The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-05-28
Left wreck on the Tumbling Seas.

Twenty-two days after the tea ship
sighted the wreck she was almost run
down one night by an English steamer
called The Opal She was then in the
latitude of the cape and 450 miles from
the coast. She was boarded as a dere-
Hct, with the intention of setting fire
to her and removing a dangerous OBJ
struction, and great was the surprise
of the boarding officer to find Captain
Davis.
He left his berth to light up the
cabin and place wine and cigars on
the table. The adventures he had gone
through had not affected his health. but
he had become tired of the lonely stu
alton, and wanted to start a bargain
to be towed into port. When a figure
was made he declared he would
never pay half that sum and some hot
words following, he seized a pistol and
drove the strangers into their boat.
A week later she was overhauled by
the English bark EndeaVOr, which had
received notice of the desire of the
owners of the cargo. The captain of
the EndeavOr made up his mind to seize
the wreck, rig jurymasts and carry her
into port, and a nice plum in the way
of salvage he would have had had he
succeeded The Highland Chief was
then below the latitude of the cape and
drifting to the south. Captain Davis
calmly smoking cigar, and seeming
to be clear of all anxiety, received the
mate of the Endeavor in a hospitable
manner, but soon let him understand
NIldl ne ulQ not nlIenQ TO leave the
wreck. If he could get spare sparS at
his own figure, and if three or four
men could be had without a bonus, he
would make shift to finish his voyage
but otherwise he would let the hulk
drift where she would and end his days
with her
This was no more than he had said be-
fore, but the mate of the Endeavor be-
lteved that loneliness and anxiety had af-
fected his mind to a considerable extent
While he was obstinate minded and had a
pride in keeping his word, his whole for
tune was invested in that hulk, and it
It. The captain of the EndeavOr offered
him fair terms in several directions, and
it was only after Davis had rejected them
that a move was made to carry the wreck
by force
The mate returned with four men to
PACK him, and. suspecting their inten-
ordered them off. When attention was
paid to his threats he opened fire and kill
ed the mate and common hand and he
wounded a third man. That ended any
further attempt on the part of the En-
deavOr to take possession.
That was the last time man or wreck
was seen by mortal eye. Men-Of-war
hunted for her for months, and a hun
bred merchantmen kept a lookout, but
she was never again reported. 1t is pos
sible that she may have been battered to
pieces in a storm, but there was more
likelihood that she drifted down into the
| great sea south of the cape and brought
up at last among the ice fields She may
have been cut down by the driving ice.
crushed by collision with some great berg
or she may have been frozan in and will
some day appear before the eyes of an
/ Antarctic exploring party to cause sur
prise and CONSERVATION
| If it is so. then her captain will be found
aboard of her, perhaps sitting in his
chair at table or bending over his log
book but he will have been dead for years
and years-dead of WEAKNESS and exhaus-
ton and cold.-(Copyright, 1904 by T. c.
McClure)