Evening journal., 1897-11-08

attempting to do that in the face OF
hurricane, and wher Captain Ginies de-
cided 10 do 1t, ne ordered the lashings Of
the boats cut and told the men they
were forced to take one last chance foi
their lives
AT the word the anchor dropped from
the bow, and the chain began TO pay
out, but the sea was too heavy. and
Instead Of the anchor catching with Q
firm grip and bringing the ships head
up to the storm with a jerk II went toe
slow, and she simply tumbled into the
trough OF the seas, which broke over
her In torrents.
"In an instant she was as helpless as
a log, and she was tossed here ana
there and taking every wave aboard.
From port to starboard the great
mountains Of foaming water poured,
rolling into the hold and adding
to the quantity already weightlng her
down. The load was too much, and
after a moment. when we all felt that
we were lost. the ship keeled over TO
starboard and went down, stern first.
What became OF my mates | don't
know / remember that the boats had
been loosened and that some OF the men
were ready 70 take TO them II the ves-
sci went under. but no boat could have
lived for a minute In that terrible sea,
and II any of them did get In the boats
Il was simply TO be swamped as soon
as the first wave struck them
Maybe they didn't leave the ship
at all. 1 was near the spar. and when
the stern of the vessel began TO go un-
der went for the rigging and went up
as fast as l could. Another man went
with me- the second mate, and / thank
the Lord that he was with me, or l
would have gone mad during all the
long hours that / was up there hang
ing on and trying to keep off the fright
ful cold that was slowly killing us
both
There was a rolling to and fro as the
vessel struck the bottom and slowly
| righted TO an even keel. and then a
second later she rolled over TO one side.
I thought she was going all the way
over but she did not She settled on
bottom, and though the waves rolled
her from port to starboard the spar re-
mained out OF the water. with my mate
and myself clinging TO It.
"Al this time the hail and sleet were
coming down in cutting sheet, and we
were covered with ice in few minutes,
for though the top of the spar on which
we were hanging was 20 feet above the
water the big waves struck US and
broke over us, and the hail cut US like
shot.
Hour after hour we waited there
and then we saw the Maripoaa coming
For long time We didn't know whether
she would sight us, and we watched hei
from the time she was a little smoky
maze up the lake until we could see tha
abe was a big vessel.
when she finally sighted us and W.
saw her head for us, l tried to tell m,
mate. but l couldn't, and he looked a
me with a happy look IN his face. 1
was a terrible time TO us before sh
came up TO us. and then / knew VI
were not safe yet for the sea was run
ming mountains high and the big stee
boat was rolling like a skin Ever,
wave sent her up I'm the air until W
could see her white bottom under he
water line. We knew at once that he
captain would not attempt to lowor
boat. for it would have been chewed uI
} when the Mariposa got within n ca
, bic length Of us man with a strOn
! voice yelled to us to hang on.
Don't give up' he yelled. We
. | get you on sOon.
: "Then the boat circled around a
r coming as near as she could, but whe
she was within a few rods a big roll'
} swept her far out. and she went or
I starboard. rolling heavily when she ~
/ in the trough OF the sea. Then she cam
= back again. and again she missed u
and we couldn't take line had on
! been thrown TO us. Again she wer
around, and we watched her and watcf
= ed the men on her rail waiting to giS
US a lift when they could. on the thir
. trip around she ran right alongside OF
= spar. and as she went past doze
e. men reached for us I don't know WI
y got the mate. but Mr.. Smith. the er
/ gineer, got hold of me- and he dragge
/ me from the spar and over the rail {
I the Mariposa. An instant later we ha
[ passed the little stick on which 1 an
2 the mate had been hanging for almoi
q a day, although II seemed week"