Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1906-12-28
rn xvu-(Continued.)

u,pTFR XXII.-(Continued.)
ina hos over looked on more aw-
Il ~ ..sht We had struck the oa ta,e,lnP
aL ' s,sg1idsbips-we had crashed through
0T ail-aos+ coat of her steel. She had
be 'n' -;ab+ over from the shock, so that
iee'o Lod east free from the carriages,
De su 5o saas had filled her. Thus for
inl t-rr;bIo minute she lay, and then'
nT heavy lurch, she rolled beneath
'l.n -aras and there was left but thirty
'Ds ., "+ struggling souls, who battled tor
.o' I;roy with the great rollers OF the
lTt Of these a few reached the side
Aian''. lin and were shot there as they
'94s !" orrspIves we lay, our bows split
~ the shock. our engine room IN rear
vi s,'D 7;snrder. The other warships were
Jul ll.s distance away; but they opened
It. ,7or rs at hazard, and, of the first
~ 1s,a sboIfs which fell, two cut our decks;
'1 W ,on+ cIonds of splinters of wood and
NV u. ,,r,or flesh flying in the smoke-laden
u, Al the fifth shot, gigantic crash
.,.onndad from below, and the stokers
y,I ohora with the news that the fore
S-,, hold had three feet of water IN 1t.
~. hands received the news with a deep
- -ll They beloved like bulls at Black
.,,,, refused all orders. He shot down
~! ofror man. while [ crouched for safe
- IN the tower; and they became but
:,.oor Our end was evidently near.
Avon +hpv turned upon the captain and
nrsoIf and fred volleys upon the coming
over or, in their terrible frenzy they
,ftcbnd themselves into the sea.
Tbrougb all this our one engine work
Il and 50 slowly did the great ironclad
draw mon us that the end Of it all came
,aforo they could reach us. Suddenly the
mo-, rushed to the boats and cast them
ooSa Fighting with the dash OF mad
mon they crowded the launch, they
warmed the jolly-boat and the lifeboat.
Ne watched their insane efforts as boat
after boat put away and was swamped,
loaving the men to drown. When =
,clock came, Black and Karl and myself
Wpre alone upon the great ship. Black
pulled NE by the arm and said:
boy, they've left nothing but the
dinghy. The old ships done; and it's
lime you left her"
And YOU" l asked.
He looked at me and at Karl. He
followed me slowly, as one in dream, to
the davits aft, and freed the last of the
boats. Then he went to his cabin, and to
the rooms below and I helped him to put
e AoTs Jon Fro
craft, with some biscuit, which we dashed.
When all was ready, the. captain went
10 the engine room and brought Karl to
the top of the ladder; but there the Ger
man stayed, nor did threats or entreaties
move him.
He'll die with the Ship" said Black,
and don't know that he isn't wise; :"
but he held out his hand to the genius of
bis crime and after a great grip the two
men parted.
For ourselves, we stepped on the frail-
est craft with which men ever faced the
Atlantic and at that moment the first OF
the irOnclads fired another shell at the
nameleSS ship. 1t was a crashing shot,
but it had come too late to serve justice,
or to wreck the ship of mystery; for Karl
had let the hydrogen into the cylinders I'M
checked And in a cascade of fire, light
ing the sea for many miles, and making
as day the newly fallen night, the golden
citadel Kissed over the water for one mo-
ment, then plunged headlong, and was no
more.
A fierce fire it was, lighting sea and
shy-a mighty holocaust; the roar of
great confagration; the end of mon
strous dream. And 1 thought of another
fire and another face-the face of Mar
tin Hall, who had seen the finger of
Almighty God in his mission; and l said,
His work is done ~
But Black, clirging to the dinghy, wept
as man stricken with a great grief, and
he cried so that the coolest heart might
have been moved
My ship, my shipw