Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1899-02-02

but TO ascertain how thick the coating
was on the not;herIy side, and rap
idly scrambled down TO where I had
first stumbled against the wreck.
had brought the smaller steel bar
with = from the proa. nrd this be
gan dr.r!rg against the perpendicular
ncrustation of coral at spot nea the
stern. At the - ccoud blow, however.
slightly lost my equilibrium. and found
that the rock upon which j stood
shelved rapidly \ horror OF the un-
fathomable depth which lay but few
feet beyond made me throw myself
fat upon the bottom. digging my nails
into the coral lest ] should slip and
sink TO knew not where. Lying there
until the beating of my heart slowed
down to something like normal pull
sation, saw faint reflection of light
beneath the keel-enough TO show that
several feet OF the stern hung sheer
over the precipice.
1t must have been at least ten min
utes before I recovered strength
enough to crawl back upon the higher
portion of the ledge; then, realizing
that my supply of air was nearly ex-
hausted, l braced myself firmly and
began driving away with the steel bar
again. The coral easily crumbled un-
der the blows. though at that depth it
was filled with live animalculae, and in
few moments the bar had penetrated
several inches; then IL struck some
thing soft and spongy, In which 1t
stuck. Rapidly enlarging the hole un-
I'll 1 could put my hand into IL with
cut tearing the skin, felt about for
q second or two and succeeded in de-
taching q splinter OF water-logged
wood-a piece OF the hull itself.
This was enough for one day. I had
found the reef. l had actually found
coral deposit, must have lain In the
one position for over a hundred years
at least presumably the galleon
Neustra Sonora de Sevilla. And had
found that the coral jacket on the
northerly side of her hull was less than
six inches in thicknessi ! wanted to
dance from sheer satisfaction, but ii
occurred to me that it might be safer
to do so in the proa above water, SO l
started back toward her.
Now my mind was so Allied with ex-
ultation at having accomplished en-
ing impossibilities that I tried to put
my hands in my pockets and whistle
as I strode along. But there were no
pockets in the confounded rig, and
. 10 tgt1 10 a;sfu l. tnf ts
take. 1t not only exhausted my breath
ing air. but II produced a conclusion
in that copper helmet which nearly
lifted the roof off of my skull. 1t
shook my confidence SO much that,
when the ringing partially subsided In
my ears, l hurried along even faster
toward the proa. After walking con-
siderably farther than what should
have been the proper distance 1 began
to curse my thoughtlessness In not
towing the thing along after me, in
stead of leaving II to be hunted up
when even seconds were precious. In
my nervousness ! must have gone too
far Finally / turned back. looking
right and left for the line which had
been fastened to the lump of coquina.
Just when hope had almost left me /
stumbled upon the piece of rock and
grasped the rope TO ascend. But things
seemed TO be turned around. Instead
Of slantlng TO the westward, as 1t
should have done. the line hung over
toward the precipice.
Thinking that had surely lost my
bearings, l took step or two underit