The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-03-12

| U'Shanter that looked like a massive
yarn pie
| They nestled toward each other fond
~ as We passed Robins reef. and she
gave him playful swat across the nose
with an orchid He wore a pair of
highly infiamed morocco slippers, and
his trousers were rolled up so high that
| the officer of the boat had TO speak 20
him about it.
She was a sweet girl graduate who
had written the prize essay, In which
she said, Here, dear friends, our path
ways fork" They are still engaged
in forking as / write
But when the sad sea waves got upon
their hinder feet and caused the good
ship to huff she looked reproachfully at
Bartholomew as who should say, You
got me into this trip. Bartholomew. "
.ie too, seemed estranged, ana looking
at her sickly hue said to himself,
"What did I see about her, wonder,
to draw me from my unfettered bache-
| lorhood?"
But let US not digress.
Those who were seasick were rather
in the majority with us, and so no one
can claim any glory In that respect.
Mr.. Taylor OF Philadelphia stated on the
start that he might return by Tampa if
the ocean happened to be at ali rough.
The second day, as he turned CHASTITY
face away from the rail, he seemed pref
ty positive that he would return BY
Tampa.
Also there were others.
When we retired on Sunday night,
however, the sea was moderately calm,
and no one was i'll. All the NAL de mer
of the trip was forgotten as we went 10
bed knowing that we would land at our
Bahama port in the afternoon of Mon
day.
/ could not go to sleep readily. !
read and smoked and rolled about in my
berth till o'clock and then slept ratb-
er lightly At 4:45 a. m. there was a
scrape OH the keel of the vessel like the
low, hoarse growl of a bulldog in the
basement, and l awoke thinking I was
at home and that burglar below, in
hunting for my cider barrel, had step
ped Oh Tower.
A moment afterward a deeper growl
from the keel and a jerk of the vessel
showed that she had struck, l felt sure.
dressed hurriedly, but took time to
put on an extra suit of flannels III case
should have to spend few weeks on
the ocean III an open boat. In eight
minutes my stateroom had been flooded
with water breast high, and good suit
of lecturing clothes had been placed on
the bargain counter.
The water at once poured into the
vessel like river, and instantly the en-
CINE fires were extinguished by it. The
electric lights, of course, went out and
left the ship in darkness, with the
wicked sea rolling over our CHEEKY din
ing saloon.
l started back once to get my hair
brush, but the water met me half way,
and 1 returned to the upper deck The
weather was thick, and the rain came
down in gusts, while all about US the
noise of the surf breaking over the
sharp reefs could be heard without any
difficulty. The steamer settled rapidly
by the stern, and the captain ordered
the lifeboats made ready. No one spoke
above a whisper apparently, and the
GOODNESS of the women and children was
wonderful.
In the presence of almost certain
death forgave the pianist 1 could not
go down with bitter feeling in my
heart.
The passengers were put into the
boats, women and children first, and
the most touching picture was that of
the separation between wives and hus-
bands and parents and children, for we
could not be certain that the boats
would safely hold every one.
1t proved afterward that they would
have drowned nearly the entire number
of passengers if they had attempted to
land them, for the first boat which tried
to cross the reef was swamped at once
and women, children and crew thrown
into the sea.
l can see that picture yet.
We had grown TO know and to like
each other very much in our four days
voyage, and to see those agonized faces
turned toward US and the pale and hor-
rified fathers and husbands on our deck
forced to see their families go down
within 40 yards of US or be torn TO
pieces by the serrated edges Of the reefs
and their bodies given to the waiting
sharks-that was the trying time with
Us, and the knowledge that, even if went
down, my wife and children were safe
at home made me almost comfortable
/ saw Mr. McCreary bid goodby 10 his
little daughter, Anna Bell, as she got III
the boat and turn away tearfully. Mr..
Judson OF New York kissed his wife
goodby, and in ten minutes the boat
was upset, with every one struggling for
life in the treacheTous water where IL
broke white and angry over the cruel
rocks.
1t is true that we could see land, but
so you can when you are on the roof Of
- story building which is all on fire
below you.
1t is at such time that people show
what kind of mettle they nave. Miss
Catherwood of New York vino was nv
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