Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1894-04-07
To BE- eontinuAA.l
At THE BOTTOM OF The OCEAN,,
Awful secrets That Lie Unrsvealed BE-
meath the Placid Surface.

Inc recent accidental sinking OF the |
warship Victoria while maneuvering of |
the coast Of Tripoli in the Mediter-
ranean Sea recalls long list of ocean
horrors. There is peculiarly sad,
mournful side to these disasters Of the
sea that does not attend calamities ON
land, for here there is at least some de-
tail and something on which affiiction
may seize and, TO some extent, console
itself
But the deep sea is pitiless. What
awful secrets lie unrevealed beneath
that placed surface that may ripple
as with innocence, be mirrored with
smiles, or even essay to sing lula
by! In few minutes and all
trace Of tragedy ha: disappeared,
childhood, youth, beauty. innocence,
strong manhood, daring courage
over all these sweep the remorseless
waves. Hiding them from all human
sight aud covering all with the mantle
OF eternal secrecy, the deep blue
ocean rolls" unmlndiul of it all Aud
II sometimes the wreck does endure
for time as q derelict, with no hand
AT the helm to hold and guide, she
soon ships the Iwaves and sinks from
sight.
The vessel mentioned rests in 4sO
feet OF water and is probably lying on
its side with the heavy cannon which
made its upper armament lying on the
sea floor beside the wreck This is
beyond the depth that divers can
reach and the light is already dim and
in rufllng water; deep shadows chase
each other during the day. Presuma-
bly,, when the vessel went down
cham bers OF air were carried down
with it, which as the bubble in level
would hnd the highest point, and pos
sibly some Of the imprisoned seamen
may thus have been supplied for hours
before the exhausted oxygen would
leave them unconscious by slow as
phyxiatiOn.
But what commentary on the
work OF man Is this secret of the sea.
Here is an iron leyiathan on which
millions OF dollars had been expended;
huge engines Of thousands Of horse
power; formidable and terrible arma-
meut; all the death-dealing appliances
that naval science could devise-all
this to deal out death and destruction
to fellowmen. Then on q calm day.
when all is peace and it Is simply
"maneuvered" in the exercise Of its
calling, it is accidently struck, goes
down through the hundreds Of fathoms.
and the more than 400 souls on board
sleep in the hush and calm Of the aw-
full depths and gloom Of the dsvourins
deep.
Certainly, to the superficial concep-
tion, she seemed safe, rs she sat far
| down in the sea, but top-heavy with
| those upper guns. A terrible cash is
| rent in her side far below the water
liue, abearing down as the heavy steel
prov Of the colossal mperdown plow-
ed through her iron sheath; a change.
quick anu fatal, in her center of grav-
ity; now weighting on one side with
the in-rushing water and then rolling
TO the lower side Of the heayy-laden
carriages, aud now, when unfeeling
gravitation asserts itself, u mighty
vessel and her gallant men are strick-
en- from the naval roll OF the mistress
of the seas-swallowed at one fell
swoop, to be heard Of ncvermofe.
In what numbers must these pitiful
sights strew the bottom Of the sea!
Away from the atmosphere, down in
these deep, cold waters. the timbers
and woodwork are hardly affected by
decay except when the strange iron
penetrating terredo, with bis acid-in-
jecting drill. honeyoombs them, which
only in long years could be accom-.
plished.
Let us glance at this strange specta-
Gle. A mighty and splendid vessel,
perfect in its appointments, here rests
somewhat on lis side. Great boilers,
ponderous engines. bunkers of coal, all
in fair order but strangely out Of place
in this surrounding. The ghostly tire-
men la grimy clothes and rolled-up
sleeves are resting in all angles Of re-
pose. and all 80 silent. Above in all
hooks, everywhere, in all positions, are
sailors, hundreds OF them, and, but
for staring. frightened look, seem
sleeping with open ewes. The officers
are In full uniform, the naval buttons
little tarnished with tho salt, all in
the insignia OF rank aud authority.
Here, almost as in life, is all the equip
ment, all the thousands Of unnamable
paraphernalia. bet all. everything, so
weirdly. solemnly, strangely still.
Nearly 500 feet above. in the glad
sunshine, the mighty world moves and
throbs, the bubbles of ambition are
blown. but now these silent men rest
around their unreverberating guns.
the officers all here. hut no one voices
q command. Yes, this is truly spec
tacle to which the atmosphere with all
its accessories can furnish no parallel.
1t Is as II ship, armament and men
were all phantasmic. and yet in ma
terial way all is real; the silent ma
rines are I'll flesh. the careened vessel
and all her belonging are the work OF
man, and the great ghostlike aud
ghastly pantomine is all, only divided
by less than 500 from the living.
laughing world above Rtts6urg Dss.
I patch.