Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1906-08-28

W rn tinge. Steel gray Were sly a2d
W ter. somber the iron bound land,
W lie the whereabouts of the sun be-
c; Ie a scientific abstraction. There
fC /, the heliograph was useless, and
E nd, helped by some of the sailors,
CO anenced to faunt his flag signals to
the watching telescopes on the faroH
promontory of the Lands End. The
Falcon, strong hearted trawler, was
plunging toward the rock when the
first line of gay bunting swung clear
into the breeze. And what a message
1t was-in its jerky phrases-its pro-
found uncertainties-for communica-
ton by flag code is slow work, and
Brand left much to an easier system of
talk with the approaching steamer.
Chinook-New York to Southampton
struck reef during hurricane - propeller
shaft broken-7S survivors in lighthouse
captain, POI passengers, officers and crew
lost with ship.
The awful significance of the words
sank into the hearts of the signalers.
For the first time the disaster from
which, by Gods providence, they had
emerged safely became crystallized in
to set speech. Seventy 1lt living out
of 2SO who might have lived! This was
the curt intelligence which leaped the
waves to fly over the length and
breadth of the land, which sped back
to the States TO replace the expected
news of a safe voyage, which thrilled
the civilized world as it had not been
thrilled for many Il day.
in 11n lTht
thought to this side of the affair. All
We're anxious to reassure their loved
ones, but in their present moribund
condition they could not realize the
electric effect Of the incident on the
wider world which read and had hearts
to feel
Even while Stephen Brand was sig
Mailing to the Falcon with little white
flags quickly eXtempOrized as soon as
she neared the Trinity buoy, news
paper correspondents ashore We're busy
at the telegraph office and their asso-
ciates on the rawler were eagerly
transcribing the lighthouse keepers
words wherewith to feed to fever heat
the sensation which the night had pro-
vided for the day
Brand, foreseeing the Importance of
clearnesS and breyity, had already
written out q full draft of his detailed
message.
. Faithful to his promise, Stapleton
was acting as signaler in chief on
board the Falcon. so Brand might ma
nipulate his flags as quickly as lay in
his power, with Chief Officer Emmett
reading the words at his elbow. There
was no fear that any mistake would be
made by the receiver.
The story. if condensed, was COM
plete. Beginning with an explanation
of the liners disablement, it dealt with
her desperate but unavailing struggle
to weather the reef, described Pyne's
gallant and successful effort to get in
touch with the lighthouse, the rescue of
a fourth of those on board, the names
Of the survivors, and, finally, their pre-
dicament In the matter of food and
water
All this took long to tell
Within the lantern, Charles A. Pyne,
appointed supernumerary assistant
keeper, was Furnishing brass work as
knew the use which was being made Of
his name by the tiny bits of linen toss
ing about on the exterior gallery. In
such wise. helped by compositor and
dignified by headlines, does Il man be-
come hero in these days Of knight
hood conferred by the press.
Constance was scrutiniZing the Fal-
ccc f"H,,I tho trimming stage. Hearing
Enid's chcery Good morning" to Pyne
when that young lady raced upward
from the kitchen to catch 4 glimpse Of
the reported vessel. she dropped her
glasses for Il moment.
Jack is on board" she announced.
"Of course he would be there. And
there is such a lot Of other men-half
PenZance. think"
Enid joined her. Pyne. too, thought
he could polish 4 burner up there as
well as on the floor of the service room.
Stanhope's stalwart figure, clad in
oilskins, was clearly defined as he stood
small bridge, reading off the signals
and sending back spasmodic twitter-
ings of the flags which he also had pro-
cured to indicate that each word was
understood
"Who is the skipper of the tug?"
inquired Pyne quietly.
Both girls laughed.
You mean Jack" cried Enid. "He
Is not the captain. He is an officer of
the royal navy. our greatest friend"
"Jack is his front name, 1 suppose"
went ON Pyne, breathing on the copper
disk in his hands to test its clearness.
''We will introduce you, even at this
distance" said Constance airily. ''Mr.
Pyne, this is Lieutenant John Percival
Stanhope, only son Of the late Sir
Charles and Lady Margaret Stanhope
of Tregarthen Lodge, Penzance, one Of
the best and dearest fellows who ever
lived"
cit must be nice to be a friend Of
yours, Miss Brand, IL you always talk
about the favored person in that way"
said Pyne, rubbing industriously.
Enid, to whom the mere sight Of the
haH oil I,ov vita lfkv