Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1898-08-02

1oty Tor commander ana crews, lana was
made, San, Salvador was occupied, and the
mutiny was changed to rejoicing and ap-
plaaso Of the skill Of the admiral. Coluln-
bus passed through tho great seawoed sea
as many q navigator has since. Captain
Andreason Of tho Norwegian bark Narka
YVES caught In ito embrace nearly 400 years
later and was forced to take to tho ship d
yawl to escape with his life. Ho escaped,
but mnny a vessel and crew similarly
caught haye never left that ocoan prison.
In telling tho story Of his adventure to
the Chicago Chronicle Captain Andreason
says that he set sail from America for
Copenhagen with oargo Of corned meats
and fruits which subsequently saved the
lives Of himself and crew. A little more
than q week after leaving port tho vessel
ran right into q furious northwest gale.
Officers and men feared this but little, for
their ship had wcathered many al Allan
tic storm. They shortened sail and eased
her off, still beating up against tho storm
and making fair way on their course. But
for once tho little ship was overmatched.
For nearly week tho vessel was toss
cd about with no signs of rescue. The
men bravely held up, still hoping for the
coming Of q sail. Tho watches woro SGT,
and not portion of tho horizon escaped
the vigilance of the watchers. But all WIS
unavailing, for they were rapidly drifting
into tho seawecd 500, where no ships
would venture to give them aid Heat bo-
gan to DO II serious addition to their WOES.
Water rations wero reduced, for they could
not tell how long thoy might float thus,
and provisions must be husbandod for
safety. Then ono morning the forward
lookout hailed:
"Seaweed on the bows, STRIP
The Same hail came from aft. Captain
and crow rushed to tho sides of tho ship.
There they saw tho floating meadows clos
ing in around their vessel, and thon they
knew that they wero in tho clutches of tho
Snrgasso. Captain Andreason made a.
hasty calculation to verify his fears. The in
str,lmcnts told tho talc-thcy wcro locked
in tho embrace of tho floating senwecd sea.
They were destined to remain In that
deadly embrace for six long, weary, heart
breaking months.
Long weeks passed, with no change cx-
cepting tho ever increasing intensity OF
tho heat. Tho ships provisions gave out,
and the men were forced to resort to the
cargo to sustain life. The blazing tropical
sun poured its fiery rays upon tho decks
and started tho seams Of the vessel. Men
were Frustrated and too weak to perform
the pcrfunctory tasks set them that q NAL
ady even more terrible might not attack
them. Minds wero giving away under the
heat and strain, SO tho captain kept tholn
busy 80 that insanity might not add Its
horrors to tho accumulated and aocum-
mulating miserles 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, ms If little care was be-
slowed upon her, but tho sailors OF the
Narka were too overjoyed to notice what
in ordinary times would have excited their
suspicious. They rugged up additional sig
nails and frantically waved everything
aboard which might do duty as o sign OF
their distress.
The ship sailed sullenly along, drifting,
like their own, under tho impulse of the
currents MOI a sign of life could DO seen
abQaytl her as she drew nearer and nearer.
Nobody was Mt her wheel; nobody was on
her decks; not q living creature was OBJ
served Then she shifted and passed the
Narka w!thin-casy distance. At the wheel