The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1898-04-28


seaworthy if not pretty"
BY eight o'clock the next morning the
excursionists were crowding over her
gang plank, carrying baskets and
babies and dragging small children by
their arms. They packed the decks like
sheep in pen, found seats and then
left them, wandering from the hold to
the hurricane deck, always laughing
and shouting over inane jokes. The
mate shouted GAN aboard" bell rang.
the captain gave the order to cast off
and the Europa started ON her first trip
as an excursion boat.
"Good-by, steamer" the barge called.
"I'll be loaded and gone before you're
back"
"Good-by," tine other replied. "You
have very good manners for barge
really quite genteel." Her walking
beam pumped faster, her paddle wheels
churned the dirty water and she made
her way slowly downstream.
AS she was passing the lighthouse
she met a tug. Hello, old tub" 1t
screamed; "what are you riling up the
bay for? You'd better go up into The
country. where they haven't heard of
propellers. You'd have more room to
turn around in up there. Where you
bound for-Duluth ?" The tug laughed
and coughcd at its own wit. 81 think
you'll get there by November"
"You had better wash your dirty
deck" the steamer said, angrily.
The tug screeched mirthfully--like
small boys, tugs have no feelings to be
hurt. "I'll agree to wash my deck when
you put on a new coat OF paint" it re-
tcrted and went up the river telling
every boat 1t met of the fine jest 1t had
made at the expense of the excursion
steamer.
The Europa sighed and the ught of the
days when tug would not have dared
to address her so. A passenger boat
greeted her with condescending
whistle. but She did not have the heart
to answer. AS she passed two fishing
boats at anchor she heard'one say to the
other: "Where does that ark hail
from p
I II wish 1 was back in the bay coun-
try" she thought. "Up there they re-
spected me if was shabby. There they
judge boat by its hull and engine and
not by it's coat-of paint. There they
knew that had been the pride of the
lakes and here they think I'm an old
vagabond that changes her name every
season. wish I'd gone down that time
I ran ashore off Beaver island. Then
the newspapers would have been full OF
the great disaster and mourne6 as if I
mad been a queen. They would have
had in my picture and. perhaps, made
song about me. Now they'll only give
me three lines in the shipping news"
The wind came up and the old steam
er had little time to think, for she was
/ too heavily laden, and she could make
but little headway against the gale.
Finally, however, she landed her
passengers at the pier that jutted out
from the point. AS she lay there, pant
ing and wheeling, she thought: 81
can't stand the buffeting ike I once
could-it tries my engines too cruelty. I
| wish I would sink and could rest be low
on the ribbed, yellow sand. Tn weary
of plodding from port to port. war,
to forget that wasever the pride Of the
aeet--I want to rot in peace below"
But though the wind rose higher and
higher and the whitecaps raised their
ominous heads above the water, the
Europa turned and started back to the
city-she was scheduled to make four
trips day, and her master was q man
of his word.
She had gone but little way when
she felt some part Of her machinery
snap-the walking-beam ceased its
teeter and the paddles were still. She
knew her time had come, for the wind
was at her stern and would push her
onto the rocky shore, ahead. The Grew
let down the lifeboats-if they were to
save themselves they must be off before
she reached the surf. They put off,
leaving her to her fate.
On and on she went toward the rocks,
quivering with fear and dread, but not
swerving from her course, once her hull
rose almost out Of the water, then she
righted herself, and drove on. There
was a terrible grinding of the rocks
against her hull, she groaned and shiv-
cred as the water crept through her
1
hold and then was still. The sharp teeth
of the rocks tore her to pieces and the
waves carried the fragments to sea. so
that her last wish to rot in peace on the
sand was denied her. By night hardly
trace was left of her.
The next day the Chiwalkee Mail con-
tanned the following paragraph in its
| shipping news: Yesterday, the Hap
py Day, an excursion boat from Naha-
ma was driven on the rocks near Mill
er's Point and went to pieces. For
tunately she had just landed her load OF
excursionists and was on her way back
to the city. Some part of her machin-
cry broke and, owing to the high sea,
nothing could be done to save her The
crew escaped in the lifeboats. There
has been rumor along the wharves
that she was really the famous old
Europa-long known as the Pride of