The record-union., 1894-03-15
CHAg. BURT0N'S STRANGE DREAM.
Recalled by the Recent Wrecking Of
the Kearsarge.
1t Occurred While He Was on Board
the Old Warship In the Service
of Uncle Sam.

1.-THE recent loss of the old warshlp
Kearsarge," said Charles Burton OF this
city to REcoRD-U UNION reporter yester-
day, "brings to my memory very curl
Gus dream that / had on board OF that
historical old ship. We were then lying
In the harbor of Yokohama, and l had
had the mid-watch. I went off at o'clock.
Feeling quite sleepy, was soon IN the
land of Nod-Texas, I might say, Tor l
dreamed l was travelling in that State. and
In locality l know well, without water
or food. I had a partner with me, ana ne
was wild for water. Soon we came to
two horses grazing by the side of the
road. We mounted them and rode away,
but were captured and condemned rlght
there to be hanged.
ut was no use kicking, but 1 remem-
Der feeling pretty blue about it. Our
captors happened to have but one rope, so
they decided to hang one of US at time.
They started with my partner as the nrst
victim The first time they hauled hlm
over tree the knot Ia common sip-khotJ
did not hold, so he fell to the ground,
black in the face. l can see his lace until
this day.
"Well, when it came to myt urn L had
partly recovered from my fright, SO
says |: .,a - Lind
enough TO put proper knot in that rope
/ would be very thankful, as don't WISH
to have the same experience my partner
had
''They looked at one another, and
could see that none of them understood
how TO make hangman's knot, so l.
reached for the rope and tied the knot. Ii
was placed around my neck and the or
der was given to hoist away.
Just then the boatswain's shrill pipe
rang out, followed by the usual morning
call:
Up, all hammocksp
There are no second maps aboard
man-of-war, so it was lash and carry, the
men having only seven minutes in which
To get on deck. So you see 1t requires
some hustling, especially when men are
packed like sardineS. There is only
thirteen inches of space between man and
man. The hammocks are hung by small
yarns, called 'clews,' with thirteen on
each end. They are tied to ring, and
the latter into hook. The laSh1ng with
which the rope is tied up is about fifteen
feet long, and you take seven bitches IN
the hammock.
Now this lashing is generally (and
was on this night coiled up and placed
to reach it without getting out OF your
hammock, and that is quite job when
every body is in, and it would awaken
almost everybody around you.
Anyhow, I took the first turn with my
lashing and hauled away. 1t stuck, and
all my pulling would not loosen it, SO |
felt around in the dark ana got hold of
the end. / felt big knot and tried to
shake it out, but it was no use. took
the end OF my lashing and went to the
bul's-eye-the only light on the berth
deck OF man-of- war-and there, on the
end OF the rope, was as pretty hang
mans knot as ever a sailor or execu-
toner looked on.
Now, the question arises, what con-
nection had that knot with my dream? |
could not reach the rope without getting
out of my hammock, and to get out with
out being awakened seems almost i'm
possible. Supposing some of my ship
mates tied it for joke Though they ali
denied for year afterward), how can it
be connected with my dream ?"