Los Angeles herald., 1907-11-03

rolling over and throwing us all into the
sea. Our beat was swamped by the swell
| raised, and there we were, four of us
gasping for life near the berg and four
more clinging to the upturned boat. They
saw 1t all from the ship and sent another
boat, but not soon enough to save two
of the men with me, who could not swim,
and being chilled soon drowned. Singu-
larly enough we found the drowned car
cass Of the bear but did not recover our
shipmates.
Crowned with. the Aurora
When we got alongside and started
to, set the carcass inboard sudden bed
lam broke out among the cattle which
none of us could understand till 1t dawned
on the skipper that they smelled the
bear. We sent the attendants among
them and it was not till the carcass had
been skinned and the body dumped over
board that the cattle became Quilted.
What with the break in our engines, our
lack CT coal and fodder, the loss of our
shlpmates and a good boat, we were
all in the dumps, and nothing is so con-
ducive to blues at sea as calm on
a sailing ship or breakdown on a
steamer.
The bursting of the iceberg left it's
gigantic fragments huddled together in
a confused mass, and we thought no more
of 1t till a quartermaster yelled out:
,"My God! Look there!" while he point
ed over the bow toward the berg.
The scene beggars my descriptive
powers. The aurora borealis was leap
ing high in the northern dome of the
heavens and every fitful flash it made
was reflected back by the ice mountain,
now small enough to be easily moved by
the sea, and 1t seemed that the great
tongues of ghostly light had their origin
I d. k1I
north sky. Great silver streaks, shooting
up to go and 70 degrees, bordered or
framed In with multishaded lines, seemed
to spring out of the sea, and the pris-
mutic power of the huge ice masses light
ed up the surrounding water like unto
a sea of alabaster. The slightest motion
of the bergs varied the beautiful effects
of the aurora and gave distinct impress
sion OF volcano In action. The weird
and gncstly blades of unearthly light shot
across the sky. mixing and mingling in
fearful sublimity.
Steamer Cows and Punchers
This was continued through the night
till tn, mid watch was passed and the men
turned in. We had cut the ration of
forage for the beeves down and. they felt
it, and it r1ado them uneasy, and the
constant warfare to keep them on their
feet in the heavy rolling of the ship
tended to make them worse. Here and
there was seasick steer. and the man
who could look upon their sufferings un-
moved must be hard hearted
In the morning watch the engineer
gave the signal that all was ready to
go ahead and the fires were spread ac-
cordingly, and soon we all felt the ex-
hilaration Of going which is so common
after a breakdown. We had neglected
the cattle somewhat during the wait and
all hands were sent below to help clean
uy the filthy decks and get things II
ship shape. The cattle were fast by a
short rope around their horns leading to
a big iron jackstay, all heading inward
aid being in double rows on each side of
both decks.
The cattle men could and often did
jump on the backs of the steers and go
down the line punching the fallen ones
Ia standing position. Some of us were
cleaning up and all were busy when a
rushing sound from near the fireroom
hatch brought with it escaping steam,
ard men and cattle were enveloped in
it's scaldng clouds The steers became
frenzied with fright and pain and those
of the men who kept their heads jumped
astride of those of the cattle that could
not get loose and in that fashion awaited
results To move about the decks was
certain dea,h from trampling, and if |
more steam came 1t was equally certain
from hcalding, The great green eyes OF |