Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1897-09-02

IN the alternoon OF bright day, and
the ship was not making above four
knots an hour. What sea there was
on would not have bothered quarter
boat, and the ship lifted to wave
only at long intervals. The second
mate and were experimenting some
work forward, while the captain was
alone on the quarter deck. All of
sudden. and without the slightest
warning, the sea began to boil and
heave under and around us in the
most violent manner, and for five
minutes every man had to hold on for
his life. In her pitching the craft
shipped three or four green seas,
which cleared the decks Of everything
movable, but we We're con9ratulating
ourselves that all had escaped when
the captain was found to be missing.
The man at the wheel had had mar
row escape from being swept over
board, and for two or three minutes
had lost sight of Captain Graham,
The last sea we shipped had no doubt
carried him away, aud by the time we
had come to this conclusion it was too
laIe 10 make any move.
The sea had been disturbed by an
earthquake. Just where we were when
the agitation began the chart showed
the depth to be full mile. Three
months later, when soundings were
taken by French vessel, it was found
that mountain, two miles in circum-
ference at the base, had been heaved
up until its crest was only forty feet
below the surface. The set of wind
and wave before and after the agita-
tion was to the westward, and ten
minutes after the ship had come back
to level keel the wind changed to
the east and blew half q gale for the
next seven hours. AS matter of
record, the ship pursued her voyage
and made the port of Bombay without
further adventure, and the remainder
of the story relates to the captain.
He was swept overheard by the last
wave, just as we concluded, and pres.
emily found himself far to leegard
among lot OF spars and casks which
the same wave had taken from the
main deck. While the man seized a
spar and passed lashing around his
body, he had no hope of rescue.
Almost before he realized his posi-
tion the ship was mile away, and he
felt sure that no boat would be low
cred to make search for him. The
spar to which he was lashed drifted
away to the west and evening came
on. Between five o'clock and sunset
ol, h. l,,g
but all too lar away to see or hear,
and when night came down he felt
that there was no longer the
slightest chance Tor him. He drifted
to the westward, as [ have told YOU,
but how far has never been known.
Night passed and another day came,
and toward the close OF that day Cap
tain Graham lost consciousness. He
may have drifted day after that
perhaps two days. When he came to
his senses again he was lying on a
sandy beach, with his feet in the
water. He had been cast ashore on
an island. 1t was surely an island 10
the north and west of Madagascar, but
| for reasons which will be explained
later on it cannot be more definitely
located. For an hour after opening
his eyes the man could not unla5h him.
self from the spar. When he had
finally accomplished that object he
had to crawl on hands and knees tc
reach the shade of the bushes. 1t was
high noon and the weather hot, and
the Captain was 80 exhausted that il
he had not found fresh water and wild
fruit at hand he must have perished.
He ate and drank his fill and ther
slept, and the sun was just rising next
morning when he awoke.
The island, when the castaway came
to survey it, was about two miles and
half long by one mile in breadth
and its average height above the SEE
was not over fifteen feet. 1t was o.
volcanic origin and was entirely coy
cred with verdure, and there were si1
or seven different sorts of wild fruits
Along the beach were oysters ant
II