Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1904-08-31

Another week had elapsed. The Var.
mouth had been driven steadily north.
ward and by contrary winds prevented
from making her course. She was In
precarious condition, too. A further
examination had disclosed that some
of her spars, especially the mainmast.
had been 80 severely and seriously
wounded. even more SO than at first
reported, as scarcely to permit any sail
at all to be set on them and not 1T in
any way 10 endure stress OF weather.
The damages had been made good,
however. as far as possible, the rigging
knotted aud spliced, the spars iished
and strengthened as well. The ship
had been leaking slightly all the time.
from injuries received in the fight in
ell probability, but few hours at the
pumps daily had hitherto kept her free.
and. though the carpenter had been
most assiduous in search for the
leaks and had stopped as many as he
had been able 10 come at, some of them
could not be found. The weather had
steadily changed for the worse as they
had reached higher ATTITUDES, and 1t
was now cold. rainy and very threat
ening The captain and his officers
were filed with anxiety and foreb0d.
ing. Katharine kept sedulously in her
cabin. deyoured by grief and despair.
J and the once CHEEKY colonel, full Of
deep sympathy for his unfortunate
daughter. went about. softly and sadly
during the long days.
I The day broke glooimly on one GER.
tain unfortunate morning. They had
not seen the sun for five days, nor did
they see 1t then. No gladstone light
flooded the heavens and awoke the sea.
The sky was deeply overcast with cold.
dull. leaden clouds that hung low and
heavy over the mighty ship; horror
Of darkness enshrouded the ocean.
Away off on the horizon TO the north.
east the sky was black with great
masses Of frightful looking clouds.
Through the glass the watchful officers
saw that rain was falling in torrents
from them, while the vivid lightning
played necessarily through them.
Where the ship was II had fallen sud.
denly calm, and she lay gently rolling
and rocking In the moderate swell. But
they could see the hurricane driving
Gown upon them, coming at lightning
speed. standing like solid wall and
fattening the waves by sheer weight.
All hands had been called on deck at
once at the first glimpse Of the coming
hurricane.
/ Desborough had the trumpet The
alert and eager topmen were sent aloft
TO strip the ship Of the little canvas the
heavy weather and weakened spars had
permitted them to show. II was race
between them and the coming storm.
The men worked desperately, madly.
Some of them had not yet reached the
deck when the rain and the wind were
upon them. BY the captains direction
the colonel had brought Katharine
from below, and she was standing on
the quarter deck sheltered by the over
hang of the poop above, listlessly
watching. Desborough had made no
progress in his love affairs. He had too
much tact and delicacy to press his
suit under the present untoward cir
cumstances and indeed had been too
necessarily occupied with the pressing
eXigencies of the shattered ship and the
duties OF his responsible position there.
on TO have any time to spare for more
than the common courtesies.
/ nj Of at Ing
them. A sudden change in its direc.
ton caused the first fierce blow to fall
fairly upon the starboard side of the
ship. 1t pressed her down on her
beam ends. over and over she went.
down, down. Would she ever right
again? All. the spliced shrouds and
stays on the weather side. which had
been that attacked by the Randolph.
finally gave way, the mainmast went
by the board about half way below tho
top. the foremost at the cap and the
mizzen topmast too. Relieved of this
enormous mass of heavy top hamper.
the ship slowly righted herself. The
immense mass of wreckage beat and
Numbered against the port side. 1t
was fearful situation, but all was
not yet lost,
Calamity led by Desborough himself.
who saw In one sweeping giance that
Katharine was still safe. the men. with
axes and knives, hacked through the
rigging which held the wreck OF the
giant spars 10 the ship, aud after a few
moments OF sickening suspense she
drifted clear A Bit Of storm canvas
was spread forward on the wreck Of
the foremost. and The ship got before
the Wind and drove on, laborlng aud
pllrhlnR I'M the hoANN nnn.