Smyrna times., 1901-07-31

mayed by the gloomy prospect. ad-
dressed request to Captain Cleveland
to return to the Enterprise. This he re-
fused to do, but eight men determined
to go back alone, and so, giving them
one of the sledges and their provisions.
we parted company. Whether they ev-
er reached the ship know not.
I'VE kept on and on, forever toward
the south, and one by one my compan-
ions died along the road until there
were only four of us left-the captain,
myself and two seamen. 1t was about
this time that l fell into a sort of
trance. How long l continued in this
dazed state do not know, but when l
recovered consciousness l found my
self standing on rocky headland gaz-
ing down upon a ship which was i'm
bedded in the center of a field of rough
ice. A few PAGES from me stood Cap
tain Cleveland, gaunt and hollow eyed.
No one else was in sight.
"The strange ship was the American
whaler Resolution, which we discov-
cred from her log had been abandoned
in latitude IA degrees south and longi-
tude 80 degrees west SO years before.
1 could not believe my eyes when l
read 80 degrees west longitude What
does it mean? muttered.
cit MEANS said Captain Cleveland,
that we have crossed the south polar
continent from the eastern to the west
ern hemisphere. We have done that
which will make us famous Famous!
OF what use was fame to us?''
1T is the strangest story l ever
heard" said Holroyd.
1--WE found a quantity of provisions
on board" the speaker continued,
most of which was in good condition.
And aboard the old whaler we took up
our winter quarters. l won't trouble
you with an account of how we passed
our long, weary months of imprisOn-
ment l lost all account of time, but
believe now that for nearly three years
that ships cabin was our home.
"Such life will shake the founda-
tions of the strongest mind, and it was
near the end of another polar night
that Cleveland suddenly went mad,
clambered down upon the ice and ran
wildly toward the south. l never saw
him again"
The narrator broke down completely
at this point, but soon took up his
story.
Gradually, inch by inch the ship
worked her way through miles of pack
ice, and one morning l awoke to find 9
glorious eXpanse of open water in front
, of me, through which the ship slowly
: glided. For days-aye, weeks-I drift
ed on over the deserted ocean, will
never a sail in sight. The Loneliness
> was awful. l longed for companion
ship and dared not go down into the
cabin, for every sound made me star
in terror"
During the latter part of his recita
: the wanderers voice had grown weak
n er and weaker, his pauses longer ant
! more frequent. We again offered hin
wine but he refused it.
y 'At length l took up my abode ol
deck altogether, living in the galley,
. he went on. And from that time unit
; l found myself-here-I remember
. nOthirS How long-I have-been drift
ing
i He stopped and gaZed at us with
CLASSY stare. Then he tried to speal
again, but no words came from his lips
:, Suddenly his head fell forward upo
his chest, and his arms dropped limpl
to his side. The doctor caught him a
: he collapsed, and between us we cal
: ried him to his bunk. Ere another day
sun rose he was dead. The derelict ha
reached port at last.
Such is the strange story of Jane
=, Wilson, found on the ship Resolution
as told by himself.-St. Louis Republi,