Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1906-10-05

WlntpWS CluStu wv ing W tuc ilCui Sloho
Of the rising tide-this unpleasing az
gregate of physical misery was serious
~ augmented by an ever increasing list
Of sick people. an almost total absence
Of any medical comforts and grow
ing knowledge. on the part Of those not
too Respondent to think. that their ulti-
mate relief might be deferred for days
rather than hours.
No mere man can understand, and Il
woman Of ordinary experience can but
dimly imagine. the difficulty and ardu
BUSINESS Of the task undertaken by
Constance and Enid.
To cook and supply food for eighty
one persons with utensils intended for
the use of three. to give each separate
Individual an utterly inadequate pOr-
ton, so skillfully distributed that none
should have cause to grumble at his or
her neighbours better fortune-here
were culinary problems at once COM
pick and exhaustive.
BY adopting fantastic devices, bring
ing into service empty jam pots and
sardine tins. they found 1t was possible
to feed twenty ut time. This meant
the preparation of four distinct meals,
each requiring an hours work. Long
before the last batch, which included
themselves. was lamenting the absurd
discrepancy between appetite and an
tidOte in the shape Of anything to eat,
the first was ravenous again.
The women complained the least. In
the occupants Of the two bedrooms the
girls encountered a passive fOrtitude
which was admirable. 1t was an ex-
traordinary scene which met their eyes
when they entered either of these
stuffy apartments. Many Of the res
cued ladies had not given a thought to
changing the demitoilet of evening
wear on board ship for more service
able clothing when the hurricane over
took the vessel They all. 1t Is true,
possessed cloaks or wraps of some sort,
with salt water and therefore unwear
able, even II the oppressive warmth In
each room rendered such a thing pos
sible. Their elegant costumes of mus
lin. cotton, silk or satin were utterly
ruined. Lucky were the few whose
blouses or bodices had not been rent
into tatters.
Some of the worst sufferers in this
respect were now the best provided
Blankets and sheets had been ruthless
ly torn up and roughly stitched into
articles Of clothing. Mrs. Vansittart,
for instance, who first suggested this
via media. wore an exquisite Paris
gown and a loose dressing jacket ar
Tangement Of yellow blanket, the COM
ponent parts Of which she persuaded
two other women to sew together on
the model provided by her own elegant
figure.
A few quick witted ones who fol-
lowed her example exhausted the avail
able stock. and pillowcases and rugs
would have undergone metamorphosis
In the same way had not Constance
come to the rescue by impounding
them, declaring that they must be re-
served for the use Of those sufferers
who needed warmth and rest.
The men passed their time in smok-
Ing, singing, EARNING and specializing
on the chance Of the weather clearing.
Ultimately. when the banging Of the
waves again made the column feel un-
safe, small section began to plan
petty attempts to pilfer the provisions.
1t Is the queer mixture Of philosopher
and beast In the average human being
that makes 1t possible for the same
man In one mood to risk his life quite
voluntarily to save others and in an
other to organize selfish theft.
After an ingenious seaman had been
detected in an attempt to pick the
storeroom lock, and when a tray of
cold ham was deliberately upset while
. football scrimmage took place for the
pieces, Mr.. Emmett stopped these
ebullitions by arming the watch with
assorted weapons from the workshop
and issuing stern orders as to their use
In case Of need.
Here again the warning elements
which form the human clay were ad
mirably displayed. On duty, under the
bonds Of discipline, the coarse grained
foremost hand who had gobbled up a
surreptitious lump Of fat pig during
the first successful scufile would brain
the daring rascal who tried to better
his condition by a similar trick a sec
ond time. Discipline sometimes con-
verts q sljulker into a hero.
When the state Of the tide permitted,
storm shutters were opened and a free
draft of air allowed to enter through
the door. Then all hands eyed the sea
anxiously. The wind was strong and
piercing. and the reef maintained its
ceaseless roaring. Whenever q window
opened toward the land there was a
small crowd waiting to peep through
It At last the sense of orderliness
gradually permeating the inmates Of
the lighthouse actually resulted in the
formation Of queues, with stated in
tervals for moving on. There was a
momentary relief In looking at the
land. The cliffs, the solitary white
houses, the little hamlets half hidden
in cOzy hooks, seemed to be so alb
surdly near. 1t was ridiculous to imag-
inc that help could be long deferred.
The seaward passing Of a steamer, car
rying flowers from the Scilly isles to
Penzance for Covent Garden, caused a
hutter. but the sight Of a Penzance
fishing smack scudding under jlb and
close reefed foresail between the rock
and Guthenbras point created intense
excitement. Noah. gazing across the
food for the return Of the dove with
the olive branch, could not be more
pleased than these castaways in their
granite ark when the brown sailed
boat came within their view.
The window in the coal cellar opened
fair toward the Lands End. and the
grimy occupants Of this compartment
could look their fill at the messenger of
life. A rich New Yorker in vain offered
500 to any man who gave up his place
In the line after he himself, by the op-
"a