The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-02-05
NV First Shipwreck.
"a narrative of fact from Cornhilps. L
Four Parts)

calm. Therefore, the order given was ex-
asperating and futile. Had there been
any wind it would have been less so, but
still useless, for the ship was no longer
moving over the reef, or capable of be-
ing turned in any way. Except for an &C.
casional grating bump, when the long
heavy Gulf swell found her an obstacle
in its mighty sweep over the reef, she
might as well have been in dry-dock
However, for half an hour that lunatic
kept all hands pulIey-hauling at the
braces, trimming the yards first on one
tack and then on the other, for all the
world like parcel of boys on training
ship bedded in a cabbage garden, as at
Feltham. A man was kept at the wheel,
too, bewildered by receiving orders he had
no power to execute, such as 'Luff you
may; no higher, steady as she goesi"
Good heavensD the rudder all the time
being damned firmly between two i'm
mense blocks of coral, about fifty tons
each.
Even boy could see what was going
to happen directly. We had a good-tem-
pered crowd, but doubt whether a man
of-wars crew would have long submit
ted to be worried inconsequentially by a
maudlin fool, when they knew not how
soon all their energies would be required
in life and death struggle. So. when
their patience was exhausted, they quiet
Iy gathered aft in front of the skipper,
where he sat on a poop-ladder, and
through a spokesman told him they were
going to have a rest till he got fit to COM
mand. At this he wept mournfully, sight
to make you sick at heart. Ali hands bum
died forward and began TO pack up, ready
for a shift, in case of a chance to save
few clothes. But the pipes were hardly
alight before it was, Lay aft, all hands"
ha,r nd
before, at the break of the poop. Then
the skipper whimperingly demanded what
they proposed doing, and why they treat
ed him so. Their answers were brief,
pointed and emphatic; though I'm afraid
their choice of terms was not happy. go
forward, men," said the mate, and the
crowd dispersed directly. All of them had
not entered the forecaStle door when the
cry of Lay aft, all hands" came again.
This time there was a shout: IF we
do come aft again, We'll have you over
board" There was peace after that.
By this time it was about four bells q
a. NO. but perfectly dark except for the
feeble starlight. You know how dark a
moonless night is in the tropics, when
there isn't cloud above. When all the
dome overhead is blue-black, and the
stars don't shine but show like points of
polished steel Had there been a compe-
tent man in charge, much could have
been done even then, but, under the cir
cumstances, we could only wait for day
light and the SOLDERING of the skipper.
Meanwhile, the carpenter, though Grip
pied in both legs by fostering insecticides,
crawled painfully to where our only use
full boat was secured bottom up on the
slxids. He knew that having been ex-
posed like that for several months to the
direct rays of the sun, she would float
about as buoyantly as a colander. There
fore he worked hard to calk her against
the coming light since without q boat,
except the little ramshackle gig, our
plight was hopeless. Nobody thought of
sleep, but hung anxiously about wishing
for day.
Little by little came that marvellous
change over the face of the sea and sky
that we witness daily and think so little
of, while jewellers in crowded cities often
pass their whole lives without knowing
anything of it's glories First tiny
streak of tenderest green along the edge
of the horizon, then suddenly overhead
blush of lovely rose, warming the stern
blue-black of the infinite depths with def
mite promise of living light to come, and
even now here. Then rays and streamers
and cloudlets of color, impossible to blend
or reproduce by mortal hand, appear in
quick succession, heralds majestic of the
monarch to follow. A great glow of GRIM
son conferred with gold, and the BRIDE
groom leaves his chamber, the giant COM
mences his daily race and battle against
darkness, disease, and death
Within one and a half miles of the ship
was a small island, mostly sand, but on
the further side thickly covered with
rocks. At about 80 yards from the shore
,0I1 of
encirced the whole island apparently.
Myriads Of birds coming and going about
the beach made a deafening cIamor.
There was not a tree or bush visible-alto-
gether a truly desert island. But beneath
us-well, I've seen some sights among
coral reefs since, but never have I seen
anything like that. The water was like
mirror, every least thing showed boldly
on the bottom. so the thousand beauties
of that submarine forest were as definite
as any picture. infinitely more so than
many l have seen. There were trees. col
umns. palaces. bridges, churches. gar
dens, everything that the imagination
could compass. And the colors of all these
marvellous forms were hardly rivalled by
those of the surface. Nothing crude, moth
ing glazing. but all mellowed into ten
derness by the limpid blue of the water
About, around, or through the inumerab bic
windings of that wonderful maze wander
ed ceaselessly the thousand varied forms
of fish that constituted it's population
Most of these, too, were gorgeous beyond
belief. but occasionally as if to heighten
their beauty by contrast, some gnome-like
shape of dull leaden or livid hue moved
mysteriously among the loneliness like
the shadow of death. Especially was this
true of great gray shark that hung mo-
tionlesS in one of the avenues immedi-
ately beneath US. his cold dead green eye
steadfastly fixed upon the ship.
AS soon as the mate had summoned the
hands to turn to-" all hands went aft
and asked for the captain. When he ap-
peared, sober, they respectfully informed
him that in their opinion the first thing
necessary was the landing of sufficient
stores on the islet 10 support life in the
event of a norther springing I'D suddenly
and destroying the ship. They would do,
they said, all they could for the safety OF
the ship. but since the position was so fun
of danger, it was only reasonable that
some thought should be taken for their
| lives
The skipper said he considered their re-
quest only natural, and at once gave, or
/ ders for stores to be got up and the boat
/ To be put over the side. For il was evf-
/ dent that, before landing stores could be
attempted, some channel through the
/ fringing reef must be found also a suit
I able landing-place. So q boats crew were
/ told off TO explore the vicinity, while the
( rest of the hands busted themselves in
! getting up stores. The boat was in the
water and manned long before the skip
/ per was ready for his tour ard when
/ he emerged from the cabin we needed no
: Il