Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-04-21

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that they were not more than $50
miles from the mainland. Sidney
suggested that man be detailed to
watch the ocean each day from the
| gateway to the bay, and volunteered
| his services for the morrow. 1t was
decided to erect flagstaff at this
point and float white flag from it
as signal of distress.
We will begin the building of
boat or raft Tomorrow said Mr..
Carmody, the chairman of the COM
mittee of escape. 81 have my plans
practically completed and 1 will sub
init them to you now for approval,
rejection or modification. My sug-
gestion is that we build raft in
the form of houseboat. 1 doubt
if we have the materials with which
to construct lifeboat, with pointed
bows and stern. Again, such boat
is not nearly as safe as raft.
From what Hammond has learned,
i am of the opinion that any number
of ships pass to the east of us at a
distance not exceeding 25 miles.
While our objective point is the main
land. we must calculate on the pos
sibility of being blown to the east.
The Gulf of Mexico and the Carib-
bean sea are thronged with ships
of all kinds. r. is likely that this
island lies a little off the regular
course of traffic, but we are certain
to sight some vessel in short order.
Therefore 1 favor craft which will
have more of safety than of speed"
THAT is my idea exactly" said Mr..
Morton. 81 believe we will be picked
up inside of As hours at the most.
We must construct raft or house
boat which can survive any ordinary
storm. Even if the waves do beat over
it occasionally, our plight will be
much better than if our boat were
capsized in the first heavy sea-"
mo ordinary wave will beat over
the raft / have planned" said Mr..
Carmody, producing rough sketch
of the plans. 81 propose craft 40
feet long and Ia feet wide. 1t will
be square at both ends. We will
frame the hull out of solid timber.
I notice that there are some tall,
straight trees back of the bungalow
which will serve admirably for our
purpose. I have built many ships
and barges, ind we have the tools
and materials to do good job. The
best plan will be to frame the hull
on shore, and then take it apart and
put it together again in the water.
OF course we could build the raft
complete and launch it from the
stone pier, but it will be safer to
build it from the water.
I'VE will build a house or cabin
eN24 feet. 1t will be high enough to
stand upright in. There will be three
staterooms, eash with two sleeping
hunks. Then there will be a COM
bined kitchen, dining-room and store
room. This cabin will be braced in
! every direction, and l have worked
out plan by which no ordinary sea
can cause serious trouble A raft
built like this will ride the waves
SAFELY
Mr.. Carmody's plans also provided
for six oars or sweeps and rudder.
Through the roof of the. cabin two
masts were stepped, each carrying
a boom and three-cornered sail.
He had found pile of canvas avn
ings which had not yet been put in
place on the windows of the bunga-
low. These promised to make excel
lent sails. For two hours the house
suggested by Mr.. Carmody was
adopted. 1t was decided to begin
work on the boat early the following
morning.
While Mr.. Carmody and others
went to select the trees for the
frame work of the houseboat, Sidney
and Mr.. Kent rowed across the bay
and took an observation from the
rock overlooking the inlet. There
was no vessel in sight, though Sid
ney thought he could trace lire of
smoke at the edge of the southeast,
ern horizon. They felled tall pine
tree and trimmed it for flagstaff.
Early the following morning five
OF the men raised the pole on the
rock, having first provided flag
which they nailed to the top.
Sidney and Mr.. Kent watched the
sun as it dropped behind the west
ern ridge of hills. The air was re-
markably clear, and the snow
capped mountain peak showed plain
in the purple distance.
This island is great mystery
to me- said Hammond He was
looking at the mountain. Its base
faded away as the sun declined, but
the top glowed like a pearl where
the light yet reflected from the daz-
Zling snow.
"There are few peaks like that ON
the American continent said Sid
ney. II have been looking up the
subject of high mountains along the
American coast. We surely are more
than thousand miles west of New
York and we are in tropical waters.
The coast of South America swings
away east of New York, so we can
not be there. ! can find but two
places which coincide with the time
Indicated by our Watches"
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