The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-08-05
Sudden the desert changes;
The raw glare softens and clings
TIL the fching Oudtshoorn ranges
stand up like the thrones OF kings
ExcITING GLASSES Ar SEA.


LAUNDERING along without any proper
lookout, big italian bark came crash
ing down upon a Grand Banks fishing
schooner and cut her In two. The
schooner's crew 'of i've tumbled into
their hide dingey as their boat sank be-
meath them and yelled for rope
But the big bully quickly covered up
her name and dropping point off the
wind, drove swiftly on in terror. lest
her criminal carelessness should have
20 be paid for in hard cash. The rulned
men might drown for all She cared. But
others saw the crime. A little smack
cracked on every bit of canvas and
steered in pursuit of the cruel Italisrs
In vain the latter set every sail. The
little fishing boat was too ninble and
could not be shaken off. Mile after mile
pursuer and pursued spun away on the
Atlantic, and as the breeze slackened
the smaller craft crept up and up until
at last, an hour before dusk. she over
hauled her big quarry and made sure of
her identity. Her pucky chase was not
i'm vain. for the Italian was forced TO
pay 500 in damages.
The captain of the Esang. a British
owned steam launch plying on the West
river near Canton, had no idea that he
had shipped crew of pirates until they
rose one morning. tied him in his cab
in and turned the little steamers head
for Chutou-shan, the pirate refuge.
IT so happened that on the same
morning the revenue launch Fu-man-
tsoi was passing UP the river. II saw
| the Esang and, suspecting something
wrong, gave chase. Next the steamer
Co n nd
joined in the pursuit. All day long the
three craft hung close together. But
| the Esang was a knot the fastest. and
Il was only the superior handling of the
British manned vessels that kept them
in sight of her.
The oily estuary boiled In long streaks
of white foam, and a constant fusillade
of rife shots was exchanged between
the revenue cutter and the pirate.
Right out TO sea the Esang steered and
then turned toward the island refuge.
The revenue launch was within SOC
yards when the pirates reached the sand
bar at the mouth of their creek. ran the
stolen craft high and dry and jumped
ashore without losing a man.
II sounds strange TO talk OF pirates on
the coast OF civilized England, yet only
three years ago four Dutch sailors,
starving and desperate stole the 20 ton
cutter Sibyl from her moorings at Scar
borough and started home across the
North sea.
1t was three hours before the theft
was discovered, and then the tug Mer-'
maid went In pursuit. But the breeze
was strong from the west, and the
Sibyl was cutting the waves at ten
knots an hour. II was in the evening
1 .t.x 80 lao chD a nd
only two hours of daylight left. The
Mermaid was logging IL. and by she
was close TO the yacht. but her coal was
almost gone The owner OF the Sibyl
thereupon offered to make good any
damage If the tugs skipper would use
/ her fittings as fuel At half past 2 a
mere empty shell of iron, with redhot
engines drew abreast of the Sibyl. and
her crew surrendered. The cost OF the
| chase to MIR. Markham, the owner OF
| the Sibyl. was over 81. 500. but II was
well worth the money.
| The Atlantic was the scene recently
| of the greatest race on record when the
giant steamer Deutschland and the
! then record holder Kaiser Wilhelm met
| in five days contest.
! The Kaiser Wilhelm left her pier In
| New York harbor at 10 o'clock In the
| morning. Before IL. when the newer
| craft left her berth. she was % knots
| out to sea. yet next morning the second
vessel sighted the first. BY Has the
two were neck and neck. BY evening
the passengers on the Kaiser could Sc
but a trail OF sooty vapor.
Painting men shoveled coal for dear
] life. Eventually the newer vessel
reached Plymouth hours and IL min
utes ahead of her rival having burned
| $500 tons OF coal and achieved
worlds record of 5sS miles in a single
! day. or 24lk miles an hour.