Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1897-05-20
CHAPTER VIII.
THE DYNAMITE HULK.

NO one VINO mas DOJ Vlslteu CauVCy
would believe that so lonely and out Of
the world spot could exist within 80
miles of London. Just as we sometimes
find, within half dozen PAGES of a
great central city, thoroughfares where
the black and pursuing streams of pas
sengers who throng its pavements never
cease to flow, and the roar of traffic is
never still, some silent and unsuspected
alley or court into which no stranger
turns aside and where any sound but
that of o Sinking footstep is seldom
heard, so bordering the great world
thoroughfare of the Thames is to be
found spot where life seems stagnant,
and where scarcely one of the thousands
who pass within stones throw has
ever set foot.
Where the Thames swings round
within sight of the sea there lies, well
out Of the sweep Of the current, pear
shaped island, some six miles long and
three miles broad, which is known as
Canvey.
Three hundred years ago it was prac-
tically uninhabitable, for at high tide
the marshes were flooded by the sea-
and it was not until 1923 that James l
invited q Dutchman named Joas Crop
penburg and his friends to settle there,
Offering them third for themselves if
they could reclaim the island from the
sea. This offer the enterprising Dutch
man accepted and Immediately set to
work to build sea wall, which SO
effectually protects the low lying marsh
land that, standing inside it, one seems
to be at lower level than the water,
and can see only the topmost spars and
sails of the apparently bodiless barges
and boats which glide ghostlike by.
But the most noticeable features in
the scenery of Canvey are the evil look
ing dynamite hulks which lie scowling
on the water like huge black and red
barred ooffins. Upward of dozen OF
these nests Of dovilry are moored off the
island, and they are the first objects to
catch the eye as one looks out from the
sea wall
In view of the fact that the position
of Canvey in regard to one of the great
est water highways in the world is like
that Of house which lies only few
yards back from main road, one Won
ders at first that such locality should
have been selected as the storage place
of SO vast quantity Of deadly explo
sive. That it was so selected only after
the matter had received the most care.
full and serious consideration of the au.
thorities is certain, and, though very
nearly the whole Of the shipping which
enters the Thames must necessarily pass
almost within hail of the island, the
spot is so remote and out of the world
that it is doubtful if any safer Or securel
place could have been found.
The dynamite magazines consist, az
the name indicates, Of the dismantlet
hulks of old merchant vessels, which
though long past active service, are still
water tight. One man only is in charge
of each hulk, which he is not supposed
to leave, everything that he needs being
obtained for him by the boatman, whost
sole duty it is to fetch and carry for th,
hulk keepers.
Not only ia a hulk keeper who hap
pens to be married forbidden to have hi
chill lren with him, but even the pres
ence Of his wife is disallowed. his in
structions being that no one but himsel
is, under any circumstances, to come OIL
bolrd
These rules are not, however, very
rigidly complied with. A hulk keeper il
only human, and as his life is lonely i
often happens that wien visitors row
out to the ship he is by no means dis
pleased to see them, and half crowl
will frequently procure admittance no
only to his own quarters, but to tn
hold where the explosive Itself is stored
In small oblong wooden boxes, eacl
containing so 0pounds. Nor are instance
unknown where the solitude OF mar
ried hulk keepers life has been oheeret
by the presence Of his wife, the goot
lady joining her husband immediatel.
after all inspection and remaining witt
him until such time as another visi
may be looked for. Even if the fact o
her presence on board becomes know
on the island, the matter is considere'
as nobody business but the inspector s
and the love of an officer of the crow
is not so great among watermen an
villagers as to lead them to 80 out c
their way to assist him i'll the executio
of his duty.
Had not had reason to suppose tha
Mullen was somewhere in the neighbol
hood of Southend, the possibility of hi
being on one of these hulks would neve
have occurred to me. But the more
thought of it the more was impresse
with the facilities which such plat
afforded for fugitive to lie in hiding
and I promptly decided that before
dismissed the hulks from my considers
tion I must first satisfy myself that I'll
man l was looking for was on none I
them.
A point which did not lose sight
was that it was quite possible for
hulk keeper who was taciturn by natu
and not prone to encourage gossip
remain in entire ignorance Of what w
taking place throughout the oountr
and of the reward which had been offe
ed for the apprehension Of CAPITA
Shannon. In fact, there is at this IN
ment in charge of one Of the hulks {
Canvey a man who is never known
go ashore, to receive visitors or to e
ter into conversation. Whether he is u
able to read I cannot say; but, at {
events, he never asks for q newspape
CASTORIA.
The ias- II q, .,