The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-12-15
(Chapter ~
A MID-OCEAN INCIDENT.

| MlD-OCEAN INCIDENT.
The night was very dark and silent; sc
clear that the junction of sea-line and sky
was determinable to the naked eye the
horizon around. A thousand brilliant
galaxies spangled the deep indigo vault
OF the armament, twinkling with sharp.
ness to set the mind thinking of keen
frosts and polar climes, although the
warm breath of the soft tropic wind made
that fancy rather difficult of realization
too. The black water rose aud fell in a
long drawn, noiseless swell, the undulat-
ing folds heaving up and passing away
IN ceaseless shadowy professions, with
nothing to denote their liquid character
save an occasional dull reflective CLEAN,
or the seething sound Of the effervescing
brine.
Pushing quietly EDWARDS through the
gloom of the equatorial night, was a
large full-rigged ship. She doomed of
vague proportions in the dusk. the swell
ing shapes of her towering columns of
canvas mounting and mounting till the
topmost cloths melted out in their blend
l IL,
water rippled away from her bows in fur
rows of faint light, that might have been
either streaks of foam, or the dim burn
ing of phosphorescence. The large, spec
tre-like configuration of the vessel was
thrown into relief here and there along
the length of her by the sheen of lamps,
and the glare OF her colored side lights,
which glowed like a pair of red and green
eyes, staring blindly into the darkness
ahead.
On board the ship several figures moved
about her decks, whilst others stood at
their stations of wheel and look. out as
motionless as statues. Down in the bril-
liantly illuminated saloon sat many pas
sengers, whose voices and laughter floated
up through the open skylights.e They pre-
ferred the comparative airiness of the
large cheerful interior, breezy as it was
with the steady gqsh from two bloated
windsails. to the sitting atmosphere of
the small, close, sleeping berths. The
commander of the vessel. Captain Stur-
CESS, sat at the head of the longEtable.
surrounded by little group of ladies and
gentlemen; "a track chart of the South
Atlantic lay spread before him, and he
was explaining to the small, eager audi
ence the exact position of the Strathnarin
at noon that day.
| See here, now, Miss Marston," said
he, pointing with pencil and looking
up at most elegant young girl, whose
large grey eyes dwelt pensively upon the
sheet. Latitude 81 degrees 35 minutes
s., longitude Is degrees 20 minutes W..
That is where We were at twelve O'Clock
this morning"
| land what is that tiny speok near the
point Of your pencil?" inquired she, arch
ing her graceful figure, as she bent low
to peer at the minute print.
'That is the island of St. Helena. A
tiny speck it makes, sure enough Bar
ring that other dot, (which is Ascension,
it's the nearest land to us for hard upon
thousand leagues. A vast ocean this,
Mrs. Fryp'
j eyes indeed, /" answered buxom Aus
tralian widow, who stood looking on be
tween the shoulders of two young lady
passengers with an expression OF luke
warm interest.
what is SO appalling to my mind, :"
said Miss Marston, is not SO much the
thought of the extent of the ocean, as it's
fearful depth. Now how deep do YOU
think the sea is where we are at present.
Captain Sturgessp''
why" answered the old skipper
squirting thoughtfully up at the lamp
II speak from memory, and can't vouoh
for my accuracy, but unless I'm very
much mistaken the waters under our keel
haven't been plumbed at one fathom less
a n fIun v0d
| There followed several exclamat atoms of
wonder on this statement, and one young
gentleman, who had read ali about deem.
sea soUndings in the account of the Chal-
lenger's expedition, became suddenly very
inclined to grow discursive; but at that
moment the officer of the watch put his
head into the frame of the skylight above
and softly called down ''Capsain."
Every eye was at once upturned. Stur-
CESS let drop his pencil, and said, ''Well,
Mr.. RogersP'
"Will you just step on deck for a mo.
ment or two, sir?" said the mate and
his head vanished again. A summons of
this sort at sea, even on the calmest
night is full of significance. The COM
mander hastily put on his cloth cap and
went up the companion ladder; he was
followed by all the inmates of the saloon,
and the hitherto deserted planks of the
peop-deck became alive with shadowy
| nlttlng ngures,. as though by magic.
What is the matter, Mr.. Rogers?' said
Captain ,Sturgess, stepping across to
where ms keen eyes made out the form of
the mate standing in listening attitude
close against the mizzen rigging.
Why, sir, there's sound as of a dog
barking out upon the water. The look
out forward first reported the noise, and
I've since heard it myself several times.
The thing is ouesr enough; there's no
vessel near, for dark as the night is, its
sufficiently clear to give us a view of any
thing this side of two miles around"
They stood together hearkening for q
little while, and then there was borns to
the ears of the skipper the thin reedy
notes Of dogs bark, coming from it
was impossible to guess what part of the
darkling liquid wilderness, and sounding
strange and wierd amid the ocean still
ness.
Every odd p said the captain, shading
his eyes and sweeping the sea with y
perplexed air. There is nothing to be
seen, although, as you say, the night is
uncommonly clear"
'The moon II be up directly, SIR said
the mate. 81 see the light of it on the
| bori1o,,