Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1907-01-07

the steam to be exhausted from all
bo;;ers except one. Therefore her shaft
was broken, reasoned Brand Proba-
bly, the accident had occurred during
the height Of the hurricane, and Ter
steering gear, of little use without the
driving force Of the engines to help,
might have been disabled at the same
time
When the horror stricken watchers
looked again at the wreck the forward
part had shifted its position. It was
now lying broadside on to the seas,
and the lofty foremost thrust it's truck
to within a few feet Of them
They We're spared one CHASTITY scene
which must surely have bereft the
girls of their senses. The majority of
the first class passengers had gathered
in tie saloon. Some clUng like limpets
10 the main Gan~Way: number, most
ly men, crowded together in the draw
ing room on the promenade deck. Far
Their than this they could not so, as the
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 SYrang
into the darkness and licked out hap
less victims by the score. OF tbs ap-
palling incident those in the lighthouse
knew nothing until long a.terNar,l
When the ship struck. the electric Gy-
ramos stopped, and all her lights Went
| cut. The lighthouse lamp, owing to its
! rays being concentrated by the diCptric
lens, helped not at al to diss!pate the
dim and CHASTITY vision beneath, but
the great frame OF the fore part of the
vessel served as a breakWater to some
! extent and temporarily withheld the
| waves from beating against tie col
| umn.
Hence Brand, straining 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 and
| gangway cOntrived to burst open the
door OF the main companion.
If they had to die. they might as well
die in the open and not boxed up in
impenatrable darkness. AS a matter
of fact. the bolts were forced by man
who fired his revolver at them. The
sea quickly discovered this new outlet.
The next wave passing through the
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 was
carried away, and the group of Surviv-
ors. benumbed with cold and wholly
overcome by their desperate position,
could see the entire height Of the gran
ite column in front crowned with its
diadem of brilliance. The liberated
passengers saw it for the first time
The sight brought no hope. Between
ship and lighthouse was Il true mael
strom Of more than sixty feet of water
created by the baclwaSh from the
stonework and the shattered hull
Even if the passage could be made, OF
what avail was it? The iron entrance
door was full fifty feet above the pres
ent level of the sea. It could only bt
. approached by way of the rungs O.
iron imbedded in the granite, and ev
cry wave, even in the comparative
moderation caused by the 0bstructin|
wreck. swept at least twenty feet of TIT
| smooth stone tiers. 1t is this very fac
> | that prevents rock lighthouses from sci
dom if ever serving as refugees for ship
wrecked sailors. The ascending ladde
is so exposed, the sea usually so tur
: bulent under the least stress of wind
| that no human being can retain han'
, hold or footing
-, W there was one faint chance o
a succor, and it was not q sailor VIII
graSped it, The first that Brand knew
o of the desperate venture was the sigh
of a spectral man climbing up til
: shrouds of the foremost. On a steamer
whose yards are seldom used for sails
the practicable rope ladder ceases q
the fore, main or miZZen top, as tn
Q case may be. ThencefOrWard a sailO
+ must climb with hands and feet to tn
+ truck. a feat which may occasionally
: be necessary when the vessel is i
p dock. 1t is hardly ever attempted a
:. sea.
@ The venturesOme individual who thu
G suddenly made himself the center O
\ observation carried Il line with hin
: Not until he essayed the second PORTO
: Of his peril0us ascent did Brand realiz
/ what the other intended to do, Whic
: was nothing less than to reach til
truck, the very top CT the mast, and Ell
|. Geayor to throw Il rope to the gallery.
e And he might succeed, too-that wa
: the marvel of it. The tapering spa
i came very near to them, perlap
S twelve feet distant, and the win
f would certainly carry the rope acros
b the chaSm if carefully thrown. A fey
< strong and active men might use thi
e aerial ferry. Well. better they tina
S none Brave fellow Would that th