Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1906-10-25
CHAPTER VII.

w the hour, in like N,nnner APP
parently are the gravcr issues OF life
or death determined ut times. 1t Is not
so. we know. Behind tho trivinlty on
which men fasten With amazcment as
the governing fnctor In events there
lies an inscrutablo purpose. Yet. to
those watching the destruction of the
splendid vessel, there was little evil
dence Of other than blind fury in tho
fashion Of her undoing.
The hoarsc words had scarce left
Brands lips before a third wave, high
er and more truculont than its prede-
cessors. spranR right over tho lost shlp
and smothcrcd her in IN avalanche Of
wnter. No doubt this monster swept
away some of the officers and crew. II
was impossible to he certain Of aught
save the one thlng-that the steamer
would surely break up before their
eyes. The wind, now blowing in fierce
gusts; the scu, rising each minute the
clouds Of spray chasing each other in
eerie flights through space; the grind
Ing, fncessant, utterly overwhelming
noise Of tho reef, made all sights and
sounds indefinite, neblilolis, almost fam
tastic.
But when the giant blllow receded,
leaving the ship like dark rock in the
midst Of innumernble cascades, tho ca
tastrophe took place which Brand
would have foresecn were his thoughts
less tumultllous. With the support Of
the sea withdrawn from half its length
the huge hull must either slip back
into deep water or break in two. The
slender steel shell Of an ocean liner Is
not constructed to resist the law OF
gravity acting on full 5000 tons. SO
tho solid looking colossus cracked like
carrot. and the after part fell back
into tho watery chasm, there to hc
swallowed instantly amid turmoil
which happily drowned the despoirlng
shrleks Of far more than half Of those
on board.
Constance and Enid screamed bitter.
ly in their woe, but again they were
saved from utter collapse by the ex-
1gencies OF the moment. Brand. who
expected to see the remainder Of the
ship blown up by the inrushing Of the
sea to the furnaces, dragged them fore
IDLY below the level Of the protecting
balustrade.
Yet nothing OF the sort took place.
A vast cloud of steam rushed upward,
but 1t was dlssipated by the next
breath of the gale. This incident told
The lighthouse keeper much. The ves-
Eel had been disabled so long that her
3killful commander. finding the motive
power Of no further avail and certain
bot ltu obiy, ha lri,-n, CT
had ordered the fires to be drawn and
the steam TO he exhausted from all
boilers excent one. Therefore her shaft
was broken. reasoned Brand. Pr0ba-
bly, the accident had occurred during
the height of the hurricane. and her
steering gear. OF little use without tho
driving force Of the engines to help.
might have been disabled Mt the same
time.
When the horror stricken watchers
looked again ut the wreck the forward
part had shifted Its position. 1t was
now lying broadside on to tho seas,
and tho lofty foremost thrust its truck
to within few feet Of them.
They were spared ono ehastly scene
which must surely have bereft tho
girls Of their senses. The majority Of
the first class passengers had gathered
in the saloon. Some chung like limpets
10 the main Rangwny; number, most
~ men, crowded together in the draw
ing room on the promenade deck. Far
Their than this they could not so, as tho
companion hatchways had been locked
by the officer of the watch, the decks
being quite impossible.
When the hull yielded. the spacious
saloon was exposed to the vicious
waves. Finding this new cavern opened
to them, great liquid tongues sprang
into the darkness and licked out hap
less victims by the score. OF this ap-
palling incident those In the lighthouse
knew nothing until long afterward.
When the ship struck, the electric dy-
namos stopped, and oil her lights went
out. The lighthouse lamp, owing to Its
rays being concentrated by the dioptric
lens, helped not at all to dssipate the
dim and CHASTITY vision beneath, but
the great frame Of the fore part Of the
vessel served as breakwater to some
extent and temporarily withheld the
waves from beating against the col
umn.
Hence Brand, stralnng his eyes
through the flying ruck, fancied he
could make out the figure of the cap
tain as he left, the bridge and with
some Of the crew, took shelter behind
the structure Of the library and state
cabins on what remained of the prom
enade deck. At the same moment the
frenzied occupants of the library ant
gangway contrlved to burst open the
aoor Of the main companion.
If they had to die, they might as vel
die in the open and not boxed up IL
impenetrable darkness. AS matter
of fact the bolts were forced by mar
who fired his revolver at them. Thu
sea quickly discovered this new outlet
The next wave, passing through thu
saloon, sent tons Of water pouring
through the open hatch. One good re
suit accrued. The strong canvas avn
ing which prolonged the spar deck wa
carried away, and the group of surviv
ors, benumbed with cold and who'll!
overcome by their desperate position
could see the entire height Of the gran
lite column in front crowned with 1t
diadem of brlliance. The liberated