radius OF eight or ten miles
with tout seeing il.
But when all the needful supplies had
been found there was little for me to do
save 10 watch. Celia's maid cooked the
meals, and while Celia and she were be-
low eating their share | remained on deck,
going down when they relieved me and
hastily swallowing my portion. The
weather grew considerably warmer. and
even the women would keep watch in the
daytime without much personal discom-
fort, but at night the work could only be
done by me. At dusk / lighted all the
lanterns that | could lay my hands upon
and fastened them TO my improvised flag
stats and 10 the stumps of the masts At
10 L sent the women to bed. and with my
thlckest great coat buttnned up under my
chin and rough pllot-jacket beneath it
went on deck to remain there for eight
hours.
1t was moonlight night and there was
almost dead calm-a strange contrast TO
the riot and turmoil of the previous even
ing. The sea resembled a slightly ruff1rd
sheet OF molten silver and the light swell
that Is seldom or never wholly absent on
the Atlantic was not sufficient 70 cause
any perceptible motion TO the dismasted
vessel.
II 4
kept ait. There was something horrible
in tramping the deck abuve the watery
grave OF those unknown and unnum bered
dead in the forecasile; and, besides, the
stern of the vessel was higher than
the waterlogged bows. and from it
L could see further than from any
other part of the ship, when as
happened scores Of times during my watch
Il swept the dim horizon with my glass.
each time seeing nothing, AMI each time
turning away with an ever-increasing DAD
OF depression on my heart ALI night long
] watched in vain. AT o'clock / awoke
the women, and as soon as they had re-
iieved me turned in to get co uple of
hours sleep before breakfast. leaving
word that / was to be- called if any sail
were sighted.
When l awoke again it was nearly 9.
Celia had let me sleep, and with her own
hands prepared my breakfast, while her
first shock Of calamity. remained alone on
deck.
And SO another long day slowly passed.
and at its close help seemed to be no nearer
than in the morning. For forty-eight hours
we had been drifting at the mercy of the
winds AMI currents. We had been long
enough at sea to have almost reached
Queenstown, and yet we were still prob
ably within 200 or 800 miles of the Ameri-
caa coast. That night | again kept watch,
but it was drearier work than il had been
before. Hope was dying down. At that
season of the year 1t was not likely that
many more hours would elapse without
bringing rough weather, and know
only too well what fflghtfu risks the dis
abled ship would run directly the sea should
rise again. My aDxieties were further
increased by the know ledge-obtaineG
surreptitiously, during the day-that the
olympia was slowly but steadily settling
down. The forward bulkheads were rot
absolutely water-tigh:; but it was not the
leakage from the fOrecaste that ] feared
Ihat would only help to put the ship once
more upon an even keel. There were
other leakages as WELL On the night of
the fearful storm the vessel had been
strained beyond endurance, and satisfied
myself that far more water was entering
the hold than was draining fr in the
forward compartment. The level there
was only few Inches lower than il had
been on the morning when had first seen
the drowned bodies floating below, but
the level in the main hold was on the
second night "wednesday fully ten inches
higher than 1t had been Wednesday morn
ing. and at the rate OF progress 1t seemed
inevitable that the Olympia must sink in
two or three days. if not sooner. All the
pumps were damaged or wholly destroyed,
but even IL they were not We could not
| work them.
determined to prepare for the worst.
and next day, to attempt to make a raft of
J matches and barrels, so as to be ready. in