Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1895-06-14

which / was 20 take the trip had been
punt by the company as an experiment
and was composed almost entirely of
IRON. The stations being close to-
geJner the crew of three men were not
often obliged to dine on board. and
there were no cOnveniences for cooking.
The company had, however. provided
an alcohol stove for making coffee and
such work. and the alcohol for this was
Kept in a good sized iron tank on the
after deck. While it was easy for the
crew TO get food at the stations. alco-
hOl. except in the form of rum. was diff
ucuit 70 obtain, and they never left
Cuba without a good supply. so, when
we started, the tank was very nearly
Ull
As soon as We had entered the dock
I lay down on one of the hunks in the
cabin wishing if possible. to get a nap,
Tor / had been up late the night before
/ may have slept two hours. when
suddenly awOke to find the cabin filed
with smoke. 1 rushed to the deck and
found it deserted. Forward of the en-
CINE room great clouds of smoke were
pouring forth, and the flicker of flame
showed the fire had made fearful head
way. l hurried to the side, where. as
| came on board, had noticed a small
boat
The boat was gone The crew, IN
used TO passenger, must have forgot
ten me In their excitement. and ind
ing the fire beyond control had taken
10 the small boat without me- Fever
ishly 1 scanned the horizon for some
trace of them. A distant black speck
was all that met my eye I was alone
on the ocean, in a burning vessel and
for few minutes l gave myself up TO
despair. l could not swim, and so
lacked the courage 10 seize something
that would float and leap overheard
suddenly a thought came TO me; an
idea, which. while desperate enough
presented 10 my mind the only chance
Of escape. 1 ran to the engine room
which the fire had not yet reached. and
with feverish haste began to rip off tho
asbestos covering from the pipes and
lower part Of the smokestack. In a
few minutes 1 had collected a great
armful HUrrying off with this broke
open the tank of alcohol. and threw
the asbestos into it. On thetOp of the
tank I put an iron grating, strong
enough TO support my weight. which
g0t from the hatchway. and over this
stretched q wire screen from one of tho
cabin windows. Ny plan Will now be
clear. 1 knew the interior of an alco-
hol flame is kept cool by evaporation
and what l constructed was nothing
less than an immense alcohol lamp.
From the cabin I brought a stool. a
book and a light lunch, and, placing
the stool in the middle of the iron graf
ing l sat down upon IT, The deck be-
ing of iron and the most incombustible
part of the cargo being stored aft.
hoped that the heat would not be great
enough TO melt that part of the deck
and leu me down into the hold. The
flames we're now rapidly eating their
way rapidly toward where I sat but,
not knowing how long the alcohol
would hold out. I had decided not TO
light my lamp until their heat had be-
come almost unbearable. The time
came soon enough, and, with trembling
fingers. I dropped a lighted match close
90 the edge Of the grating on which I
a
me- and for O moment | feared that l
had but fastened my end. Almost inn
mediately. however. I noticed a cool
ness. very refreshing after the heat of
the burning vessel. and. settling my
self very c0mpOsedly on the stool, took
up my book.
"Oh, come" said George Hopkins.
"What is it, asked the minister,
pleasantly.
Nothing" said George Hopkins
MY only fear now. the minister
went on. was that the heat might melt
the deck where I was or burn through
the iron below the water line and so
sink the vessel. Luckily. neither of
these two catastrOphes happened. For
some time I watched with delight the
great cloud of smoke as it rose from the
vessel. for the day was very quiet. and
then spread out over the sky like q
black pail firing of this I took to my
book. and it was not until after some
hours had elapsed that I began to feel
hungry. BY the time I had finished my
lunch the fire had almost burned itself
ont. and though the deck in some places
still showed a dull red. the ship was
beginning TO cool off. Ny great fear
now was not that the alcohol would not
last. but that IL would last TOO Ions, and
So keep me prisoner in the lamp.
However, Just after the deck had be-
come cool enough 10 walk upon. the
fame around me fiickered and went
out. That night I was taken or by a
passing vessel, and so added another TO
the list of miraculous presentations OF
ministers of the Gospel
NV wife said something about a di-
vine Providence; 1 sat open mOuthed.
looking in amazement from one to an
other of my companions. Not so George
Hopkins. He rose, and. leaning across
the table. shook hands fervently with
the minister.
"I have always looked down on min
listers" he said impressiyely. and
thought them unworthy of my friend
shin. but in YOU. sir, l recognize man
and a brother. and I am proud to know
YOU. am not q regular attendant at
church-in fact I have always avoided
such place: but now, and his voice
grew husky with emotion, you snail
sec me In your congregation every sum
day. and in after years it shall be my
proudest boast that / have heard You
preach the truth. Chicago News.
EVERYWHERE we go we md some
one who has been cured by Hoods
Sarsaparilla Il is the greatest cur
ative agent. IL is the one great blood
purifier and nerve tonic.