Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1895-08-02

communicative, rose from his chail
and sent his servant for his binocular
Children were helped up and told t,
be careful, while they tried to see tn,
dim line Of smoke SO far ahead.
Talk about the lane routes al
sea-" cried young Spinner, the know
ing. "Bosh, l say. See! We're going
directly for her. Think what 1t nigh
be in fogl Lane routesl Pure luck
call 1t"
will we signal to her, Mr.. Spin
ner9" gently asked the young lady from
Boston.
'Oh, certainly" answered young
Spinner. "See, there's our signal fly
ing from the masthead now. That
shows them what line we belong to-"
Dear me, how interesting" said the
young lady. "You have crossed many
times, suppose, Mr.. Spinner"
"Oh, ! know my way about" an
swered the modest Spinner.
+ The captain kept the glasses glued
to his eyes. Suddenly he almost lei
them drop.
my God, Johnsonr' he cried
"She's flying signal Of distress
tool"
The two steamers slowly approached
each other, and, when nearly alongside
and about mile apart, the bell of the
Adamant rang to stop.
There, you see," said young Spin.
ner to his Boston girl, "she is flying
the same flag at her masthead that we
are"
Then she belongs to the same line
as this boat?"
"Oh, certainly" answered Mr.. Cock.
sure Spinner.
"Oh, look! lookl look!" cried the en-
thusiastic Indianapolis girl, who was
going to study music in Germany.
Everyone looked aloft and saw run
ming up to the masthead long line OF
fiuttering, many colored flags. They
remained in place for few moments
and then futtered down again, only to
give place to different string. The
same thing was going on on the other
steamer.
"Oh, this is too interesting for any
thing" said Mrs. Assistant. II am
just dying to know what it all means.
/ have read of it so often, but never
saw it before. l wonder when the
captain will come down. What does
s all mean?" she asked the deck
steward.
"They are signaling to each other,
madam"
"Oh, know that; but what are they
signaling2'
II don't know, madam"
"Oh, see! see!" cried the indianapolis
girl. clapping her hands with delight.
THE other steamer is turned round"
1t was indeed so. The great ship
was thrashing the water with her
screw, and gradually the masts came
In line and then her prov faced the
east again. When this had been slow
~ accomplished the bell on the Ada
mant rang full speed ahead, and then
the captain came slowly down the lad
der that led from the bridge.
"Oh! captain, what does it all meanp"
lis she going back, captain2 Moth
ing wrong, hope2"
What ship is it, captainT'
"She belongs to our line, doesn't
she?"
why is she going pack?"
'The Ship said the captain, slowly,
us the Vulcan, of the Black Bowling
line, that left Queenstown shortly after
we left New York. She has met with
an accident. Ran into some wreckage,
1t is thought, from the recent storm.
Anyhow, there Is hole in her; and
whether she sees Queenstown or not
will depend a great deal on what
weather we have and whether her
bulkheads hold out. We will stand by
her till we reach Queenstown"
"Are there many on board, do you
think, captain?'
There are fifty-seven in the cabin
and over eight hundred steerage pas
sengers," answered the captain.
why don't you take them on board,
out of danger, captain9"
"Ah, madam, there is no need to do
that. 1t would only delay us, and
time is everything in a case like this.
Besides, they will have ample warming
If she Is going down, and they will
have time to get everybody in the
boats. We will stand by them, you
know"
"Oh, the poor creatures!" cried the
sympathetic Mrs. Second Adiutant.
Think of the awful position. May be
engulfed at any moment. l suppose
they are all on their knees in the cab
in. How thankful they must have
been to see the Adamant."
On all sides there was the profound.
est sympathy for the unfortunate pas
of the Vulcan. Cheeks paled
at the very thought of the catastrophe
that might take place at any moment
within sight of the sister ship. 1t was
a realistic object lesson of the ever
present dangers Of the sea. While
those on deck looked with new inter
est at the steamship plunging alorT
within mile of them, the captain
slipped away to his room. As he sat
there there was a tap at his door.
"Come in" shouted the captain.
The silent Englishman slowly en-
tered.
whats wrong, captain?" he asked.
"Oh, the Vulcan has had hole stove
In her and signaled-"
Eyes, l know all that, of course,
but what's wrong with us?"
with us?" echoed the captain,
blankly.
Eyes, with the Adamant? What has
been amiss for the last two or three
days? I'm not talker nor am afraid
any more than you are, but want to
know"
Certainly, said the captain. "Please