The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-02-06
NV First Shipwreck.
"a narrative of fact from CornhilTs. 1
Four Parts.)

the purpose of getting the ship afoat
again. Nothing whatever was done. One
would have thought that the mate should
certainly have undertaken some sucn
work, even on his own responsibility; but
you couldn't blame him too much, his po-
sition under the captain being very Pc
culiar one At any rate, after about an
hours work. we did nothing but FISH or
loaf about awaiting the shippers return.
the weather remaining perfect. not a
breath of wind stirring.
| About noon the boat came back. having
made the circuit of the Island Gooa
| landing-place had been discovered, al
| though the entrance through the reef De-
ing only about sixty feet wide, neeoeo
care in negotiating it. They brought
couple of buckets full of eggs, which they
said were amazingly pienttuI. put oe-
yond that they had no news Shall be
| believed when / say that not another
| stroke of work was done that day? The
crew were willing, the weather was lovely,
| the ship no battered old hulk not worth
saving, but fit TO brave the seas Tor an
other half century. Why did we remain
idle? Because our commander lay help
lcssly drunk in his cabin. So. sleeping
smoking. Longing, that beautlIul DAY
| wasted away.
Perfect calm reigned the night through
]
commence operations which ought to have
| been carried out the previous day A large
| .'kedee anchor. was carried astern as tar
as our hawsers and mooring chains would
allow but when they dropped II Vhe
! skipper in the boat. mind,) there was less
than two fathoms of water beneath them.
| Being but child. could not then rightly
| estimate the mountainous folly OF what
was going on. but have often wondered
cd 4
the ship drew eighteen feet of water!
Yet that imbeciIe was proposing to heave
| her I'D hill into twelve feet Only sailors
| can believe a thing of that sort, for they
know what incredible marvels of foolery
are performed at times on board ship.
The boat returned, the windlass was
manned, and the hawsers hove tight But
right there operations came to full step.
We couldn't burst the good rope we
| couldn't move the ship Perhaps there
wasn't much heaving done / don't know.
but think that under the circumstances
it was highly probable. Coming TO a
standstill, the men leaned on the windlasS
levers discussing the situation. The mate
had gone aft, but a silence as or the
| grave reigned in the cabin, where the cap
tain was sleeping off his liquor.
What awakened him don't know. but
before he got nearly sober he came on
deck again and began ordering the yards
TO be hauled about. sail made etc. as Il
the ship, instead of beir mass immov-
able by anything short or lenPeSt VI
an earthquake, was to be shifted oy sucn
means The men stood this foollnS very
Well, indeed, for about an hour: then, teei-
ing that IS an amusement it paled upon
them, they came aft in a body, and fore
IDLY stated their intention to do no more
until authority was delegated entirely to
the mate, or the captain was quite SOBER
To his maudlin remonstrances and copl-
Gus tears they turned contemptuonsly
deaf ears, retiring again to their own enc
of the ship for a rest, as well as rehec-
ton.
The ship was doomed; there could be no
possible doubt Even had the smartest
seaman af1oat been now In charge ne
could have done nothing; for. although
the weather had been perfect since the
disaster. the long swell which crept across
the great reef moved her hull sufficiently
10 damage the bottom greatly. as the
pieces of timber floating up every now anc
then showed very plainly.
The night passed without incident OF
any kind Just before daylight breeze
sprang up from northwest accompanied
by much greater increase in the swell
than was referable to the weight OF the
serious She writhed and bumped about
upon the Jagged surface of the reef in ar
alarming fashion, every timber complain
ing fiercely of the severity of her treat
ment The deck began to open and shut
at the seams, the houses twisted and
split, while the great masts trembled un'
ceasingly.
The wind increased rapidly. till at eight
! bells breakfast time) it was blowing q
moderate gale, which covered the face OF
the reef with foam. AS it was evidently
madness to wait any longer. the pm
nance was hauled alongside and loaded
with the wardrobes of the crew. with sucf
other necessaries as seemed indispensable
the sick boatswain being made as com
Portable in the stern-sheets as was pos
, siole l was looking over the rail very
, wistfully at the boat when one Of thC
men called me down into her needed III
second invitation, but descended like {
. monkey, snugIy ensconcing myself by the
side of the boatswain. The mate callet
me back, l don't know why; but cheer
fully disobeyed him. knowing full well tina
his authority now was a thing of doubt
The painter was cast adrift. and awal
we went for the shore. but may l neve
make such journey in boat again. TIL
, swell had increased so rapidly that !
was now appalling In its height. AS
! travelled over the shallow. broken reef 70
about ten miles. before 1t reached US. I
| gathered momentum and size, until II be
= came a range of snowy mountains. be
tween whose seething SUBMITS the to-
of the reef almost appeared. so great va
the displacement of water. Our men wer
not very expert at boat-handling, as the!
admitted, but / think they must hav
risen to the height of a great emergenc,
i that morning. Although. when we de
seconded into the green valleys between
z those mighty breakers. their frowninl
= crests shut out the sky. we did not shi
a drop Of water or even swerve an appre
ciable bit from the only safe course box
= on 20 the roll OF the sea When we near
= ! ed the fringlng barrier Of rocks the sigh
was dreadful. the roar Of the angry wave
was deafening Nor. a first sight. wa
it possible 70 pick out the position of tn
= entrance which had been so CAREFUL
! marked two days before. Indeed. Cons!d
5 ering how narrow was the passage, IL va
a marvellous that II was 20 be distinguish
s ed at ali among such tumult Of break
a ers.
a However. our heimsmaH was man Q
great courage and decision: so. havin
decided that tire channel was In z ceTtai
position, he steared COZ q. the Elk oars
: man pulling 70. their very lives mo
Z ment or two OF hubbub as we sho
!; through me thy break in that gtgauti
i laundering barrier q few drops Of s2ra
j.. spriakled over US. and all vas peace
ia; quiet lagoon behind me rocks .her
~as as yet hardly a ripple or the water
i, so we ran ne beat up ca The snooL
:. sand as quietly ss Z We were n dock
rz.-s-E 49, -a- = F--.z