The Coalville times. [volume] (Coalville, Utah) 1894-1923, 1903-11-13

lu the year 1868 ] Wna ono of the
CROW Of me English brig swlnsufe.
which was making a survey of the
Islands 10 the northeast OF MaiaeisDaf.
A, the Chagos group. as We were pull
ing into land one day. with seven men
DO the boat VIC were upset in the curt
and only two OF us escaped death. My
companion was q sailor named wallace
and while il a half drowned sia.o wo
wero swept a'ong the coaBt Of the island
by a current and finally thrown on
shore in a bit Of a cove. A boat put
on from the brig as soon as the dIsai-
ter was noticed. but only two bodies
voro recovered The three othor1
were pulled down by the sharks be ore
the boat 300. 20 them. Believing this
20 have been the sad fate Of an Eve
no search wac made for the pair OF us
cast ashore. and before we had r.coy-
cred from our exhaustion and prepared
% signal the brig had departed for am
other field. The island on which we
were cast Be- one Of q group OF nine and
the innormost one Of all. 10 is nholy
the same today as then, having plenty
OF fresh water most OF &c covered with
vcrdure and wild fruits. ahrlmps and
Ehollnsh 10 plentiful theta ahlnwrecbol
crow OF twenty men could got along
| there for months. Wallace and / we're
Inclined 10 look upon the affair as q
lark. We erected a hut In the wools.
procured fire by rubbing wo dry sticks
/ together and after a thorough oxplor-
alton Of our domain. which was not
over two miles across IN any direction,
we slept ate and talked and had a
pretty easy time OF Il.
We had been on the island about
/ three months when we awoko one
morning TO End the sea like sheet
/ OF glass and the air as Btlll as death.
| Tho sky was overcast. and yet OF a cop
perry color. ana the birds on the island
/ appeared 10 be In great alarm. Great
/ locks OF them came In from the sea,
and all along shore the FISH were leap
ing out Of the water as II It wet, poll
luted. Aftor surveying thlnga fof
while Wallace gave II as his opinion
that we we're IN for n typhoon or an
earthquake. The sulphury smell In
tho air inclined him TO the latter. and
ns soon ns we had eaten we started for
the center OF the island. There was
high hill In tho center, bare OF every
thing but n couple OF trees and few
bushes, and we sought II on account
Of the tidal wave we knew would sure
ly follow an earthquake.
There was more than one shock. but
tho first was tho most violent and last
cd longest. The three or four which
succeeded were thrills rather than
shocks. The, ran through tho island
from east TO west and out 10 aa. and
we heard n chorus Of what may be
called tho Fhrieks OF distress from the
birds with each vibration. Two or
three minutes after the fourth or fiith
shock Wallace stood up aud looked
out upon the sea to the east and shout
cd to me;
"Lookl Loohl Tho tidal wave IL
coming in and there's a big ship on the
crost Of t."
sprang W and followed his gaze.
Ten miles away there was a wall OF
water which seemed to llit Ia great
white crest almost 10 the sky and TO
reach north and south as far as could
see. Riding on the crest was a great
ship, with her three magts standing
erect and some OF the yards across.
For the FIRST ten seconds the wall
seemed TO stand stlll. Then It came
rolling on like o railroad train. and al
most before l could have counted TWEEN
~ Il struck the shore OF our Island
and swept across H. The island was
a good thirty feet above water In every
part, while on tho hill We were n least
l0r. but all portions save tho hill were
covered by at least ten feet. had my
eye on the ship alone. It came straight
for the hill but as the wave divided Il
was swept to the left and struck the
earth and was turned full about. while
Il hung there the waters passed on. aud,
lol at our feet. resting almost on a
level keel, was as strange a sight as the
, eyes OF a sailor ever bchold. II was q
ship, to be sure, but one had 10 rub his
eyes and lcok again and again 10 be
certain OF H. There was the great hull
-thoro the three masts. up aloft the
yards, and there were scores Of ropes
trailing about like Shiny serpents
= From stem to stern and from keel 10
masthead the fabric was covered with
r mud and slime and barnacle ana sea
grass and SHELLS, and as sho rested there
the water poured OF her decks ana out
t, OF her hold In such a sobbng, eholxlne
, way as TO bring the shiyers. Not d
, word had passed between tho pair OF us
/ while the wave raced IN aud across the
4 island, and the ground below MS was
, clear OF the last water before Wallace
. said;
! Il think nils ends II. and 10, us both
/ thank Godl This ship was heayed Ind
! from the bottom Ct the sea. where she
p must have rested for good many
a years, but wen have to walt dav or
y two before we Investigate"
a After a couple OF hours. 10 Ia, ,bs
y ground dry out bit. we descended m,
hill to SEQ what damage had been acme
y About ouc-half the trees on The isi,nt
y had been uprootel and carried out 10
r sea, and OF our hue not q vestipe
j. mained There was scarcely n.
b as large as hens egg lac lsl,nl
ID ] nHnWInffa 90 Hhn "a .san