Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1894-08-09
SEMILLANTE'S WRECK.
A Thrilling Story Of the Sandman
Sea.

AS the violent storm of the other
night has thrown us on the Corsican
coast, let me tell you q terrible story
OF the sea, of which the fishermen of
the place often speak at eventide, and
about which chance has enabled me
to learn strange PARTICULARS.
1t was three years ago. was sail
Ing the Sandman sea with seven or
eight sailors Of the coast survey. 1t
was a rough voyage for novice: we
did not have one good day through
March. The wind was furious and the
waves never Gained. One evening, as
we were flying before the tempest, our
vessel came for refuge to the mouth
Of the Straits of Bonifacio, among sor
little islands.
Their aspect was not alluring. They
were great, bald rocks, covered with
birds, some bushes of lentisk, a few
tufts of absinthe, and here and there,
in the slime, decaying pieces of wood.
But, my soul! it was better to pass the
night among these sinister rocks than
to be on frail old bark, half decked,
where the blast came in as though it
were quite at home; so we contented
ourselves.
No sooner had we disembarked than
the sailors lighted fire for the fish
soup, and the captain called me, point
ing to little Enclosure surrounded by
white wall almost lost in the mist at
the end of the island. "Will you come
to tho cemetery?" said he.
"A cemetery, captain! where are
we?"
''On. the Lavezzi islands, monsieur.
The six hundred men of the frigate
Semillante are buried here at the spot
where she was lost ten years ago. Poor
fellows! AS they don't receive many
visits, the least we can do Is to 90 and
say: 'Bonjour to them SO long as we
are here"
with all my heart, captain"
How sad it was, the cemetery of the
Semillante! l see it still, with its lit
tie, low wall; its open door, rusty and
hard to open; its silent chapel; the hun
dreds Of black crosses hidden by the
weeds. Not one wreath of immor-
telles, not one souvenir-nothing! All,
the poor, abandoned dead! How cold
We stayed moment kneeling. The
captain prayed aloud. Enormous
gulls, the only guardians Of the Gem
etery, circled over our heads, mingling
their hoarse cries with the wailing Of
the sea. The prayer finished. we came
sadly back to the corner Of the island
where the bark was anchored. No
time had been lost during our absence.
We found great fire flaming in the
shelter of a rock, and the soup smok-
ing. Sitting down in a circle, with
our feet to the flames, soon each had
on his knees bowl of red pottery, in
which ware two slices of black bread,
covered plentifully with the broth.
The repast was silent one. We were
wet. we were hungry, and then, the
nearness of the graveyard!
However, when the bowls were emp
tied we lighted our pipes and talked a
Internationally of the Semillante.
Tell me, how did it happen?"
asked the captain, who, with his head
on his hands, stared at the flames with
a thoughtful air. T..
''Hew did it happen?" said the good
Lionetti with heavy sigh. "Alas, no
human being can tell. All we know is
that the Semillante, laden with troops,
left Toulon the evening before in bad
weather. During the night it grew
worse--wind, rain and terrible sea,
the like of which was never seen be-
fore. In the morning the wind fell q
little but the sea was worse, if pos
sible, and with it the devils own fog,
so THAT one could not have distin-
guished beacon light four feet away.
Those fogs, monsieur! You have no
idea how deceitful they are! But
also have an idea that the Semillante
must have lost her helm in the morn
ing, for the captain, even in heavy
fog, could hardly have made such
mistake. He was well-tried mariner.
We all knew him. He had commanded
the Corsican station for three years,
and knew the coast as we'll as I, who
know nothing else"
''At what time do they think that
the Semillante persisted?
1T must have been at noon-yes,
monsieur, fully noon, but, forsooth,
with that fog, that noon was worth no
more than a night as black as the jaws
of wolf. A life-saver of the coast
told me that the same day toward half
past eleven, having gone out of his
cabin to fasten his shutters, the wind
whirled away his cap, and at the risk
of being carried off himself by the
blast he commenced to crawl along
the beach on all tours after. it. You
see the douaniers aren't rich, and
cap costs. Well, it seems that our
man, lifting his head, saw right near
him, through the fog great ship
scudding along under bare poles to-
ward the Lavezzi islands.
'"This ship went very fast, so fast
that he had hardly time for good
look. Everything points to the belief
that it was the Semillante, because
half hour later the shepherds Of the
islands heard-why, here comes the
ahepherd himself, he will tell you.
Bonjour, Palombo. Come, warm thy
self. Have no fear"
A muf1ed man, whom had seen for
some minutes prowling around our fire,
and whom had taken for one OF the
crew, because did not know that
there was shepherd on the island,
approached us timidly. He was an
old leper, three-quarters of an idiot
and prey to l know not what other
scorbutio evil, which made his lips
horrible to behold, so swollen were
they. They explained to him at
length what we were talking about;
then lifting his dreadful lips
with his finger, the old man said
that on the day in question, about
noon, he heard from his hut fright
full crash on the rocks, but as the
island was covered with water he
could not get out to see. 1t was not
until the next morning that on open
ing his door he had seen the beach COW
cred with driftwood and corpses, left
there by the waves. Insane with fear
he had fed to his boat to 60 to Boni-
facio for help.
Tired with having aaid ~ much tina