The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-03-03

themselves to the rail and to the wheel.
Huge waves swept over the decks as
the helpless schooner breasted the angry
seas. She wallowed in the trough like a
drunkard in the mre. The logs shifted
from side to side, smashing the cabin and
pounding the weakening null of the vessel.
! The stern of the boat at last was torn
away by the beating of the logs, and some
Of the cargo rolled out into the sea.
When forced out of the cabin Captain
! Darling stopped with his wife in the COM
| panion-way, where they were sheltered
from the wind, bowling like demon and
cutting like a knife. The temperature
was down to zero, and the flying spray
| froze as it fell on deck and on the cloth
! ing of the shivering wretches dashed TO
rail and wheel.
! After a few hours the companion-way
was no longer tenable, and Captain OAR
! ling dragged his wife away and dashed her
| to the weather-bitts. She was mu ed up
in clothing and her husband never left
her side for an instant. While Mate Sod
derman and crew straining their eyes and
! looked across the roaring sea for a pos
sible sail, Captain Darling chafed his
wife's hands and whispered words of en-
enlargement in her ear.
ror Tuesday, February IA, was day Of
suffering and horror. The weather was
biting cold and the wind was bowling
iercely. Signals of distress were display
ed and the foghorn was blown all day
long.
AT o'clock in the afternoon steamer
came in sight. The men gave a feeble
cheer and then called as loudly as they
could for assistance. The mocking wind
drowned the sound of their voices. and the
steamer, which was so close that men
could be seen on the deck, passed on and
the hopes of the sufferers were turned into
despair
Mrs. Darling, who had borne up with
much bravery before, lost hope when the
steamer passed from sight. No longer did
her brave spirit aid her in resisting the
cruel insistence of the elements.
Tuesday night was a century long to the
nine human beings on the wrecked schoon-
er. Seaman Frank G. Conklin, who lives
in Huntington. says that he lost all hope,
and that he decided to end his sufferings
and suspense by going overheard. He
tried to unite the knot in the rope which
held him to the wheel. but it was incased
in ice and he could not loosen 1t. Then
he tried to get his knife so that he could
cut the cord. but his benumbed fingers
refused to respond to the will.
All night the men suffered in dumb
agony. The men have since said that
they shared Conklins despair and longed
to be washed overheard. The sea tore
away all the rail except that portion to
which the seamen were dashed. That re-
manned intact, though the benumbed men
would not have cared if It had gone with
the rest and had taken them with it.
As darkness settled over the ship Cap
tain Darling secured the canvas covering
Of a companion-way and tried TO make
a shelter for his wife, who had complain
ed of being cold. When the shelter was
adjusted we'll as possible, Captain Oar
ling took his wife in his arms and bravely
faced the awful darkness
As he sat thus IN the blackness Of the
night, chilled to the bone, suffering agon-
les from a thirst which he but dimly real
lied. fully cognizant of the utter hopeless
ness of his position, he chung close to his
wife. and finally hoped that she had fall
len asleep.
was cold and she gave no sign of life.
The awful truth gradually forced itself
into Captain Darling's mind. and when a
seaman crawled 70 him about midnigh:
and told him that a passenger steamer
was in sight and would pass within a
short distance. ne answered:
1T Will now co me no good Ny wife
is gone. She has frozen to death"
The horroriied sailor crept back to his
comrads. where they joined in shouting in
hopes Of attracting the attention Of the
lookout on the steamer. They had no
matches and could not display e signal
that would be seen. The passenger steam
er passed on northward. leaving the eight
live and one dead w0man-the living hone
less and wretched on the ice-cove-ed
wreck, the dead closely wrapped in her
husbands arms
All that night Captain Darling sat with
the corpse OF his wife. the one being for
whom he cared most. the constant com
pauion for seven years Of happy married
life in his arms. Words cannot picture
the agony he suffered; imuagina ton can
not paint IL. He can barely realize it him
self and as h thinks OF i small wonder
that his eyes are wet and THAI he almost
So5s as he says:
Life holds nothing more for me. I died
thousand deaths in those awful hours
Words can no more tel what I felt than
they can bring back the dead. I, is over,
and am trying 10 think q e1msthi1s else. /
trying 20 forget the ewfu. horror Of ths
past,''
Wednesday morning finally came. L
was bright end warm The sun shone
cheerfUlly On sea ,hat was to,erahly
calm. ard the sailors prepared % make /
themselves as comfortable as the coa6l- I
lions would permit. They ersVled over
The deck-oad Of logs forward and stripped /
and dried their clothes Hope again rose I
strong n their breasts when tAey sighted I
a sail. :, proved % be bark. which /.
passed or withou, seeing thar signals c. I,
distress.