The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1900-09-29
fish brig named the Empress. Sh

too, had suffered an Overhauling Mt th
hands Of the Russians. When they ha
attempted to take what they wante
, the captain resisted, and he was sho
down In his own cabin. The two craft
were then brought together, the Sc
being smooth, and much of the English
mans cargo was removed into the Rus
sian. When the latter finally left sh
was headed to the south, and so we saw
that the idea Of going to Brazil ha,
been dismissed from their minds.
The next news came to us two day
later. A gale sprang up from tn
southwest, and before it was fou
hours old we were compelled to lie to
1t struck us about o'clock in the af
ternoon and did not reach its heigh
until about next morning. Everythin;
was boiling and blowing when w,
caught sight of the Russian down IL
the southwest. She must have run
before the gale longer than we did
for she was not in sight when 1t broke
upon us. Being higher out of water
and more heavily spared, she was also
drifting faster. About o'clock she
drove slowly past us at not more than
cables length away, and we saw
many evidences that things were not
ship-shape aboard of her. Since the
crew had decided on rowing life they
would naturally shake off all discipline.
| We could see plainly enough that they
had done so, although the brig was
| lying to on the same tack as ourselves
and making equally good weather of
1t. BY 3 In the afternoon she was out
of sight, and about that time the gale
settled down into fair sailing breeze.
We got off on our course again, but an
hour before shutdown we saw the Gar
coming down upon us from the north.
Our captain had no idea of being
| pIundered by the fellows, and we
cracked on sail until it seemed that
a yard more would take the masts
overheard. Had the Russian been
astern of us we should have certainly
held our own, IL not walked away from
her, but she was coming down at right
angels, and everybody realized that
she was certain to cut us off. / had
not told any of our officers or men of
the talk had had with the Russian
sailor that night during anchorwa
/ knew he would be elected to some
Office by the mutineers, and 1 believed
he would intercede to save our bark
from being despoiled. Therefore,
while all others were much excited 1
was so cool about it as to attract at
tention.
.'Just at sunset the brig fired a gun
for us to heave to. There was an ugly
cross sea running now, and we doubt
ed IL they could lower a boat. We
obeyed the command to huff up. The
slovenly way the brig was handled as
she made ready to take a position on
our starboard quarter proved that
everything aboard was at skies and
sevens. There was fight on her decks
before the boat was lowered, and after
pulling halfway to us the yawl, which
had eight men in it, returned. 1t was
lying alongside the brig when solid
shot was fired at us. Owing to the
heavy sea the aim was bad, and it
flew above the topmasts. This action
startled us all. and the captain had de-
termined to put the bark on her course
and try to run away, when there came
a sudden and awful explosion. For a
moment I thought the clear heavens
had been rent in twain and every man
OF us was knocked about over the
decks.
1--WE soon realized what had occurred.
The Gar had blown up. She was to
windward of us and about half mile
away. There was dark cloud and
awful shock, and she seemed to be lift
ed bodily up to a height of 100 feet |
and then 70 dissolve. Some Of the |
fragments fell upon our decks, and the
sea was Uttered far around.
Zone man escaped-just one solitary |
man. He was one of the eight men |
in the boat. Perhaps the other seven |
had left the boat when the explosion |
came. The boat was not injured, and !
man sitting bolt upright on a thwart.
He wasn't cut or bruised, but the shock |
had acted altogether on his mental |
faculties. He had become an idiot
and was deaf and dumb on top of that.
His face took on childish grin,
which never left 1t, and he conducted
himself just as idiots do. Although
a man of forty-five and an old sailor,
be acted as IL he had never seen q
ship of any sort before.
"We couldn't get any news from the
man, nor did we pick up any of the
except the boat. Man and
boat were turned over to a Russian
at Rio, and 1t may be that
the poor fellow suffered death for his
share in the mutiny. Every pains was
aiken to hush the matter up, but the
news got abroad and was touched up
IN by various correspondents. l have
'een three or four accounts Of it, but
lone were half way correct, being col
red in the interests of the officers Of
he brig. have since then met plenty
# Russian petty officers and sailors
Who had never heard of the disaster,
II news of it being suppressed in Rus
ia. 1t was doubtless deemed unwise
o let the Russian sailor know that a
russian could be driven to a point
where he would -mutiny."-New York
Advertiser.
Killed Two Niles Of Snakes.