The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1895-04-18

&szsas"'S @ pull to save some
luckless mari
ners. Spyglasses look seward, the men
behind them both fearing and hoping to
catch a glimpse through the clouds of
fog of some telltale object far out in the
terrible breakers of the terrible Sands.
Suddenly watcher cries, II see a ship
on Goodwill"
"Whero? where?" shout half dozen
at once, and raising their glasses they
can see nothing. 1t was only a glimpse
the man had, and the others try to con-
vince him that he is mistaken. IT am
as sure of it as I stand here" he saws
positively.
"Well, if you saw her once, and are
certain Of it, once is as good as so
times.' So speaks the coxswain of the
surf crew and calls out along the piers:
IA vessel on the Goodwin! Lifeboat,
| lifeboat!"
AS the men throw down their work
on the pier the harbor master rushes
after them and says that there have
been no signals nor alarm guns, and the
outlook must be mistaken. But the life
boat has been launched, the tug has
passed her cable, and before the mas
ter can interfere the jealous boatmen
are off. Reaching the line of the light
ships outside the harbor, they find a
high wind blowing oHshore, with heavy
squalls Of snow; also that the men on
the lightships all along the dangerous
Sands have been firing guns since day.
light and sending up signals for wreck
on the southeast spit Of the Sands. The
tug and lifeboat push on through the
terrible seas running over the Sands
and soon discover the wreck settled up
OF them, her mizzenmast gone and the
surf breaking over her from stem to
stern as high as her foreyard. There are
no sailors to be seen lashed to the rig
glng, and so great is the rush Of water
over the cabins and decks that the life
boat men think it doubtful if any of
the crew remain on board. Nevertheless
they resolve to make search. The tug
lows the lifeboat off to distance so
that she can run in on the lee quarter
OF the wreck, and with everything
ready, the anchor poised to let go the
moment the craft gets near the sunken
ship, the brave fellows plunge through
the sea, driven by foresail and the
powerful current. What awful chances
they are taking on the. bare possibility
OF saving life! The boat sails with a
speed that means destruction if she
strikes the solid wreck. Watching their
distance, the boatmen heave the anchor
and lower sail, but onward their frail
bark flies. Suddenly the man in the
bow cries: up with your helm! Up
with it hard! Sheer off Sheer Off"
Swiftly, but only just in time, the boat
answers and bears away from the wreck.
1t is close call, for the broken mizzen-
mast is projecting at right angles with
the sunken hull and, covered with wa
ter, lies in the pathway of the lifeboat.
Fortunate it is that it is daylight, for
in the night the outlook could not see
it, and the boat would surely be lost.
AS it is she gets into a bad tangle in
the wreckage, but finally swings clear
Of it by the aid of the current and
fetohes up astern Of the ship.
On looking up, the life savers can see
three men and boy crouching under
the shelter Of the deokhouse, exhausted
with wet and cold so as to be complete-
~ helpless. For hours they have waited,
listening to the sullen boom of the alarm
guns from the light vessels, but have
given up all hope that those sounds
mean salvation for them, when sudden
~ the lifeboat, with it's CHEEKY, wide
awake crew, glides up almost within
reach. 1t is their reprieve from horri-
bic fate, and the blood once more courses
warm through their veins. A line with
a life buoy attached is tossed from the
wreck to the boat, and the life savers
haul their craft by the taut line toward
the vessel. But the tide must still be
reckoned with, and even a strong pull
and long pull and pull altogether
barely moves the boat foot. Then with
out an instant's warning tremendous
sea rushes over the ship and over the
boat, tearing out the very timber head
to which the hauling line is attached,
Knocking down several Of the crew and
bury1ng the boat for moment under a
flood of water. Far out from the wreck
she lifts again, held by the stout anchor
cable, and the men spring to their feet.
"Are all there?" shouts the coxswain.
'All right, all right! cry the men in
achorus. '"Thank God! Now at it again,
my men,"
The anchor cable is the only salvation
for boat or crew or the shipwrecked
men. Back and forth the stanch craft
rides within sight, within reach it may
be. But it is useless to attempt to haul
her nearer to the wreck, and the cap-
tain, to make an example for the two
mates and the cabin boy who are his
comrades in peril, boldly springs out
from the lee Of the deckhouse, strips off
his oilskin coat and slides down the
hawser that held the boat into the boil
ing sea. In an instant he is torn from
the rope, but he tries to swim to tho
boat. It is useless; he is only a plaything
for the waves. He can scarcely keep his
head out Of water, and the life savers
cannot sheer nor guide their boat in the
least, to save him. Of what use, indeed,