Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1904-03-16
BIG S T0RMI


began"
And he won't be seen about here
more than once after it is over"
Dorsey was a reporter. He had been
| on the Argosy several months, but had
not given satisfaction. There was lit
tie local news except in the line of
crime, and Dorsey's reports OF criminal
| cases were confined to a mere outline
of each case. He had been warned
without effect to make them more at
| tractiye." The truth is Dorsey shrank
| from the work. The details of muir
ders. robberies and such things had
very distressing effect upon him.
Then came Geographic dispatch
/ from the West Indies that hurricane
was raging there and was making
straight for the region where the Ag-
COSY was published. Dorsey had never
seen a hurricane and longed to view Ii
at its most interesting point of obser-
vation-the shore. So without asking
leave at the office he took n train and
in few hours was standing on hill.
top looking out on the harbor The
wind was blowing steadily and the
ocean was covered with whitecaps,
looking from where Dorsey saw them
like pack of wolves, charging and
tumbling over one another, while
low moaning seemed to come from
those trodden under. Directly beneath,
sailors on the ships in the harbor were
busy taking in yards. making every
thing taut on deck and looking to the
anchor chains. Dorsey went to a
house, borrowed a spade and dug
hole Just large enough to hold his
body and give him room in his front
below the surface to hold pad for
making copy. Then, getting into 1t, he
began to write.
Fortunately he was stenographer
and could write very rapidly. AS the
storm grew In Intensity II brought with
it an intensity of feeling in Dorsey.
As one page after another was cram
med into his pocket he grew inspired
to depict what he saw, making series
OF pictures of the sea, the sky, the
storm birds on the wing, objects fly
ing through the air, people fleeing fol
safety, men rushing about on the decks
of the ships, the roar OF the tempest.
the curling of roofs, the fall OF houses.
the uprooung of trees, and, lastly, one
ship after another breaking its cable,
driven landward, lifted on the crest
of wave and hurled as by some In
visible Titan on the shore.
Dorsey stayed in his hole till most OF
the scattered houses on shore and all
the ships in the harbor were destroyed
indeed. till night had closed over the
wrecks. Then. crawling out, he was
blown down the hill, picked himself up
at its base and made his way to a rail-
way station 1t was several hours be
fore he got transportation, and then
on an engine sent out with man to
make a preliminary iSspection of the
damage done to the road. At mid
night Dorsey went into the office OF the
Argosy. When the city editor saw him
coming he pointed to the door.
I've BEEN began Dorsey.
Get out. Come back tomorrow and
get your pay"
1--WE got a report of the Storm" per
sisted Dorsey.
$50 have /. Get out"'
Dorsey turned and went to the office
| of the Banner
Want a coast description of the
| Storm" he asked the managing editor.
'.Of course we do. Got one? We
sent man, but he didn't get through"
| Dorsey pulled out his crumpled notes.
Go In there" said the editor, point
ing. land send your copy up as fast as
| you write it. l can give you a column.
Hurry up. It's getting late.'
| Up went the first installment, and
| when the proof came down and the
| editor glanced it over he sang out to
Dorsey, You can have two columnsr'
| When the next proof came down, the
editor cried again, Make it three col
umns, If you hkev' Then it was Five
/ columnsr' and at last You can filS the
| whole paper"
The next morning the city editor of
the Argosy sat in his office with his
heels on his desk looking over his ri
val's paper.
Il had no idea that was such a big
storm" he remarked as he read the
article on the hurricane That was
the biggest storm 1 ever heard Of" he
went on after finishing the third col
umn. He closed the description just
as the proprietor of the Argosy walked
In.
Ibid you ever hear of such a fright
full storm?" asked the city editor
you've been reading the Banners
report. There have been plenty of
storms as big or bigger, but none has
ever had suchsa big describer."
At that moment Dorsey walked in
for his pay.
''All right" said the city editor $50
to the cashier. You've got week due
you"
What are you going to doT asked
the proprietor.
"Going with the Banner"
''How much?"