Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-16
WRECK AND RUIN.
A Scene IN the Bay Of Nsples.

In October, 1913 went over TO the Island
OF Capri, some twenty miles from Naples, to
enjoy rustic FESTIVAL. Our party consisted
of some Englishmen and some Italians. The
latter being in the service of the Govern
ment, had q fixed time laidfto their leave
of absence. When the morning arrived that
was appointed for the departure Of our Ital-
ian friends, We accompanied them to the
shore, where they made their arrangements
for the passage back to. the mainland. There.
was q srkng west:and. by south wind roar
ing round the Island, and tho sea looked
dangerous; but in Naples, where there is no
career for o young man out Of Government
employ, an official must not triho with his
post. The preparations, therefore, for the
launching Of the boat went on.
twas one of those wide bottomed boats,
;comrhonly used in tho port of NapIa, upon
which the sIran ger starts out for moon
| light row TO Pos,llippo, or bctakes himself
| with his Portmanteau and his carpet-bag,
or with his wife md her pill-box full of
few things to the steamer. Such boats are
not made for riding on a stormy sea- The
men preparing toput out that morning were
our two friends, tho officials, and two boat
men. One Of tho passengers was hailed by
the Cnptafn of Is good strong bark tpon the
point Of starting. "C0me with us, Raffnl-
luccio: it will be madness to sail out in that
cockleshell through such sea-"
Raf.clluccio, q delicate youth, replied mat
he was no coward. He had come in the
boat, and might 60 back in the boat, with the
Madona's blessing. The other passenger was
stout black bearded man, and the two boas-'
men were youth anda weather. beaten sail-
or from the port of Naples.
Tho little harbor at Capri. is 80 shell
tered from certain. winds that there is often
n deceptive smoofhness in its waters. II
was only by looking QUITO sea, that ,one
detected, on that wild q yer morning how
| the water 'wriehed undef~lhe torture of the
wind. Far rs the eye could reach, the sen
was covered with those smaller storm waves,
called in the phrase of the country pccore.
These, rs the day advanced, swel!el into
great pillows, 4caoalomE Will, came rolling
| on upon our litue island, and dashed vio'
lentiy against the coast of Mnssa aud Sof.nto.
Tue boat had been showed Oil, and had re
turned for sorss article, left accidentally be-
lind A group Of weatherwise old sailors
thronged about the fool-harsly crew ia VAN
urging ,hemto whit for farer weather; but
they put out to'se' again, airtmnde strait for
the cape, under the summer palace Of Tibe.
Rus. THIS is well known point, which
boa'men often seek when they desire 10
catch a.direct wind for iheir psssnge to the
uaiulAnd. The gale tDat had been blowing
rount the island appeared to pour out from
this point its undivided force, and beat the
sea with n strength Utmost irresistible. We
saw the mast Of the htl!e boat snap the MO.
mcnt il had reached the cape, md the crew
put back not to awair caiuler weather, but to
seek another temporary mast, and start again.
M threat or persuasion could detaiux the
itaiinus, Who ftareu tI7eSCeed ltsgf tsyttr br
leave. A rude mast was SET up, aud again
tue boat started, ieaping atross wave after
we've. We saw no more uflt. III watched
it for some distance" said thu captain of the
bark, which had started at the same time
Their mast bent us though it wcnid break
at every puff Of wind, aud the little sait
hutlerei like u handkerchief upon the wnvrs.
Luz lnomeht it Disappeared, and we knew
that OUR turubodiug had proved true" The
| rest Of the tale l had from the lips of the
black bearded otlciul, the sole SURVIVOR: and
q wilder taio of human passion does not often
foil with,n the bounds of sober truth.
The old mariner at starting had been plac-
ell ut the helm, us the most competent MAN
of the party; bu, there WAS m alarming
difference between the eddies, currents aud
baows at the Cape, and the smooth waters
ofthe BLY, Of Naples. A monstrous caatltone
| appeared in the distance. leaping, ruai'isg,
tvaming. 1t was close upon their quarter.
its crest ovcrhung them and in an instant,
said my informant, they were swallowed up.
| The buat was overturned. but the crew
struggling desperately for life-rose with II
| chce more TO the surface, clinging to its bo,
| tom In their last agony they glared upon
each ether, face to face, amopg the beaung
waves, and the loud excavations of his COM
panions were poured passlouatey on the
| ancient mariner, whose want OF skill was
cursed as tie fatal cause of their despair.
The hold of the poor old follow, weak with
age and faint with emotion, had not strength
enough to bear up amid the tossing of the
waters, and Us his grasp relaxed, the others
watched his weakness with q fiendish sausfac
ton. at is some consolation" exclaimed
one, "to see you die first, fool as you, are"
He did not hear the latest malcdotiuns. bat
went down in the deep sea.
The mex: who died was Ralfaelluccio, up
on whose. daily work the daily bread of a
mother and three children depended. 81 am
still with cold, and can hang on no longer,"
he said to his companion. "Get on my sloui-
ders," was the answer of the stronger man ;
and SO he did, and so he died, the living man
with the dead weightupon him, graphing still
for life, and drifting before the storm. The
young boatman, the other survivor, trembling
himselfupon the brink of eternity, crept round
| to the dead body. and having robbed IL nf