The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-06-18
iye-and she was carrying 1000 human

never ending stream OF yellow fame. Or
ders, prayers, shrieks and threats were
being hurled about in every tongue that
Europe knows. The stokehold crews, mad
with fear, We're raging like devils unchain-
ed round the grips and chocks of the life
boats. Naked emigrants were with them.
Sick men, who could hardly crawl tore
al the boat awnings with their teeth The
ships officers and the few deck hands
We're swept aside Ike sVraws.
Then a below from tne steam siren
drowned ali the clamor, and at that in
slant the moon slid out and burnt like
great white lamp through a gap in the
racing clouds. A shout could not be heard
above the din and the shouts died away
while the trembling fingers fumbled on al
boat grips and rived at the stops on the
falls. Then the captain on the upper
bridge let so the lanyard of the siren and
gave his orders before the silence could be
broken.
Keep your heads and all will be
saved" he cried in German Women
stand by the starboard boats and men
away TO port. Boat crews TO their sta
lions, | win shoot the nrst swine that
disobeys me-" Then he repeated the words
in English and French and Norsk, till his
cry was lost once more in the raging
elamor.
Now, for myself had seen the useless
ness Of thinking about my own hide iii
matters were somewhat further advanced,
and l remembered with grim amusemenO
how l. had offered TO heavily insure two
ladies' lives for the tTihing premium of
two copper coins So from the moment
of coming out on deck I had been employ
ed I'm hunting for these charges among
the mob, and had not been sparing vgor
in the process. There were 800 people
wedged into one group. and 1t was not
possible thing TO go through these singly.
So 1 had gone round outside the bulwark
rail- occasionally climbing up by a stan
chion or a stay, and had gazed down on
the huddie of faces from above; and when
l found the two that we're wanted | fought
my way to them with elbow or shut fist
as required. Mrs Codrington wore a fan
mel dressing gown, and a the other girl
had turned out in singularly becoming
garment of cotton. / gave her my own
pilot jacket, aud stole also for her Cby
brute foree) a spotted carriage rug from
a Polish Jew.
Now" I said. there's string in the
pocket of that jacket. aud this thing will
make you an elegant skirt. You'd much
better stop being frightened, and then we
can get along more comfortably. You
aren't going TO get drowned, or anything
like it, I've insured you for 81 900 apiece
TO Vanrenhan, aud / can't afford TO let you
come TO grief at that price. When these
fools have stopped struggling and squeal-
ing, you shall go off in a big boat and join
another steamer. We shall have ten
round us in half and hour Look at those
rockets"
Mrs. Codrington gripped my arm. Then
you think we nave a chance Of" she he
gan, and "B m-m-m" said the great
steam horn from above.
When we could hear ourselves speak
again, and whilst the captain was giving
his orders from the upper bridge the pur-
ser came 10 my elbow
Here. Calvert" he said in my ear.
you're a man. Those port boats won't
lower any way; she's listed too much
over. l don't know whether we can get
the starboard boats in the water without
swamping, with this sea running, but
we've got 10 try; and If any one goes off
in them except the boat crews. it's got TO
be the women and kids. Same old yarn,
yknow. So you've got to peg OUT any
way, and you may as well do it in a way
thatn make you respect yourself. All,
would your" He knocked down a frantic
German who was battling his way toward
one of the starboard boats with a revolv-
er outstrotehed. He wrenched away the
weapon, and gave It me. There's a gun
the swine II they try to swamp you
They'll soon see those port boats won't
lower and theylf be back here in a min
ute"
Now peculiar feeling had come over me.
I had made up my mind that 1 had got
to die, and didn't waste time by being
sorry Tor myself over il. All my brain
was turned on two objects. First / had
got TO keep my ticket clean by seeing that
the two girls l was looking after were
sent away clear of the mess And second.
| wanted 20 leave very red mark on the
towards who were wasting other peonla's
lives because they could not save Their
own. That last wish amounted to a ma
mia. l was ashamed of being man whilst
some of those brutes lived and could can
Themselves men also
One of the starboard boats had been
lowered already, packed with people. But
before she was in the water the after
fan had damned in the block, and be-
cause the other took charge. she tilted
bow downward, and split her wretcaed
freight into the charging seas. Another
boat was swung out, and lay beating
On sainst the rail as tie steamer rolled
would have hustled NY two charges into
her, but she was crowded in an instant
and lowered away. She took the water
safely. showed off, and with oars strad-
ding out on either side. crawled away
over the inky water like some uncoutA
insect.
Then came the rush. The list had
grown till the port boats hung inboard
against their davits, and the waiting
crowds beside them saw that that road
of escape was cut OFF for good In hall
the tongues of Pentecost they screamed
into the windy night that the ship wa.
sinking. sinking-and each brute amons
them though that his own life was wortl
more than all the honor ana the wealth
| of the world combined. They poured down
| the slope OF the decks In a ravine hord,
| Polish aud Russian Jews. Hungarian
! notwithstanding from the CONSUMPTION
1 Italian thieves, Belgian stokers-a fou
gush from the dregs of Europe; and witt
! them came men who ought TO have known
/ better, but who had gone mad also, smit
| ten by this same infection of terror.
1 l had slung the two women on to IN,
floor grating of No. lifeboat, and stoo,
with my back against the gunwale On,
of the mates, a gigantic Swede, rose III
beside me, his teeth gritting with fury
and helaying pin gripped in his hand
| Three deck hands We're sweating an,
/ SWEARING at the falls getting The bna