The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1899-04-28

peared to be who should first escape,
though, except by jumping overheard,
there was no escape. Had they waited,
and (as Philip would have pointed out
to them) have one by one thrown
themselves into the sea, the men in
the boats were fully prepared to pick
them up; or had they climbed out to
he cd Of the lateen mizzen-yard,
which was lowered down, they might
have descended safely by a rope, but
the scorching Of the flames which
surrounded them and the ~suffocation
from the smoke was overpowering and
most of the soldiers sprang over the
taffrail at once, or as nearly so as pos
sible. The consequence was, that there
were thirty or forty in the water at the
same time, and the scene was as heart
rending as it "a appalling; the sail
ors in the boats dragging them in as
fast as they could-the women on the
raft, throwing to them loose garments
to haul them in; at one time a wife
shrieking as she saw her husband
struggling and sinking into eternity;
at another, curses and excavations
from the swimmer who was grappled
with by the drowning man, and drag
ged with him under the surface. OF
eighty men who were left of the troops
out of the flames from the stern win
dows, but twenty-five were saved.
There were but few seamen left on
board with Philip, the major part hav-
ing been employed in making the raft
or manning the three boats; those
who were on board remained by his
side, regulating their motions by his.
After allowing full time for the SOL
diers to be picked up, Philip ordered
the men to climb out to the end of
the lateen yard which hung on the
taffrail, and either to lower themselves
down on the raft if it was under, or
to give notice to the boats to receive
them. The raft had been dropped fur
Their astern by the seamen, that those
on board of it might not suffer from
the smoke and heat; and the sailors,
one after another, lowered themselves
down and were received by the boats.
Philip desired Capt. Barentz to go
before him, but the captain refused.
He was too much choked with smoke
to say why, but no doubt that it would
have been something in praise of the
Vrow Katerina. Philip then climbed
out; he was followed by the captain,
and they were both received into III
Of the boats.
The rope, which had hitherto held
the raft to the ship, was now cast off,
and it was taken in by the boats; and
in a short time the Vrow Katerina
was borne to leeward of them, and
Philip and Krantz now made arrange
for the better disposal of the
people. The sailors were almost all
into boats, that they might relieve
one another in pulling; the remainder
were placed on the raft, along with
the soldiers, the m and the chill
dren. Notwithstanding hat the boats
were all as much loaded as they could
well bear, the numbers on the raft
we're so great that it sunk nearly a
foot under the water when the swell
Of the sea poured upon it; but stanch-
and ropes to support those on
board had been fixed, and the men re-
at the sides, while the women
and children were crowded together in
The middle.
AS soon as these arrangements were
the boats took the raft in tow,
and, just as the dawn of day appeared,
pulled in the direction of the land.
The Vrow Katerina was by this time
volume of flame; she had drifted
about half a mile to leeward, and
Capt. Barentz, who was watching as
he ct in the boat with Philip, ex-
claimed. well, there goes a lovely
ship that could do everything
speak. I'm sure that not a ship
n the fleet would have made such a
as she has. Does she not burn
oeautifully-nobly? My poor Vrow
Eaterina. perfect to the last; we never
shall see such a ship as you again.
Well, I'm glad my father did not live
see this sight, for it would have
his heart, poor man."
Ito be continued.)