Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-04-01


/ ton shuddorod az a roll sent the chilly
/ fluid swishlng round his ankles. while
the buzzing cranks threw up a miniature
cascade.
/ when he regained the bridge, the mac
staggered up. saying. briefly: ''rhe tar
/ paulin's split again. the scuttle's burst
/ and it's more than a mans life Is worth
| 10 go forward. I'm afraid she'll go
! down under US soOn.'
! As II in answer. a white-crested roller
rose up ahead, and next moment the fore
/ deck disappeared into the sea. For
second or two the little vessel staggered
and seemed TO stop; then. as she slowly
shook herself free and swung aloft. the
water rolled aft. There was a crash Of
/ splintering glass. a cloud OF steam rose
/ through the broken skylights as IL trll.
Kissing on the hot cylinder-heads beltw.
/ and the rush struck the bulkhead a thun-
/ dcring blow. The three men looked at
| one another with ashen faces until the
/ Captain spoke. 1T is nearly dawn now.
and we must be close in TO the Ivory
\ coast" he said. well run in and
chance finding a lagoon; anyway it's
[ better to risk the surf on a beach than TO
/ founder I'm deep water. Hard over. due
/ north, helmsman."
/ SO for awhile the three leaned over
/ driving spray. as the circle Of tumbling
water grew wider and wider beneath the
/ coming dawn. Then, with the sudden
| ness OF the tropics. the sun swung out
/ from behind a bank OF hard-edged clouds,
/ and the dusly-sea-plain changed In a
moment to flashing green and snowy
white, until he disappeared again
/ yelled in nyins scud. A few minutes
! later something like a cluster Of feather
| Cranton said, hoarsely: THAT must BE
! some Of the tall palms beyond Lahu.
| I've been on the Ivory Coast before"
Higher and higher grew the distant
/ objects. until at last. It appeared as If
/ the trees sprang aloft from the midst Of
/ the sea. Then a shadowy background
/ Of low-lying forest rose TO view. and
/ one of the Krooboys crawled aft, clnging
/ for his life TO the rail. as n sea burst
across the vessel. and shouted. excitedly:
/ Il know him, sab. know him bad; be
| Lahu Lagoon. sah!
Take your chance and let him run her
/ in: the Krooboys know every inch Of the
| coast" said Cranton, and while the Cap
tain nodded his head, the helmsman,
wblrling round the spOkes swung the
/ Corona's bows towards the palms.
ITS our only chance; 90 down and
/ tell Jim 10 hold out. and drive her all he
can. It's "a race now to get in before
we founder" said the Captain, and Gram
ton. lodging a sea. dived into the engine
room. and safely reached the submerged
/ hoor-platos. The engineer splashed about
among the rising water. while the drown
/ ed cranks hammered and gurg ed amid a
seething mass of foam.
/ shes going all she's worth; come and
see" he said. and together they waded
] 4 Inc loo cue
/ down the yawning ventilator shafts ana
rushed towards the trembling boiler front.
where. stripped to the waist two hag-
/ gard dremen. streaming with perspration,
/ balanced themselves against the roll
ing as they forced the twinklng fires.
/ Every now and then, as the tug lurchei
| forward a gmgling wave surged Kissing
4 among the red ashes below the fre-bars,
/ and the engineer shook his head. 1t S
| tempting Providence now" he muttered,
/ "for the boilers an inch thick with scale
/ and salt: she may go at any mo-
| Inent. Drive her. my ladsr' and then ne
/ added I'm a whisper: They've both got
/ fever, and have been at it eight hours,
/ flesh and blood can do no more
The most comforting thing. Cranton
/ thought. was the ringing clang Of the
/ big pump and the Kissing Of the injection
/ and ne knew that every thobhing GYM
/ der and palpitating valve was doing It's
utmost in that wild race for life.
/ When he reached the bridge again the
/ Krooboy was pointing .eXcitedly ahead
and shouting: Keep them tall palm
| open. sab. one III hand plenty too much
surf. sab" The coast-line now lay clear
/ and bright i'm the watery sunshine,
strip of yellow beach, alternately visible
/ and hidden by clouds Of spray as the
. ~ III
bevond was a fringe Of feathery palms,
and behind these again what appeared
] TO be waste Of mangroves'
81 can see no entrance. and If we 20
ashore the surf will smash every bone
/ I'm our bodies Steady helm said the
| CAPTAIN. Chanton glanced aft with MS
| heart I'm his mouth at the ocean-Wals
| that chased them astern or burst with
roar over the counter while the Whoie
vessel trcmbled with the shaking Oh her
racing engines as she swung high on the
! crest. Then a shout from the hroopoy
made him turn his eyes and dragging
ont his glasses. he fancied he could see
a smooth green riband Of water winding
! through the chaos of foam ahead Ihe
! Corona stormed through 10 towards the
deadly sand. all hands clinging 10 the
\ rail wherever they could ind lee sd@-
/ ing i'm haif-breathlcss silence az the
veastv confusion before them. Al lasl
/ the beach lay close at hand, and the ar
was filled with the roar of the SURF as
every now and then dark line OF wafer
rose ND and blotted out forest and shore
until it crumbled away into cascades oi
white upon the sand.
cardboard now. sab" said the hrooDoy'
/ and the helmsman glanced AT the 'ap1dli.
with wonder in his face, for a starboard
| helm would cant them towards the "oisI
of the surf. The Captain clehcheu Ms
teeth and nodded his head, anA 'he
steamers bows swung right III sHoro'
cranton felt his skin creep ana MS nerves
tinele. and strove to choke down a via
desire to wrench the Wheel out oi INC
seaman's hands. and turns the vessel $
h,Xs anywhere but towards that white
death ahead: but the negro chung To the
binnacle silent and rigid, like an ebony
statue Then he shouted. Port now,
mort one time" and the watchers held
their breath as they saw Sharply
marked STRIP of rolling green water open
between the mad smother on either sue.
The CAPTAIN threw himself upon the
wheel and aided by the helmsman spun
/ the smokers round for dear life, and the
bows pointed straight towards the mar
row way where was salvation.
Then a harsh voice shouted. "lioid on
/ all" and a vast roller rose up astern as
high as She haIne-tipped iunnei-i'ng.
+ Every eve was turned ait. for If that sea
curled and broke too soon. all hands
would he ground 10 pieces on the sand
below. As they gazed. there was roar
and "a rush, the Corona was caught up
and swept madly forward on the foaming
crest. Captain and helmspan chung to