The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-08-15

comes the gEapnel linz. slowly but stead,
lily the great weight u drawn up. Higher
and higher, until the crowd Of eager faces
In the bows of the ship light briskly at
sight Of the appearing iron hook elasping
tight hold Of the seaweed draped cable.
The electrician commences a dance Of
triumph and shouts with joy.
"The grapnel 10 right on the old
Splice" he declares "The bruise must
be just under our quarter. Couldn't have
hit it better II we had used foot rule"
Some of the seamen swarm down and
put a chain stopper on the lifted blight.
The grapnel Ia broken away and slowed,
The hosting lines bring some more of the
cable to the surface. Inside Of an hour
that portion of it which has been wound
IL on deck. The mischief lies plain to
view. The chatting from some sharp rock
doubtless has worn through the outer
covering Of stout steel wires and the in
ner ones of smaller caliber, tarred jute
yarn and bituminous compounds. At any
rate, there Is cash half severing the
cable and laying bare the copper con-
ductor.
"Wow It's bad one!" exclaimed
Canon. "Liable to have snapped off any
minute" s.
"We're only to make a temporary
patch and mend the other wholly broken
ones first" announced the skipper alb
ruptly.
"A temporary patch won't hold 1t ten
days. No, nor single week probably"
demonstrated the electrician.
"Can't help that. Those are the orders.
We will all earn our salaries for some
time to come, or I'm greatly mistaken"
grumbled the captain.
While they had been speaking the cleo
trician was making quick connections be-
tween his instruments and the barred por-
ton of the conductor. Almost immediate
ly the little key commenced, "Click-
click, click-click-click," ETC., at a great
rate.
"The boys are working pretty hot
ashore, guess began Canon admir-
ingly, ut the same time listening atten-
lively to the familiar language.
But he broke off short in his comments,
and his face took on an expression of
CONSERVATION us the sounds progressed.
what is the matter?" demanded Cap
tain Boylston hurriedly.
The electrician tore off his connecting
wires and cried: "Oficial message going
over. II 1t ever gets through with this
leak to weaken the current, shall be as
tonished. Number has just gone with
the rest. They're ordering another steam
er to help us. The whole business now
depends upon this bruised cable. Mighty
lucky we caught it as we did,"
Even while thus explaining Canon had
started his helpers to work at the patch
ing. The captain, officers and oil of the
crew not actually upon duty were clns-
tered around the cable repairers watch
ing their skilled labors with interest.
Murchison, as we have said, had hidden
away in the bows of the ship. He now
crawled forth, but still cherishing GER
tain animosity against the quick temper
ed skipper, carefully avoided the latter's
neighborhood. In spirit of idle impulse
the young sailor clambered over the bows
and took up position upon the recently
hoisted cable close alongside of the chain
stopper. There with every plunge of the
craft sending him within a few feet of
the tossing waves and every appearing
lifting him high above them, he curiously
watched the holding shackle.
Even the temporary patching Of an
ocean cable takes time. Moreover, in the
present instance it was necessary to work
without interfering with the rush of mes
sages from both directions. Scarcely had
the first layer of gutta percha been put
on when Murchison, in his out of the way
roost beneath the bows, saw something
that made his eyes open wide.
The chain stopper upon the cable close
beside him was working loose. Either it
had been clumsily put on in the first
place or else the heavy plunging of the
ship was responsible. AT any rate, the
binding claws most Enthusiastically were
relaxing, not enough to let the cable slip
as yet, but this was only matter of sec
onds Through Murchison's brain, in an
infnitesimal portion of time, flashed the
probably consequences II this opening OF
the shaekle was not promptly forestalled.
Losing the cable after the trouble of
getting it was bad enough, but would the
wound-as vet not properly bandaged-
stand the new strain of being torn away
from the ships clutches? No, it would
snap asunder and leave the great compa-
ny without Il single working line, humble
its pride to the dust, and incidentally de-
stroy the high confidence which hitherto
had been rcposed in the Cabliana and her
crew.
Quick as flash the lads bare hands
dove for the grinding stopper, while his
shrieks of pain and alarm brought mess
mates hurrying to his aid.
Pain? Well, the flesh of fingers will
wedge even slow loosening chain shack
lie for few moments, but the combina-
ton of crushing bones, squirting blood
and tortured nerves is more than agoniz-
ing. 1t must have seemed like hours to
the lad before those deft handed sailors
had clapped another stopper on the cable
and carried him in triumph to the cap
tain's own stateroom for the doctors best
care.
At this time the chief clerk in the met
ropoltan office reported to the manager:
"We'll pull through all right now. Num-
her 2 is in excellent working order again,
Dir. They must have commenced patch
ng it."-New York Press.
"JACK, WHERE BE Yep