The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-06-18

Then came the rush. The list had
, grown until the port boats hung in
board against their davits. and the
waiting crowds beside them saw that
that road of escape was cut off for
| good. In half the tongues of Pentecost
I they screamed into the windy night
that the ship was sinking, sinking-and
I each brute amongst them thought that
| his own life was worth more than all
the honor and the wealth of the world
combined. They poured down the slope
! of the decks in a raving horde-Polish
and Russian Jews, Hungarian peas
| ants-freeing from the CONSUMPTION
Italian thieves, elgian stokers-a foul
sush from the dregs of Europe; and
/ with them came men who ought TO
have known better. but who had gone
mad also. smitten by this same infec-
ton of terror.
I had slung the two women on to
the floor grating of No. lifeboat, and
stood with my back against the gun
vale. One of the mates, a gigantic
Swede, rose up beside me, his teeth
gritting with fury, and Delaying pin
gripped in his hand. Three deck hands
were sweating and swearing at the
falls, getting the boat lifted Off her
checks and swung cupboard.
The other women on the deck were
knocked down and stamped on, and
the mob of men leaped at the boat. II
was no time for words. The mate and
| hit out at every face we could reach,
with savage fury, but none turned to
hit again. They scrabbled at the boat 5
gunwales with their hands. and those
behind tore the leaders back L could
have beaten their faces in my hate;
butt could not bring myself 10 shoot;
there was nothing there worthy of a
bullet.
The boat was lifted from its bed and
swung overheard. The steamer had
ceased to roll. and the seas were COM
ing green on her bridge-deck rail the
boat was fioated almost before the falls
were let go, and a wave came up ana
swayed her clear. The crowd shrieked
and drew back up the slanting decks.
| leaned up against davit, my
breath returning to me in labored pants.
But the Swedish mate left me. and If
ever murder showed in a mans eye, |
saw it cleaning from his then; and
shrieks coming through the darkness
told what his fury was doing. He, at
any rate, 1 told myself, would die
warm.
But the lust for manning had left me.
The last of the boats had gone, and the
women and children who We're left had
got to die with us men, and with those
who were infinitely less than men, The
rockets were still spouting up in un-
wearied series from the upper bridge,
and once l saw the Durser pass me
jaunty as of yore. with lit cigar IN his
fingers. and an assurance between his
teeth that all would be well. But
needed him little The chill of death
was nipping me with its agues, and the
hopeless minutes were dragging out in
tolerably. With lifebelt l might-but
no; there were women left and l had
got to stay.
Then of a sudden there burst out a
roar and clang of iron. and gush
of scalding steam; and the decks rip
ped and splintered. and the steam
rushed down in gray pealing clouds
No. not that death. l vaulted the rail,
and sank.
The instinct of the swimmer is Curl
GUS l had gone over the side quite
satisfied that escape was hopeless, and
intending to drown with one long
plunge. But no sooner did the icy water
thunder in my ears than the old in
stinct made me strike out for the sur
face But | could not reach il. | swan
on for what seemed to be minutes,
hours. years, thousands of years, my
arms aching, the veins like to burst
through my skin. And then 1t came
upon me that the steamer had sunk.
and / was being dragged in her swirl
down, down, down to the dark sea
MOOR, DOWN, uOWH, Wncie IL was tOo
cold-down, down.
% g g
opened my eyes and blinked-
blinked again. and saw dimly the
rough sea living room of fishers. 1t
was wainscoated with hunks round TO
the rudder-case, and on the forward
bulkhead was a fireplace. resplendent
with brass. 1 imagined / was in one
of the hunks, but was not very GER
fai oil
ingly. Somebody came to my side.
pondered a while, and then remark
ed. Il seem. somehow, to know that
coat
It's yours" said the sameone.
Don't you remember? I'm Mabel
Vanrennan."
This was more satisfactory ] woke
forget?". !