The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-03-04

Tho will of wind and waves will glide for
hundreds of miles along the edges of that
dreary place aud never enter there: but
when one is driven by the force of n gale
such as Capt. Graham describes, END on
against it. it is more than likely chat
the violence of the storm has opened
creyices i'm the weCdy mass, through
which the wreck may be forced and
forever los To human knowledge.
have no doWbt that there are wrecks
and derelictS in that mysterious region
now, which have been atloat for scores
9t years. ami which may continue 10
float rs many mere. | have no double
that there are ether fortunes 9here as
~ nj as this one which has excited
your c'pidty and mine. | say this, NJ.
Gregory. not to argue against the eXpe-
lion we are 10 undertake, but TO mn
press upon YOU the absolute futility Of
continuing the search beyond the mar
gih Of that sea of weeds. should we nj
tinaiely decide that the Sallie Johnson
has fallen into its embrace.
Il do not wholly agree with yOu, Oar
in@ton.' Mr. Gregory replied after
neditating for some time upon what
the captain had just Said.2 Il realize
that my ignorance concerning these mat
tiers is as profound as your knowledge
is complete Nevertheless. ] do net agree
with you; and my reasons are these;
II irSt. / have ahso ute confidence IN your
ability as Il sailor and as an executive
officer and have entire faith IN var
courage: second. | believe in my yacht,
which Won know To he with the eNcep-
ticn OF The interior decorations the Sis
Ter ship tn William * Nanderbilt's
Il. l., 4 4
in PREPARATION for this cruise and she is
| ma nned 10y II crew who, almost without
! exception, have been with me since she
/ was launched She has Il coal capacity
Tor 5000 miles. which is almost unpre-
cedented in a vessel Of her size and build.
hut | sacrificed much 10 crafty that one
Whin. She is strong and fleet and is
provided with duplicate. and often with
trip,icate parts Ia her machinery In
addition TO these virtues she possesses
one which / believe will save her from
the Sara gosSa sea. should she become
involved in it, | refer TO an invention
,f my own. which in few words is Il
hydraulic steering gear but which may
also. if occasion demands. he utilized as
a motive power as well. With it | can
force her through the water, not more
rapidly than three or four knots per
hour. hut ii is force which seems IT.
resist Idle up TO that point. 1t affords no
jmpedimentS, such as propeller Han@e>
rldders and steering gear. To become Ell
tangled in your Saragossa weeds. but on
the contrary. assumes the utility of both.
That is why j do not dread the Sa~a-
gosSa sea- That is why | honestly b.
leve that | can force my vessel through
il from one extremity TO the o-hcr."
\ week later the private yacht Of
Steiil,n Gregory. flying the peInant OF
the New York yacht club. was bounding
through the muddy waters Of the Gulf
Stream on her hazardous voyage. Ey-
crythiug THAI could lie done to simplify
or tighten the task that her owner and
Capt. Darlington had undertaken was
accomplished The photographic Office
had provided them with every informa-
non 1t pcsse ssed. and Darlington. in adj
dition to studying charts and data. and
examining thoroughly the documents
and tracings in fine possession of. Greg
ory, had inhibited all the enthusiasm of
MS owner concerning the voyage and its
results. ~
Also. with the thoroughncss Of an seX-
,eTienccd naval officer. he had exam
lie apparatus with which the yacht was
provided. and hc had convinced himself
that Gregory had not overestiInated the
possibilities Of his invention. lie was
satisfied that with Judgment he might
venture ut least little way into the
maze of weeds and drifting things 50
dreaded by sailors of all classes s.nc.'
he ocean became known and Travelled
highway.
During the several years since The Sal
lc Johnson Became II derelct her wan
behring's had been ccnfirgd to the boun-
ltaries described by Gregory. and from
the reports from time to time sent in 10y
The captains who had sighted he: The
lydrarl G off GO had m'da tTac ngs Of he:
voyagngs. Copies of these tracingS Oar
lpgrun assessed. ard during the. first
E,onth Of the search they followed them
in Il zigzag course. hoping that the
! winds and c,urcrts that had influenced
| her before stu directed her
! A month was nsum d in this manner
when the yacht put in at tha island Of
Martinique for recoaling. and then the
search was resumed.
Practically the same methods were
pursued: the same zigzag courses were
laid and the same waters searched with
wGtchful eyes and unce2s.ng vigilance.
But without reward. No derelict Of
amy description was sighted. The YES
sells that they spoke from time to time.
had sighted none. and knew Of none.
and sincerely hoped they never might;
so that ait last. after nearly four months
voyaging and three times recoaling they
found themselves one midday in latitude
- degrees north and longitude 40 de-
crces west wi h silent engines. feat NJ
upon the placid. glass-like surface OF the
sea. which WISH : against the wi dcrness
q weed, aptly named Saragossa.
All hope Of discovering the der2lct
outside that laEOrynth of weeds had
been abandoned. ara now they found
themselves confronted by IA difficulty
unforeseen. The sailCr< on board the
yacht positively refused to assist in
taking her into that unknown and mys-
ferrous place and were ON the point Of
mutiny. Commands. Crtrelties and
promises Of reward were alike unavail-
my. The men refused to 90. and there
seemed no help for it. but Ia abandon
the entertriSf at the mpmpnt when il