Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-07-09

lety for commander and crews. land was
made, san Salvador was occupied, and the
mutiny was changed to rejoicing and APP
piausc OF the skill of the admiral. Column
bus passed through the great seawced sea
as many navigator has since. Captain
Anderson of the Norwegian bark Narka
was caught in its embrace nearly 100 years
later and was forced to take to the ships
yawl TO escape with his life He escaped,
but many q vessel and crew similarly
caught have never left that ocean prison
In telling the story Of his adventure to
the Chicago Chronicle Captain Andrcason
says that he set sail from America for
Copenhagen with u cargo of corncd meats
and fruits which subsequently saved the
lives of himself and crew. A little more
than week after leaving port the vessel
ran right into q furious northwest gale.
Officers and men feared this but little, for
their ship had wcathcred many an Allan
tic storm. They shortened sail and eascd
her of, still beating up against the storm
and making fair way on their course. But
for once the little skip was ovcrmatched.
For nearly q week the vessel was toss
cd about with no signs of rescue. The
men bravcly held up, still hoping for the
coming of Il sail. The watches were set.
and not portion Of the horizon escaped
the vigilance of the watchers But all was
unavailing, for they were rapidly drifting
into the scawccd sea, where 10 .hirs
would venture to give them aid. Heat be-
gan to be serious addition to their woes.
Water rations were reduced, for they could
not tell how long they might float thus,
and provisions must be husbaAdcd for
safety. Then one morning the forward
lookout hailed:
"Scaweed on the bows, sirr'
The same hail came from aft Captain
and crew rushed to the sides of the ship.
There they saw the floating meadows clos
ing in around their vessel, and then they
knew that they were in the clutches of the
Sargasso. Captain Andreason made a
hasty calculation to verify his fears. The in
strlments told the tale-thcy were locked
in the embrace of the floating seawcea sea.
They were destined to remain in that
deadly embrace for six long, weary, heart
breaking months.
Long weeks passed, with no change ex-
cepting the ever increasing intensity of
the heat. The ships provisions gave out,
and the men We're forced to resort TO the
cargo to sustain life The blazing tropical
sun poured its fiery rays apon the decks
and started the seams of the vessel. Men
were Frustrated and too weak TO perform
the perfunctory tasks set them that a NAL
ndy even moro terrible might not attack
them. Minds were giving away under the
heat and strain, so the captain kept them
busy SO that insanity might not add its
horrors to the accumulated and accum-
mulating miseries of their condition.
One day when the men were lounging
about the vessel they spied stately ship
apparently bearing down upon them. Her
sails Tapped lazily, as if little care was be-
slowed upon her, but the sailors of the
Narka We're too overjoyed to notice what
in ordinary times would have excited their
suspicious. They rugged up additional sig
Gals and frantically waved everything
aboard which might do duty as a sign Of
their distress
The ship sailed sullenly along, drifting.
ike their own, under the impulse of the
currents. Not sign of life could be seen
aboard her rs she drew nearer and nearer.
Nobody was at her wheel; nobody was on
her decks. not living creature was OBJ
served Then she shifted and passed the
Narka within easy distance. At the wheel