The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1901-03-23

away 10 southeast, with the Okla
homa" following as helplcssly N
though she were in tow.
In that moment the awful truth
was revealed. The steel vessel was
nothing more nor less than a float
ing loadstone, which. by some mys.
terious power, was dragging the great
ocean monster hither and thither as
easily ms magnet draws q toy ship
from one side TO the other of n mimic
pond.
Who was she. and what was her mo-
tive? Almost before those on board
had asked the question, the answer
flashed upon them. The 30,000.000 OF
goldl Beyond a doubt IL was their
capture which she was planning TO
accomplish. either by Turing the "Ok-
lahoma" from the regular path of
ocean travel, and looting her and her
passengers at leisure, or by compell-
ing her TO run aground upon some
| remote rock or shoal.
With this revelation n new horror
unveiled itself. Equipped as they
were only with the supplies for a
short trip across the Atlantic, the
overweight minds of many saw star
walton looming up before them. That
night not a soul sought his berth.
At length, soon after dawn Of the
sixth day, orders were given to bank
| fires and hoist sail, in the hope that
the "0klahoma" as a sailing vessel
might free herself from the awful in
fiuence that chained her.
But the effort was vain. Wind and
sail proved as useless as wheel and
compass against the fatal power OF
that mysterious craft which drew the
"Oklahoma" after her as irresistably
as though the two vessels were united
| by an unseen hawser.
| The steamer had now become a
scene OF Undesirable horror Meal
time, bedtime-all the customary
routine was disorganized; and daily
| prayer-meetings were conducted
among the more emotional of the pas
sengers.
Finally, the officers of the big liner
united in one last desperate effort TO
Offset the magnetic influence of the
mysterious pirate. The fires were re-
vived i'm the engine-room, the steam
| pressure in all the boilers was run up
10 the blowing-off point; then sudden
| ly the reversing mechanism was APP
piled, and shudder ran through the
great floating city as the twin screws
began To backwater.
For n few minutes there ensued n
/ II. n. 81.
holders had never before witnessed.
| The water astcrn was dashed into n
lather of foam, and for a brief moment
the triumph of steam over magnetism
seemed assured.
| Only for Il moment, however, for
the cheer that had assembled from the
anxious scores on the deck OF the
"Oklahoma" when she slowly began
TO back had scarcely died away, when,
with mighty crash, vital section
OF the overtaxcd engines gave way,
| followed by hoarse yell of conster-
nation from the excited engineers and
stokers-and both screws were help
less and still.
With this failure, hope was well
| 'NAiiE anu Niit Oihh~
homa," with her precious freight and
her Gas human souls, abandoned all
active effort to escape. With not "a
sail of any kind in sight, she passive
| ~ rolled and plunged southwark after
her strange and terrible pilot, from
which, to add TO the horror of the sit
uation, no human sign had yet been
| given.
When the exhausted passengers had
reached the verge of distraction, a
CLEAN of hope appeared on the
horizon in the shape of n solitary
steamer, bearing down from the
southwest. A glance through the tele-
scope proved her to be fast and for
midabe British cruiser, evidently en-
route from South America TO England.
At this news a mighty shudder, half
of hope, half of fear, seized the crowd
assembled upon the deck. Would the
British cruiser come TO their assist
ance, and, IL so, would she, too, he
come victim of the magnetic craft?
For n moment their fate hung in the
balance; then from 800 threats rang
out n hoarse cry of JOY as the mystic
rious craft swerved, turned sharply,
and shot away over the surface of the
atlantic due north.
The spell was broken. The big
liner with her 600 human souls and
30,OO0,000 in gold was freed from the
power that had for so long held her
captive. But crippled as she was by
the accident TO her machinery, she
was unable TO proceed unaided, and
was taken in tow by the British
steamer, the Midlothian" and day
later was brought safely into port
at Fayal.
The passenger thought TO be Gen.
tleman Jim" Langwood proved TO be
the duke OF Medfordshire, now on his
wedding trip with his young mil
lionairc American bride.
Hardly had the excitement caused
by this startling intelligence sub
sided, when il was once more aroused