Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1906-10-16

~ceiyed q cable Wnlcn feHueTeu hy
presence in New York absolutely I'M
peratiye. There was big develop
ment scheme just being engineered IN
connection with our property. In fact,
the event which had such tragic Sc
uuel practically quadrupled your fof-
tune and mine. By that time the Ia
dies were so enthusiastic about the
seaGoing qualities of the yacht that
they would have sailed round the world
in her, and poor Pyne had no difficulty
In persuading them to take the leisure
ly way. home. while | raced off via
Newcastle and Liverpool to the other
side. 1 received my last cable from
them dated southampton, July 20, and
they were due in New York somewhere
about Aug. 5 or G. allowing for ordi-
nary winds and weather.
1.I0uring the night of July 21 when
midway between the Scilly isles and
the Fastnet they ran into dense fog.
Within five minutes, without the least
warming. the Esmeralda was struck
amidships by a big Nova Scotian bark.
The little vessel sank almost like
stone Nevertheless your father, back
ed by his skipper and splendid crew,
lowered two beats, and all hands We're
saved for the moment. 1t was Pynes
boast that his boats were always stored
with food and water against any kind
of emergency; but. of course, they
made every effort to reach the ship
which had sunk them rather than ell
deavor to sail back to this coast. AS
the Esmeralda was under steam at the
time. her boilers exploded as she went
down. and this undoubtedly caused the
second catastrophe. The captain no
ticed that the strange ship went off
close hauled to the wind which blew
steadily from the west, so he, in the
leading boat, with your father and mo-
ther, you and my wife and child, fol-
lowed in that direction. He shouted to
four men in the second boat to keep
close as the fog was terrific. The
bark. the John S., hearing the noise of
the bursting boilers, PROMPTLY swung
around. and in the effort to render as
sistance caused the second and far
more serious catastrophe. The cap
tain's boat encountered her just as the
two crafts were getting way on them.
Some one in the boat shouted, they
heard an answering hail and instantly
crashed into tic bark's bows. The sail
became entangled in the martingale Of
the bowsprit, the boat was driven un-
der and filed, and the second boat
crashed into her. All the occupants of
the captains boat were thrown into the
sea. You were grasped by negro, a
powerful swimmer. He, with yourself
and two sailors, were rescued, and that
fafI
man, and he could swim well. He
must have been stunned or injured in
some way. The two sailors jumped
from the second boat and clung to the
bark's bobstays. The whole thing was
over in few seconds"
Mr.. Trail rose and paced slowly to
the window. Pyne stared into the fire
There was no need for either CT then,
to conjure up the heartrending scene
as the sharp Prov of the sailing ship
cleft through the seas and spurned the
desparng hands clutching at her black
walls.
Too often had the older man pictured
that horrific vision. 1t had darkened
many hours, blurred many forgetful
moment of pleasure with n quick rush
of pain.
Even NOW rs he looked out into the
still street lie fauc.ei lie could Sex
Enid's mother smiling at him from 6
luminous mist.
He passed hand over his eyes anC
gazcd again at the moonlit roadway
From the black shadows opposite 6
policeman crossed toward the hotel
md he heard bell ring. These triy
ial tidings restored his wandering
thoughts. Eow the discovery of hi:
lost chill, had brought back flood o
buried memories!
1T is easy to understand that
should be fanciful tonight" he said
returning to the CHEEKY glow of tn
fire and the brightness of the room
"The wh ole story of the disaster cen
tered in the narratives Of the Sailo"
and the negro They all declared tina
both boats went down. The crew o
the bark. who ran to starboard, as tn
leading boat was swamped and san
on that side. imagined they heard erie
to port. But, though they lowered
boat and cruised about the locality fo
hours. they found nothing but wreck
age You. Charlie. when | went to S
Johns FIVE weeks later. could only te
me that you had felt very cold an
wet. That is all 1 ever knew of th
fate of the Esmeralda until, in God
good time. l met Stanhope on boar
the Falcon"
..sThen the manner of Ends rescue
conjectural?"
Absolutely. But Stanhope, who
q sailor, and two men named Spent
and Jones, who were Brands CO
leagues on the Gulf Rock at that tim
have helped me in building up cor
plete theory. 1t is quite clear that Il
second boat did not sink, as was
ported by the captain of the John