The Aberdeen Democrat. (Aberdeen, South Dakota) 1???-1909, 1905-08-04
neylookcd do,cn into the urctchcd Graf,


TheylOoked doaon into the orrctchcd craft.
ter. After the first moment of stupor
gallant British sailors risked life and
limb to bring the vessel under control.
BY their calm courage they shamed
the paralyZed Lascars into activity. A
sail was rugged on the foremost and n
sea anchor hastily constructed as soon
as 1t was discovered that the helm was
useless. Rockets flared up into the
Sky ut regular intervals in the faint
hope that should they attract the at
tentlon or another vessel she would fol-
low the disabled Sirdnr and render
help when the weather moderated.
When the captain asccrtained that
no water was being shipped, the dam
age being wholly external, the collision
doors We're opened and the passengers
admitted to b saloon, Il brilliant pal
ace, superbly Indifferent to the wreck
and ruin without.
Captain Ross himself came down and
addressed a few comforting words to
the quiet men and pallid women gath
cred there. He told them exactly what
had happened.
The hours passed in tedious misery
after Captain Ross visit. Every one
was eager to get a glimpse Of the I'M
known terrors without from the deck.
This was out Of the question, so peo-
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
cussing a fresh risk that doomed
ominously before them. The ship was
q 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 Ian
gerous places In the known world, the
south China sea-, with It's numberless
! reefs, shoals and isolated rocks and
the great island Of Borneo stretching
right across the path Of the cyclone.
Still there was nothing to be done
save to make n few unobtrusive prepa-
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 n 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 furi-
GUS but steadier wind.
Captain Ross entered the chart house
for the twentieth time.
He had aged many years in appear
ice The smiling, confident, debonair
officer was changed into Il stricken,
m%ournful a He had altered with
his ship. The Sirdar and her master
could hardly be recognized, so crue
were the blows they had received.
1T Is impossible to see a YARD
ahead" he confided to his second il
command. II have never been so anx
ious before in my life. Thank God, thu
! night is drawing to a close. Perhaps
when day breaks
His last words contained a prayer
/, and a hope. Even as he spoke the shil
seemed to lift herself bodily with AZ
unusual effort for n vessel moving be
fore the wind.
!, The next instant there was Il horrible
grinding crash forward. Each Dersol
who did not chance to be holding fas
to an upright vas thrown violentl.
t down. The deck was tilted to a dan
gerous angle and remained there, Will
the heavy buffeting of the sea, nov
raging afresh ut this unlocked for re
t sistance, drowned the despairinG yell
: raised by the Lascars on duty.
The Sirdar had completed her las
voyage. She was now Il battered wrec'
l on a barrier reef. She hung thus TO
+ one heartbrcaking second. Then al
: other wave, riding triumphant
through Its fellows, caught the srea
! steamer In its tremendous grasp, cai
ried her onward for half her lenSl
{ and smashed her down on the rock'
. Her back was broken. She parted |
g two halves. Both sections turned con
$ pletely over in the utter wantoniess 9
8 destruction. and everythins-ihast
tunnels, boats. hull. with every liSlii
soul on board-was at once elsuiie
q In a maelstrom of rushing water an
= fur flung spray.