Douglas Island news., 1900-08-29

each, and when it came Commander Stubbins turn to give expert testimo- my, he boxed his compass and said that be had sailed OCT many seas, in many climes, but never had he seen a barom- eter fall so rapidly. He ordered the life preservers to be placed within easy reach. By this time the gray and palid form of Mendenhall glacier appeared on our right and warned us of the proximity of the treacherous bar. c. Stubbins was now all alert He said there was small island at the foot of the bar and as soon as he located that we would be able to glide over the bar with as much eclat as ton of coal go- ing through a tin funnel. No island appeared, and the commander said it was a case of mysterious disappearance that should be investigated. He said if the island had gone out of business to escape paying the government tax, he was ready to applaud, otherwise he was going to howl. While all were mo- mentarily expecting to strike a shoal and be hung up, the gleam of camp fire pierced the darkness on the left hand shore, and a run in towards 1t re- vealed the mouth of Fish creek. The bar had been passed in safety, much to the disgust of the commander, who had expected to greatly impress the crew with his accurate knowledge of the ec- centricities of the alleged channel.
 Another hour, and the head of the island was reached. A landing was made and breakfast prepared. Bald win fell asleep and the roar of the surf was drowned by the awful and angry rasp and rattle and jar of his snoring apparatus as it threshed out unearthly sounds. The printer gently and tend erly caressed his dog bite and felt sOr- " for the other boys because they had no valid excuse to toy with the anti dote. Powers lifted up his voice in song and immediately the darkness was rent assunder and dawn appeared. Wonderful is the power and mastery of melody. Stubbins stirred the sleep CT, hushed the singer and brought the man with dog bite out of his trance by his stern command to man the boat and pull out into the stream.
 A few minutes labor at the oars brought us in sight of the wreck. Four or five miles to the west, with her bow pointing heavenward and her stern submerged, lay the Clutch on treach erous reef scant mile from the shores of Admiralty island. A strong pull and long pull and pull all together, in due time, brought us to the reef on which the Clutch lay helpless prisoner.
 This reef, at low tide, covers an area of nearly an acre, aud is almost dead ahead from the center of Stevens pas sage, and fully mile out of the regu- lar course followed by steamers. The Clutch struck bow on, and literally climbed up on the reef until she hung balanced on her center with her bow pointing in the air at an angle of forty five degrees, while the water at low tide came within a short distance of the rail at her stern. Her steel bottom is pierced in several places and there is perceptible warp to the hull where it rests on the rocks. One could easily walk under the bow for a distance of D feet. When welanded on the reef at TAO a. m., the steamer was completely deserted, not even watchman being on board. The crew was on an island about a mile distant, evidently eating breakfast, but when they espied us they manned boat and came over in force. They were surly lot and not inclined to give much information, eV idently being of the opinion that their work spoke for itself.
 Commander Stubbins saluted the head push of the Cutch's crew when their boat came within hailing distance, and politely asked if any one had been killed during the late unpleasantness.
 The chief push switched bis cud from northeast to southwest, spat out pint or two of amber colored juice, and answered yes.
 He is liar.
 No one was killed, maimed or injur- ed. This fact denotes extreme careless ness on the part of the management, as