The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1898-09-08
The Saraband'S Skipper


The Saraband'S Skipper !
>~>~>~>~>~>>>>-~>~>~>~>~-& I
THE last half hour Of the steamship
6araband had come. All day che
had lain in the pitiless bay, crouching
under the fierce blast Of the northeast
gale, the ssas sweeping her deckA and
now al on board knew that abe had
but q short time to live.
She had had her day. Built to carry
120 passengers, abe had once been one
Of the popular boats going through the
newly-opened canal to the east, and
her long flush deck had been the scene
OF many gay gathering when her pas
sengers had assembled under the avn
ings to laugh, hirt and talk sfter din
ner. But larger ana faster boats had
como and her glory had departed, %
that after many vicissitudes here she
10y, her passenger accommodation
taken out and the space filled with
grain from the Black sea ports. sink
ing.
Her decks were slant ting at an angle
Of IS degrees. for the wheat had shift
ed, and she lay nearly on her beam
ends; every movable thing had long
been washed away, and one structure
which should have been immovable-
the engine hatch-had also been
smashed in.
Thnt was the immediate reason why
she was going to founder; the engine
room plates were awash and the fires
in the stokehole were out, and for the
last two hours she had only been kept
head to sea by means of an anchor
made Of the derricks and spars. A por-
ton of every sea that came on board
found its way through the makeshift
contrfvance Of spars and tarpaulins
nailed over the gaping chasm in her
deck that marked the former position
Of the engine hatch, and each found
her little lower in the water.
In the shelter Of the bridge deck
the only structure which had been
strong enough to resist the remorse-
less violence of the seas-clustered her
Grew, some 30 hands, hard-faced sail
ors and grimy 6remen; the former
quiet, apssAetae, almost carcless; the
others, save for q fewsdead-white with
fear, spending their last nome nts In
cursing with foolish, meaningless rep
etitions of the same words, the ship,
their luck in coming in her and the
skipper. for not making. use Of the two
remaining boats which hung from
their davits at the lee side of the
bridge deck, and which from their ele-
vated position had not.gone when the
other boats had been swept away. On
the bridge deck stood the skipper and
the mate, bearded. elderly men both,
straining their despairing eyes into
the wall of mist and spray which re-
lentlessly rushed down upon them, in
the faint hope that some passing YES
sci might appear through the gloom of
the gale. -
At length the skipper turned and
scrambled down the sloping bridge to
where the mate croucbed on the lee
rail. I'VE shall have to try the boats,
Mr.. Smith; she'll not last much
longer!" he shouted. the wind picking
up each word as he uttered 1t and
sweeping them away to'leeward. as If
calous OF the mate hearing them.
TITS very poor chance" said the
mate. "but suppose it's our only one.
How long do you give herr"
Half an hour at the outside. Are
The boats all ready?"
They've been ready since morning."
'eid the mate; "but can we get them in
The water unsmashed, and won't the
bremen rush them?,'
II don't think so." replied the skip
per; "there's time enough and room
enough for all 10 get away
But his face took grimmer look as
he led the way down from the bridge
o the charthouse, the mate following
iimS Inside they could hear each 9TH
II with greateryease, and the skipper,
while taking hi revolver from
lrawer. gave TIE mate his final in
~
"wem lower'the forward boat first,
Is she's the biggest; you will take
'harge of her, get your crew aboard
md have everyone in his place before
Ne start to lower, 30 that you can
'hove on as soon as she touches the
~ater. If those patents act you ought
o be all right" (The boats were fitted
with . patent contrivance by which
he tackles holding them are kutorat-
cally released the nome 1T tiie boat 10
vater-borne, 20 that there = NO un-
looking Of blocks to be donesvhile the
'oat Is getting dashed to piecesp against
he ships side.)
II shall be all right" said the mate;
but what about you? Who's going to
ever the falls of the after boatf You
ant manage 1t from the boat itself. |
nth all the crowd you will hsye ON
,oard."
"I'lI lower her from The Ne~nrn ~ eta