Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1899-01-26

From another locker HalStead TOOK
a square mahogany box, covered with
rubber and having a lens in one side.
1t looked something like a kodak but
proved to be powerful rejecting
light. the electricity for which was
supplied by a chemical cartridge that
lasted six hours and produced a bril-
liant illumination. He said he had
used it when mate OF an oil tank rum
ming to Batoum. the Insurance regula-
tions prohibiting anything in the shape
Of an open lantern on board. y small
but reliable compass. l 600 feet of half
inch braided linen line, a spare sex
tant, the taffrail log then towing
astern, and a chart OF the two archi-
pelagoes. completed the equipment.
The chart we spread upon the table,
but the other articles were securely
locked in the chest. Then we sat down
to figure the exact position OF the reef.
ITO begin with" said the captain,
1--WE took that first sounding as square
" upon that charted position as it
would be possible for ship to strike
it, | got the sun al six bells in the
forenoon watch and calculated back
wards. 50 I'm dead sure of it. Then,
under half speed, we made just about
a mile further eas'-those two sound
ines I've marked with crosses, as you
see. After that, three miles due sou
to this other cross, and six miles due
moth, 10 this one. No bottom any
where at 800 fathom. While you were
telling me about those clouds, we made
about half mile before we turned;
then, as closely as | can figure it, just
about six miles to where | took that
first cast Well, you know how much
water she's drawing, don't you?"
Fifteen feet?"
Sixteen and half aft; and the lead
struck rock at an even three fathom,
first heavel l saw the line jerk the
leather strips went under, and every
hair Of my head felt as though it were
standing on end. 1t scared me so that
| dropped the whole coil from my arm
Iuckily-and 1 had mighty hollow
feeling in the pit of my stomach. Dur
ing the next 60 seconds l did more
thinking than | ever did in an hour of
my life | knew you were watching
me, and | was afraid others might be,
too By every law of prudence and
seamanship I should have signaled'
you: Stop her! Hard astern!'-but
if did, knew we'd have the deck full
Of people in a few seconds. Diaz and
Moreno would have been up in two
Jumps, and what we knew about the
reef everyone would know. Sebastiano
would have sufficient data to chase
you down there the first time you
started. But ! remembered that Dam
pier and the other old navigators who
found the place gave an average depth
of four fathoms. The gallecn that
struck in avoiding Dampier's ships was
undoubtedly loaded down to her chan
mel plates, and probably hit an iso-
lated spot. So there seemed to me an
cren chance of steaming across the
ledge in safety and without giving the
: nap away. On the other hand, if we
ST ruck, there would be an end of my
bu sincss prospects for good many
vears to come. 1t was a tighter spot
tha,1 I ever care to be in again, but
inside of two minutes ! decided to risk
it. At the second cast | got quarter
less fOur.' Five minutes after, struck
botto IN at half three then deep
four;' and at the last heave the calico
was juet above the water when she
touched"
But, Row the devil! I'll swear l
saw YOU pulling up the whole length
of line each time"
"Well, rather! You didn't suppose
I was food enough to give away what
I was getting, did you? When a mans
been chuckin& lead for Is odd years
it don't take more'n a fraction of
second to tell when he strikes bottom.
No, | let the slack fall when the lead
was under me. and we had way enough
to carry It well astern. If anyone had
been watching closely, of course, |
couldn't have done it; but, as it was,
it worked to IA charm, and don't be-
lfeve another soul on board suspects
there's a bit of rock within 1000 feet
Of the surface. Now. | was heav-
ing upwards of 90 minutes from first
TO last At half speed that would be
about two miles, wouldn't it? Well,
this little star shows just where l
struck it, and the other two would be
a mile apart; so that we have the reef
stretching from nor-norwes' to SOU
sou'eas'. Then, from the CLASSY look
of the water, I'm positive that it takes
a curve to the sou'wes' for good four
miles further. The actual position of
that three-fathom sounding is twelve
thirty-three moth by hundred and for
ty-four, twenty-five casa good eight
knots cas- of the Findlay and Imray
approXimates. And the true bearing
from Point Orote, Harry, Is the exact
opposite of our present course; in 9th
er words, SOU by wes', quarter wes',
or exactly Il degrees wes' of Sou. The
magnetic variation this year is one de-
gree and 30 minutes cas-; so in shap-
ing your course from Orote it should
be IS degrees 30 minutes to the west
ard of SOU. As for leeway, running
down, the no'theas' trades'll be with
in a few points of dead astern, so you
won't have to make much allowance;
and, once at the reef, it'll be easy
enough beating back, because you can
see the island 90 miles away at least
When we get abreast of Cocos you car
pull up your log, which will give yor
the exact number of miles on this
course to n fraction; from Cocos tC
Orote the chart distances are near
enough, because you've got land bear
ings."
"Thcn, if It should be impossible tc
get at old Fray Ignacio's document
we can practically do without it?"
"You can certainly find the reef il
anything like fair weather. but yor
won't want to travel any further un
der water looking for the wreck thar
YOU are obliged to. | wouldn't, any
how"
In this and our previous discussion!
we seemed to have covered every con
tingency, but now that we were upor
the point of making a beginning il
sober earnest our conflicting nope!
and fears suggested innumerable com
plications. Presently | noticed that
Halstead was looking at me intently
Harry" he said sit has been gooC