Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-10-29
A ennsTLY sraNIsn cHrIsEE.

| more than : = months, had half encirclcd
| the globe and had weathered four mighty
! tempests, with no more serious result
| than the loss of a little of her canvas.
| Captain J. G. Park, one of the sturdicst
| mariners that sail the seas, confessed to
| the greatest feeling of relief on reaching
PORT in safety. It was not wind and
| weather that bothered the captain and
| crew Of the Luzon during the long voyage.
IL was tho possibility that the vessel and
| all on board might be taken captive by
some "sneaking Spanish privateer," as
| the skipper put it, It was this that made
| the long trip one of the most intense anx-
| iety to- all aboard the clipper, for, while
| the Luzon was battling with storms the
United States had begun and finished
victorious war with Spain.
The Luzon, n vessel of 1889 tons and
manned by n crew Of %, left Kahului, the
| port of the island of Maui, on the morn
ing of April 80 last. War was actually in
progress then. and the news of it pene
trated even to China, but it had not
reached Hawaii. Hence Captain Parks
misgivings when the clipper left port.
1t was the uncertainty that made the
trip bothcrsome, " said Captain Park. II
made up my mind, though, that we should
not be caught mapping, and had look
outs posted to watch for the least sign of
sail from the moment we left Kahului.
For the first 80 days VIC had light winds
and exasperating Gains, and we reached
latitude 10 degrees south before we had
any kind of a decent wind,
When we reached tho sS1th Atlantic,
I began to look for Spaniards in earnest,
All this time | was in doubt Us 20 whether
any war existed. but 1 took 10 chances.
Every morning man was sent to the
masthead to scan the ocean for signs of
Spaniards, but off Platte we ran into one
den storms. and for 81 hours we lay hove
to under rcefed lower tOpsail.
1t was not until Aug. that heard of
the war. Then we spoke the German bark
rhalia. which signaled. War between the
United States and Spain IL gave Us a
sort of shock TO learn that what we expect
ed was really so, but when looked at the
matter IL was clear that there was but one
thing TO do-Eeep on for New York.
We caught the northeast trades in lati-
tude I2 degrees north. and we were bowl
ing along under fun sail and heading
about mormon west IN Aug. 20 when
Douglas the first mate. came TO me and
announced solemnly that Spanish priva-
teer was after US at last. There to the
northwest. sure enough. was a big black
hulled steamer. with two tunnels, cutting
through the water ut II knots and appar-
emily heading directly for us As she came
nearer I saw that her decks were fairly |
black with men. was prepared to sur
render, for the Luzon wasn't making |
more than six knots. when the stranger |
veered more TO the eastward and crossed 1
our bows half a mile ahead. She was |
probably transport taking home the de- |
feated troops. but she didn Z show any Gag, |
and neither did we
Captain Park is hard headed and pro- |
sale man The men before the mast insist I
that he has kept back the most terrible
experiences of the fearful voyage. Jack is
prone to see sights which escape the skip
per's vision or which that dignitary sup /
presses for diplomatic reasons. Some of
the Oldest seamen are willing to swear
that the Luzon was several times chased
by Spanish cruisers. and after the destruc-
ton of Montiio's fleet at Manila the ghost
Of the III fated battleships haunted the
American clipper. Huge fighting towers
and ugly cannons were depicted against
The horizon. and during storms the LuZon
almost run down by ghostly cruis-
ers- The booming of heavy guns was fire.
luently heard over the boundless waters,
and the defenseless sailors of the Luzon
suffered untold agonies. They explain
their miraculous escape as a part of the
good luck which followed the Americans
pm sea throughout the war. 81