The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1903-05-16
DOWN WENT THE MERCURY.
And the skipper Took BACK Every
thing He Had said About
the thermometer.

ut was on voyage from New Yorl
to Galveston in a three-masted schoon
er that / noted the dependence Of tho
: skipper on the glass; said an amateur
mariner, relates the New York sun
ave were held at anchor off Communi-
paw for several days by a bowling
northeaster. The captain did not seem
to take much notice Of the barometer
so / ventured to ask him if he placed
much faith in it.
"'Well, he answered, in a confident
tone, not great deal; ] sets more
store by the visible signs of the
weather.
''That seemed n somewhat remark
able statement for a mariner, but 1
dropped the subject and thought no
more of it until one afternoon when
we were down in the Gulf of Mexico.
eve were sailing before light east
erly wind at the rate o. bout three
knots an hour. A heavy bank of black
thunder cloud was rising from the
western horizon and frequent flashes
of lightning were weaving fiery net
work over it. From time to time the
rumble of distant thunder rolled over
the oily surface of the sea.
'The captain, who had been below
since dinner, came on deck and stood
by the man at the wheel. He scanned
the horizon long and critically, looked
aft TO note the signs to windward,
leaned over the starboard rail to guage
the sped Of the vessel and then went
below.
'Almost Immediately / heard cry
Of mingled astonishment and alarm in
the cabin. sprang to the companion
way and met the captain hurrying up
the steps. His face was ashen.
My God, mani he exclaimed, be-
fore could ask a question, the bottom
has dropped out Of the glass'
HE shouted: 'All hands on deck!'
and gave hurried orders to strip the
vessel Of all sail. The men on deck
scurried about and the watch below
came tumbling on deck In a trice the
halliards were let go and the sails
came down on the run, nearly all tor
gether, while men scrambled up the
Tatlines to furl the topsails.
I'm the midst of this confusion /
went below to look at the glass. 1t |
stood against the trunk Of the mizzen-
mast at the foot of the companion
steps. The captain had spoken truly. |
The mercury had shrunk out Of sight.
1t was not visible even between the in
terstices Of the screen at the base Of
the instrument.
Il dragged myself back to the deck
even more terrified than the captain.
The cloud had risen perceptibly during
the few minutes / was below. The
forked lightning was playing fiercely
and the ominous rumbling was grow
ing louder and more frequent. To ac-
,entuate our terror was the thought
that there were 1875 kegs Of gunpowder
inder the main hatch.
"The captain, having given all the
orders needed for the moment, was
leaning dejectedly against the side of
The cabin with his eyes fixed on the
rising cloud. / went to his side and
lsked.
Captain, did you ever know the
rlass to act that way before?v
Never, sir, in all my sea going
"The occasion was not conducive to !
so 1t occurred to me.
fter a few minutes silence, to see if
could find how low the mercury had
eally fallen. / went below, and after t
while by some trouble managed to c
emoye the screen from the base Of the t
arometer. / gave a call that brought
he captain headIong into the cabin.
"The extraordinary fall Of the glass :
ras explained. 1t had not been caused
y the weather. The bulb was broken, =
nd all Of the mercury had run out Of
he tube i,
The only mystery was how the +
ulb came to be broken, and that was :
ever solved. The captain attributed Z
to the clumsiness Of the steward,
ut the suspected man yehemcntly dis =
aimed any responsibility for the ac- 7
dent I may add that the storm lt
orked around to the north'ard with ci
at our getting so much as a eatspaw o
ut Of it." Vie