The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1904-10-15
CHAPTER |.
The Storm.

"See! She comes to the surface
again"
The foregoing EXPLANATIONS cane
from group of fishermen who stood
upon the shores of Bakers bay and
watched ship battling with the waves
on the Columbia bar.
The rain fell in long, slanting, twist
ing sheets. 1t appeared as II the heav-
ems were a vast waterfall swayed and
tossed by all of the gods of fury. The
wind howled ard moaned like a power
FIJI monster, making the earth and
everything upon it tremble while IT
pursued it's way as steady as tide from
the deep.
Trees Bonded their boughs to the
ground and wIithed and quivered to
the end of their tiriest roots. Houses
rocked and swayed like weather vane
upon their foundations. The more
tjmid of the men aud the women and
children, though accustomed to storms,
cTouched and tremlred with awed ex'
preston upon their faces as they u.s.
tened to the deafening din which was
sweeping the earth.
The waters at the broad mouth of
the Colun bia river arose like wild
steeds az they met the storm driven
waves Of the Pacific and battled with
them for supremacy The combating
elements formed like mountain rang
along the bar, showing. with the rapid
ity of a Kaleidoscope view, peaks,
gulchcs and canyons as the waters rose
and clinched anu then fell and divided
for another attack.
Nature gave her picture additional
grandeur by the coloring. The APP
proach of night through such storm +,
while there was still enough shaded
light TO cast lurid haze over the scene,
the mngIing of the blood-red waters Of
the river with the green and white OF
ocean streaked the whole with a hue
embiematjc of contest and death.
The tides from the deep seemed to be
angered by the battle above their heads
and rose higher and higher, with q
power that made the rock-bound
shores shake, to crush out the wild con-
test between river and waves. The
spray dashed up even to the timber
belt above the beach, creating fog on
the windows of the high perched light
house that made the newly lighted
lamp appear dim, and the whole noun
tain range along the coast to the north
quivered to its foundation while stay
ing the mighty rush of the waters from
the ocean.
A group of fishermen stood at point
on the shores of the bay. They were
drenched to the skin, but they did not
mind this. They were more intent
upon watching an object battling for it's
life on the bar of the river. 1t was
these who had made the EXPLANATIONS
given at the introduction OF this chap
ter.
1t was the severest storm for many
years. They had been partially drawn,
practically thrown ashore in their crude
fishing boats by the receding waters
from the conflict between ocean and
river. While anxious eyes watched
them from the windows Of the fishing
village in the rear, which was wrapped
in the landstorm, they looked more
anxious'y' out to sea. Having been
handled so mercilessty by the waters
which had spent their fury and werere-
treating from the battle at the bar, they
trembled at the fate of an, object which
they discovered in the center of the rag
ing conflict.
1t tossed and leaped and rose and fell
like a wounded and bewildered animal
pierced by bullet from some hunter s
rifle. Now on a peak, which shot UP
like rocket from the depths below
now on the brink of a deep canyon,
formed in the twinkling of an eye; now
on narrow ledge pending over deep
abyss, and then in the depths of q
gulch, whose watery walls We're crash.
ing down upon it-then it disappeared
from view!
"Down she went" said one fisher.
man.
"All aboard were lost" said another
"She made gallant fight" remark.
ed third.
"See! She comes to the surface
again!" exclaimed the man who had
first spoken.
The ship had instantly appeared
again. But it wrlthed in the roaring
surf like a stricken serpent. 1t had
been fine rugged sailing vessel, bu,
now it was a mere hull with part of q
deck and few stumps Of masts left
1t had been the pride of country and
like q brave soldier wounded and dis.
armed, it was fighting the enemy even
in its dying gasps.
II lunged this way and that. One
moment it careened on its side another
it stood on its beam; then it reared ar
lile an animal in desperation, and with
the agility of a cat regained its position
on wild wave and rode it with a gal
lantry that charmed the fisherman
Then lost for noment it appeared
again as if it had been discharged from
one of Neptune's greatest guns sta
toned on a moro of the deep.
"Bravo!" shouted fisherman.
"She deserves to live," said another
but look!" shrieked third.
The shattered vessel had crossed the
bar and was heading straight for Sand
island. Caught on the receding water.
IL l.