Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-12-28

no water was being shipped. the dam.
age being wholly external, the collision
doors were opened and the passengers
admitted to the saloon. a brilliant pal.
ace. supcrbly Indifferent to the wreck
and ruin without.
Captain Ross himself came down and
addressed n few comforting words to
the quiet men and pallid women gath
cred there. lie told them exactly what
had happened.
The hours passed in tedious misery
after Captain Ross visit. Every one
was eager 10 get a glimpse Of the I'M
known tcrrors without from tho deck.
This was out Of the question, 80 PEG.
pie sat around the tables to listen
eagerly to Experience and his wise
saws on drifting ships and their pros
poets.
Some cautious persons visited their
cabins to secure valuables in case Of
further disaster. A few hardy spirits
returned to bed.
Meanwhile in the chart house the cap
tain and chief officer were gravely
bordering over an open chart and dis.
GUESSING n fresh risk that doomed
ominously before them. The ship wns
long way out Of her usual course
when the accident happened. She was
drifting now. they estimated. eleven
knots an hour, with wind. sea and cur.
rent all forcing her in the same direc'
ton. drifting into one Of the most dan
gerous places in the known world. the
south China sea. with its numberless
reefs. shoals and isolated rocks and
the great island Of Rornco stretching
right across the path Of the cyclone.
Still there was nothing to I've done
save to make a few unObtrusivc prcpa-
rations and trust to idle chance. To
attempt to anchor and ride out the gale
in their present position was out Of the
question.
Two, 3. 4 o'clock came and went
Another half hour would witness the
dawn and further clearing Of the
weather. The barometer was RAPIDLY
rising. The center Of the cyclone had
swept far ahead. There was only left
the aftermath of heavy seas and iurl
GUS but stcadier wind.
Captain Ross entered the chart house
for the twentieth time
He had aged many years in appear
! ancc The smiling, confident. debonai,
officer was changed into stricken
mournful man. lie had altered will
his ship. The Sirdnr and her master
could hardly be recognized. so crue
were the blows they had received.
ut il impossible to see yard
ahead" he confided to his second ir
command. II have never been so anX
ious before in my life. Thank God. the
night is drawing to a close. Perhaps
when day breaks"
| His last words contained prayer
and hope. Even as he spoke the ship
seemed to lift herself bodily with nr
unusual effort for vessel moving be
fore the wind
The next instant there was horrible
grinding crash forward. Each person
who did not chance to be holding fas
to an upright was thrown violently
down. The deck was tilted 10 dan
gerous angle and remained there, whit
the heavy buffeting OF the sea. nov
raging afrcsh ut this unlocked for re
sistance. drowned the despairing yell
raised by the Lascars on duty.
The Sirdar had completed her las
voyage. She was now battered wrecl
OIL Il barrier reef. She hung thus 70
one heartbreaking second Then an
! other wave riding triumDhQntl,
through its fellows, caught the grea
steamer In its tremendous grasp. car
ried her onward for half her length
and smashed her down on the rocks
Her back was broken. She parted il
two halves. Both sections turned com
pletely over in the utter wantonness o
destruction. and everything-masts
tunnels, boats. hull. with every livin
soul on board-was at once cngufe
in a maelstrom Of rushing water an
far flung spray.