The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1900-04-03

~ 41H-t L C2S III SCdUtlC
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from Alaska, "the most
salked-of young woman on the coast
was Miss Mabel Shirk, a pretty girl OF
nineteen or twenty, who had been
saved from a burning ship. Miss
Shirk's father had taken her with him
on the schooner Hers, sailing from
Seattle for Honolulu, with a general
cargo, including 1000 barrels Of lime,
which he was advised not to take at
that season of the year. The schooner
left the Straits November 25, and at
once ran into terrific gale. For
twenty-four hours she was battered
by the waves, but kept on her course,
until she sprang leak, which wet the
lime and started the fire going. 1t
smoldered at first, and efforts we're
made to put it out, but they were un.
availing, and the ship was put back
to the nearest land. The storm in
creased, and the waves dashed over
the vessel continually, practically
adding fresh fuel to the flames, the
entire thousand barrels of lime get
ting wet. Miss Shirk was the only
woman on board, and every effort was
made to conceal the real danger from
her. So little hope was left that they
would be saved that Miss Shirk' 8
father tried to get her to go to sleep
and get a little rest, explaining after.
ward that he thought it would be bet
ter for her to be drowned as she slept
than to meet death on the ships deck
in the face of the waves and the flames.
"For twenty-five hours the crew
ba6tled with food and fire, when land
was sighted. Then Miss Shirk was
told to get all the warm underclothing
she had, for they could not tell what
cold and pri7ations might be encoun-
tered on the unknown shore. AS quick
~ as she could she came from her
stateroom with handbag containing
q supply of woolen underwear. She
was informed that she could not take
the bag, and that she must put on all
she could take with her. She went
back to her stateroom to dress, but
the fumes of the lime were 50 strong
now that she could not remain in the
cabin, and she was driven to the deck,
where she was compelled to dress
throughout with the storm raging.
ot,o,4 =, II, al ir
backs until ner toilet was completed.
"There was but one boat left, and
but one chance in thousand that it
could be launched, and still less that
it would ever reach the shore, but it
was sure death to remain on the ship,
and the boat took the risk and got
away to traverse the mile between the
ship and the land. There was notroom
for all the crew, and several Of the
brave fellows agreed to take the
chances of the boat coming back for
them, but another boat put of from
the land, and they got into that short
ly after their own boat had started.
Thirty minutes later the Hera was a
sheet of fame from bow to stern, and
she burned to the waters edge, going
down in fourteen fathoms. The land
ing was safely made On Vancouver
Island, Clayoqaot Sound, and the res
cued persons were kindly cared for
until passing steamer brought them
back to Seattle.
:EMiss Shirk has not entirely recov-
cred from her experience at last ac-
counts, and she had given up going
to Honolulu. The one thought, she
said, that was uppermost in her mind
during the storm was that her friends
in Seattle would say, if she were
drowned: We'll, she oughtn't to have
sailed on Friday. '5EMiss Shirk ez-
poets to go with her father to Cape
Nome as soon as navigation opens,
and I fancy she young woman Of un-
limited courage