The Paducah sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1898-1906, 1902-11-27
THE KRONPRINZ
! FRIEDRICH



regions. made up my mind to ship for
the expedition. was young and full
OF enthusiasm and a desire TO see
strange sights, to taste strange expe
rience. My craving was satisfied TO the
fullest extent. Indeed. l have hereto
fore refralned from saying anything
about a certain sight which suddenly
came to me aud departed as suddenly
for fear that my friends would regard
Inc as the subject Of Authorizations. As
It is. l shall refrain from divulging my
Identity in telling the story.
We were sailing northward through
Bafiin's bay. For days the weather had
been bad-high winds. rough seas, huge
cakes OF floating ice, everything 10
keep US under a strain. Then all at
once the wind subsidized into dead
calm, the thermometer rose rapidly,
and we were encompassed by a dense
fog. There was nothing to do but drop
anchor and wait A single man was
quite sufficient TO maintain a watch.
and the captain. having arranged the
succession. all hands. except the first
outlook. went below and to sleep. ]
was the third man called and went on
deck about 3 I'm the morning. though
IL might us well have been 3 In the
afternoon. for there was about the
same amount OF llght-that is. a sort OF
twilight | sat ON the capstan peering
out at nothing True, there was fog,
but what is fog when one is in the
midst OF It but nothing1 There was a
dull. monotonous sound OF swells beat.
ing against the ships side beneath.
My senses became dulled. and my eyes
became heavy as lead. Then | did
what should not have done. but could
scarcely help-I fell asleep.
awakened with a consciousness OF
some terrible impending danger. As
opened my eyes | noticed that the fog
had grown thinner and | could see far
Their. though not even then over a few
hundred feet. Suddenly dead ahead
something doomed up dark before me
The changes that came over II were a
matter OF seconds. though Il requires
minutes TO give them. First as have
said. II was something black; then It
was the dim figure OF n ship under sal
coming straight down on us; then q
was a vessels bow, on which | read
the letters "Kronprinz Friedrich" and
several men in queer caps and coats
and knee breeches running about ex
citedly. one livid face. with frightened
eyes, looking over the gunwale.
There was no hope but that the
shock would sink both vessels though
how a sailing ship could be coming at
such speed with no wind ! could not
understand, though there was no time
for any thought except that Of the
dreaded collision to make any impress
sion on my mind. My first act was to
jump from the capstan and seize one
Of the bars. though 10 attempt to
ward of a full rugged ship with such
an implement was absurd. Neverthe-
less when turned again toward the
vessel was surprised TO notice that l
had been mistaken In her speed or that
II had suddenly moderated The con
sternation OF those on her decks had
subsidized into a resolute determination
10 use every means to render the shock
as light as possible. A man stood on
the gunwale, with one hand on the rat
lines. giving orders. which were obey
ed with alacrity. Only a strange muf-
fed babble came TO me In a tongue
that I did not understand. faint and
confused, as IL mingled with the roar
OF tempest.
Slowly, but surely. the strange bow
came on. overlapping us, her crew
reaching out with long oars. some OF
them lowering coils OF rope. all waiting
the inevitable shock. When It came.
our vessel made a yawning gap In the
strangers bow. She trembled. rocked
backward and separated from us. A
man climbed on the bowsprit. where
be could see the break. and shouted
something TO the man holding the rat
lines. Then there was an order. some
Of the crew rushing one way and 9th
ers another. Meanwhile the ship and
crew grew fainter as they drifted away
from us The last act witnessed was
four men dragging a sail forward.
which l presumed they were intend
ing to lower over the hole that had
been stove in her bow. Then all faded
into nothingness. and there was left
only the fog. II seemed to me that the
vessel had come from and returned TO
the echoless shore.
Before being relieved fell asleep
again and was awakened by the re-
lief watch. expected him TO speak Of
the shock. but he did not, and | went
below and turned in without mention
ing the subject. Nor did any one OF
the ships company speak Of IT the
next day. but they were all very much
fatigued and doubtless slept too sound
ly to feel 1t.
When we got home, hunted every
where for some account OF ship call.
ed Kronprlnz Friedrich. but could find
nothing. Some years later shipped
for a voyage to Bremen and while
there obtained leave to go to Berlin.
where | searched the marine records
| found that in IL a vessel named