The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1904-01-14
Thu Shippers
Honor.
BY John Fleming Wilson.

IT HE steam coaster Oracle Jackson
was lost She had strayed out
of the Columbia river on thick morn
Ding in November, bound for San Fran
cisco. Three days had passed since
then, and on this dull forenoon she
'tumbled wildly in a jobble of sea
somewhere off the Oregon coast, the
crew knew not where. In her cramped
saloon the skipper and mate were
asleep. asleep beyond the power of the
frightened sailors to awake. The chief
engineer had come up from below to
assist in the process of rousing them,
but after half-hour's vain attempt he
now stood back against the bulkhead
easing his mind. They're couple OF
sots," he explained to the drawn-faced
.bos'n. "The old man started lushing
before we were across the bar, and the
mate amt been sober for a week.
don't believe those two seacoOks have
even got their departure chalked down.
know they amt wrote line in the
hog since we passed Tillamook abel
lowing in the fog. Drunk: Drunk!
-" and the engineer and the bos'n
lifted up their voices in sea blessing,
deep, vociferous and mighty.
Il reckon we're off Cape Blanco
somewhere" suggested a sailor who
had stamped in. Its running All ugly
sea, too. Thicker'n peasoup, and the
glass way down. Whatll we do. sir?"
The engineer grunted with the wrath
of two sleepless days. Then he STUN
bled up the companionway to the deck,
and the bos'n shuffied after him. For
ward in the wheelhouse they found a
grim-visaged seaman clinging hungrily
to the jerking wheel, and peering out
from the compass to the gray, froth-
ing ocean that seemed to have risen
like a cloud of kissing steam about
the Oracle Jackson. There was no
twinkle of the sun, and the bowling
wind drove the vapor across the plung-
ing decks in huge pillows. A boat,
crushed and broken, lay wobbling I'M
der the weather rail Aft the hum
ming funnel spun a sooty thread
against the low cloud. All this the
engineer took in with sweeping
glance. Then he looked back on the
chart shelf at the slate. A clumsy
hand had Chalked tentative reckon
ings on it and the barometer and log
readings. There was no attempt,
however, to fix the position of the
steamer on the chart pinned beneath.
The engineer swore gruffly, and then
abruptly departed by the lee door, to
return holding in his hand copy of
his own log. The bos'n joined him,
and they puzzled. and figured, and
cursed till noon. tits no use," said
the engineer, after a final wrestle.
eve can't get bottom with the lead;
we amt an observation of any sort to
go on: we amt even got an approx
mate distance lodged. We might be
off San Diego or the Sahara Desert so
far's we know"
"How much we making now?" asked
the sailor at the wheel.
Seven by the engines" was the re-
ply. Give by the log. May be going
1astern for all that"
81 reckon" continued the helmsman,
slowly-"I reckon we're about off
Blanoo. How much coal we got?"
Sixteen hours this gait"
There was a long pause, filled only
with the harsh noises of the ocean and
the laboring vessel. Then the man at
the wheel, as he ceased the Oracle over
q crested surge, muttered an oath and
besought his Creator to show no
mercy to the stupored men in the
saloon. , .,sgs-s
We've got to do something" said
the bos'n, practically. s"I guess Cap'n
Flint amt coming to to-day, and the
mates worse off yet. We got to get
sail on her to steady her and fetch
somewhere mighty quick. When we're
short of coal the foresail and staysail
ought to take us along"
The engineer thought while, and
then, turned brusquely to the bos'n.
"T'm in command here" he said. "Put
some sail on her and get out to sea
somewhere. We amt going to risk ii
tnshore this weather. I'll save my Goa!
for q pinch. You take command on
deck, and I'll keep watch with you
soon as shut my hampers and get all
snug below"
The bos'n nodded and slipped out on
deck. He took his chance and ran
forward, and disappeared. When he
emerged again from the tiny fo'c's'le
ut was with three men at his heels.
They regained the nilot houso and ro