Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1899-02-09

A-EA5 oECA fACtANtA b1 WHO UN-s 4aIe-
"a sort Of cool twilight Hut as my
eyes became accustomed to ST. and a.
confidence began to return. / could
see more distinctly. Ny body was pro-
tected DT copper hoops which allowed
ne 10 breathe in comparative free
dom, but my limbs felt as though the
i sleeves and breeches were II sizes too
tight and were likely TO split when
ever they moved
As nearly as one might calculate, the
range Of sight extended in a radius Of
about so feet-though al that distance
objects had merely the appearance of
blurred masses-and in few moments
commenced making my way along
the reef TO the s'uth'ard. keeping as
| near the easterly edge as / dared. but
being careful to plant each foot firm
IL before taking a step. 1t must have
been instinct which led me down the
reef instead Of up, for when / had
walked couple of hundred yards
/ stumbled against a dark mass which
seemed 10 be an abrupt rise in the
shoal. The side toward me %as so
steep tina; l was afraid to climb it. so
I walked carefully around, wondering
al its odd overhanging formation at
+ the westerly end At the southerly
side It sloped away in gentle decliv-
ify, which ] mounted with ease.
The rock must have been at least IS
! feet higher than the surrounding
ledge, for l could see the sun through
the water overhead. 1t was longest
/ from east to west, and in the middle
was small projection high as my
shoulders. 1t was TIL mich sent
shivering conviction Il ough me hat
/ / had found the wreck at last, and /
eagerly searched for another pro iec-
I ton at the westerly end After TAX
/ ing about 20 steps | found ii, or rath-
i er | found a small lump Of rock where
it should have been; and this settled
my last doubt. My first impression,
that the foremost had broken off short
er than the main. was accounted for by
the fact that the whole westerly end
OF the mound was two or three feet
higher than the middle. Walking east.
C the other end, l found it several
feet lower yet; SO our theory as to the
Drift Of he coral fragments had been
absolutely correct 1t now remained
but to ascertain how thick the coating
was on the uortherly side. and | rap
idly scrambled down TO where ! had
first stumbled against the wreck
/ | had brought the smaller s.eel bar
with me from the proa, and this l be-
Gan driving against the perpereicala1
inerustation of coral ct a spot rt1r the
stern. At the second blow b%vvaver.
slightly lost my equilibrium. and found
that the rock upon which L stood
skelved rapidly. \ horror of the I'M
fathomable depth which lay but few
feet beyond made me throw myself
fat upon the bottom, digging my nails
into the coral lest l should slip and
sink to ! knew not where. Lying there
until the beating of my heart slowed
down to something like a 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
utcs before | recovered strength
enough to crawl back upon the higher
portion of the ledge; then, realizing
that my supply of air was nearly OK
hausted. | braced myself firmly and
began driving away with the steel bar
again. The coral easily crumbled I'M
der the blows. though at that depth it
was filed with live animalculae, and in
a few momentst the bar had penetrated
several inches; then it struck some
thing soft aud spongy, in which 1t
stuck. Rapidly charging the hole un-
Ill | could put my hand into it with
cut tearing the skin, | felt about for
a second or two and succeeded in de-
taching a splinter of water-logged
wood-a piece of the hull itself.
This was enough for one day. | had
found the reef. / had actually found
the wreck of ship which, from its
coral deposit, must have lain in the
one position for over hundred years
at least - presumably the galleon
Neustra Sonora de Sevilla. And l had
found that the coral jacket on the
Gortherly side of her hull was less than
six inches in thicknessi l wanted to
dance from sheer satisfaction, but it
occurred to me that il might be safer
to do so in the proa above water, so
started back toward her.
ultation at having accomplished seem
ing impossibilities that l tried TO put
my hands in my pockets and whistle
as / STROBE along. But there We're no
pockets in the confouuded rig, and
the whistle was mistake-a big mis-
take. 1t not only exhausted my breath
ing air, but it produced a conclusion
in that copper helmet which nearly
lifted the roof eff of my skull. 1t
shook my confidence 50 much that,
when the ringing partially subsidized in
my ears, ! 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 thou@htlessness in not
towing the thing along after me, IN
stead of leaving it TO he hunted up
when even seconds were precious. Ia
.-,.-v-,.s-r,4- I ,,,ttae f--s4s rrr9T-ta TOO