The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1902-12-05
RISING SUN CECIL COUNTY FRIDAY DECEMBER 1902

seas. Derelict headed due west, but
owing to the gale making sternway
almost to leeward. Decks awash. Hull
comparatively buoyant. If gale con-
tinues, in my opinion she will make
the Saragossa sea and disappear
There, captain, you have literal copy
OF the last report concerning her. I
have the photographic official tracings
Of her supposed wanderings since she
became derelict, during which time
she has covered approximately 5000
miles over zigzag course between the
Caribbean sea on the west, the neigh
borhOod of the Azores on the east, lat
itude 4S degrees on the north and the
margin of the Saragossa sea on the
south. Somewhere within those bound
aries l believe that we will find her If
she is still afloat unless, indeed, she
has lost herself among the weeds and
debris of the Saragossa region. And,
man," he exclaimed, leaping to his feet,
with more excitement than he had yet
shown, 1--WE must penetrate even there,
If need be, to find her."
"Humphw said Captain Darlington,
complacently leaning back in his chair
and emitting a volume of smoke wor-
thy of the funnel of q man-of-war.
'Have you any Idea what the Sara
gossa sea is like? Do you know how
impossible it is to penetrate it or, hav.
ing penetrated it, to escape again into
the open sea? If your Sallie johnson
has found entrance there, $5,OOO,OOO is
too small a price for her deliverance,
or $500000,000, for that matter. Once
involved in that labyrinth of weeds
and wrecks, there is only one exit for
a sailorman, and that is straight to
the coral beds beneath it. However,
she may not have entered there. The
Saragossa sea, although deadly in it's
embraces, repulses with the same pow
er aggressions upon its domain. The
same weeds which entangle and hold
everything they grasp repulse with
cushionlike obstinacy the storm driven
wrecks and derelicts which wind and
currents force that way. A derelict
wandering at the will of wind and
waves will glide for hundreds of miles
along the edges of that dreary place
and never enter there, but when one is
driven by the force of gale such as
Captain Graham describes, end on
against It, it is more than likely that
the violence of the storm has opened
crevices in the weedy mass, through
which the wreck may be forced and
forever lost to human knowledge. I
have no doubt that there are wrecks
and derelicts in that mysterious region
now which have been af1oat for scores
of years and which may continue to
float as many more. have no doubt
that there are other fortunes there as
great as this one which has excited
your cupidity and mine. I say this,
Mr.. Gregory, not to argue against the
expedition we are to undertake, but
to impress upon you the absolute fu-
tility of continuing the search beyond
the margin Of that sea of weeds should
we ultimately decide that the Sallie
johnson has fallen into it's embrace"
II do not wholly agree with you,
Darlington" Mr.. Gregory replied after
meditating for some time upon what
the captain had just said. 81 realize
that my ignorance concerning these
matters is as profound as your knowl-
edge is complete. Nevertheless 1 do
not agree with you, and my reasons
are these: First, / have absolute con-
fidence in your ability as sailor and
as an executive officer, and have en-
tire faith in your courage; second, !
believe in my yacht, which you know
to be, with the exception Of the interior
decorations, the sister ship to William
K. Vanderbilt's Valiant. She is fully
stocked and stored in preparation for
this cruise, and she is manned by a
crew that, almost without exception,
have been with me since she was
launched. She has a coal capacity for
5000 miles, which is almost unprece-
dented in a vessel of her size and
build, but sacrificed much to crafty
that one whim. She is strong and fleet
and is provided with duplicate and Of
ten triplicate parts to her machinery.
In addition to these virtues, she pos
sesses one which, l believe, will save
her from the Saragossa sea should she
become involved in it. refer to an
invention of my own which, in few
words, is a hydraulic steering gear,
but which may also, If occasion de-
mands, be 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, but 1t is force
which seems irresistible up to that
point. 1t affords no impedimenta, such
as propeller flanges, rudders and steer
ing gear, to become entangled in your
Saragossa weeds, but, on the contrary,
assumes the utility Of both. That is
why do not dread the Saragossa sea.
That is why honestly believe that
can force my vessel through it from
one extremity to the other"
CONCLUDED NEXT WEEK.
n-Nxo