The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-07-09

The crew CT the Narka laughed. CURSED
sw0re and sscl 11os rcar5 CT ~alsssppoiHu-
ment and rage. Imprisoned like them
! selves, the big ship drifted away and was
lost to sight. Then the creT ssaw What
| seemed TO be land. Again hope sprang
up In their hearts. But, alas, the land
was merely a floating island, as unfixcd
| and untenable as their own vessel. Yer
| dure, vines and trees covered the island.
Countless birds Of bright plumage, n
tive of clinics remote from their ialand
home, fluttcred in and out. MernActs
| chartered and scrambled about in the
boughs. Snakes crawlcd about in the
trees or 10y basking ON logs which hoated
in the same ~listless manner 1t was all a
dream seemingly, for no human could
obtain foothold on that land, and none
could survive the attacks of deadly rep
tiles If q landing could DO effected.
Three months from the day the ship
entered the dense mass the first mate re-
ported tho startling news that the heavy
weed clinging so closely to the hull was
slowly but certainly dragging it down to
a watery grave. Thus o new and still
more frightful peril was added to the hor-
rors Of that floating prison. Explosives
were aboard, and the captain determined
80 -
to utilize them to blast away 1he ueharils
which, like the tensaeles of the devilhsh,
were destroying their only hope Of escape.
Rude shells were rugged up, fuses az
tached, ignited and seated ana the mlssiles
tossed overheard to work their Will on the
closely packed weed. Explosion aItef eX-
psosion followed, and the mass separated
and idly foated away from tho ship. But
it was o 0 seen that what was cast Oh
was speedily replaced By other masses ard
the peril renewed, with The ship weakened
from the shocks. But the vessel was eased
OF hor weight and thereafter ~ regular m
tcryals the captain Iesertcd to his expio-
sizes to relieve tlletngIroin the haunting
fear of being dragged TO the bottom.
One day two OF the II men, IN thelf
eagerness to observe the eject OF q largo
shell TINT had been used, leaned TOO iar
over the ships side. The shell exploded
with terrific force, driving the ship BACK
ward and topping n two sailors over
board into tho sea. instantly, before the
Mortified eyes Of their shipmates, the I'M
fortunate men were clasped by the tendfils
and engilfed. Swimmers could make no
progress in tho dense mass. NO human
strength was sulllclenO TO release theil-
Down they went 70 the pottohl, pWo moro
victims Of the sargassos ].
Five months passed away. Hunareds OF
vessels were seen lar and near. All were
abandoned, ~tenantiess excepting ior the
creatures, mans natural enemies. island
after Island was passed h@s ~ ~ ihyfiaus
futtered about, az times settilhB on ths
ship. Monkeys noa constructors, ps.hons
and smaller Snakes a~potinueo, seyihlnsiy
being aided thab the picture q inferno
might DC Hofflu as WAS their
SITUATION, mature see,neu 10 navy ousaoAo
hersel1 IN proFlaing hofs1u oojeSes ehas
MIND mighb go Win iaiiihg 9 rcou
was roWll scarce' pup ene a"iui ne
notony OF thc lare pfeVeilieo as replo ~
hausuion as "oula nave peen vn9 CASE ooa7
erwise.
explosives were alnoso exhausted Wheh
the captain deterihlhea 20 make oAo it,so
e1Iort 10 escape nom snae PRISON, no ue,
termlheo 70 tau ohs 4ssfAa 10 ohe iiss u
uereilcts, ana Win the ya"i lhahe q ues-
perate eilolt 20 preaK ou5 INTO ule open
sea- Cafeiuliy the yawl was ioseeu WIN
provisions ana water. Inc REMAINDER ol
tho explosives was placed ABOARD anu
then, with a prayer ior guiuaiice 70 sa1esy'
the Survivors dropped ihto ohe ilVeio Doae.
Inc Maria was lelt 70 hef iate.
ny dln5 Oh tefrihc eSertioh' one use %
explosives ana the uiolh hana olifoVl
of the seaweed sea in the blue depths be-
-@@d T-C+ffxy| thGA Tnnl W. ha7r EhA