The Washington herald., 1907-03-17

bearing up against the wind with all her
! energy in On effort to beat away from
the rocky lee shore. Through the driv-
/ Ing spindrift the rocks OF Vlieland were
/ plainly visible. and the gale was forcing
the Lutine down upon them
Night fell and the navigation became
/ increasingly dif1cult Tack and wear as
she might she could make no gain 70
windward against the northwesteT, and
every moment saw her drifting more
steadily and remorselessly upon the
rocks on which the fishermen, pOWerless
/ 20 aid. watched for the end.
/ No one knows just hOW the end came
Those on shore reported that late that
night out from the darkness came the
/ ship brilliantly lighted, and high above
/ the fury Of the tempest there rose The
sounds of revelry and song. then-the
songs died away: the lights vanished; the
I Lutine was no more.
There was one solitary survivor, a
notary public Of London. who had been a
passenger. He reached the shore cling
/ ing TO a spar but he was so badly in
| jured that before he could tell his story
/ be died. On October 10 the loss was re-
ported 10 the Admiralty. The report
read
The Lutine vas a total loss on the outward bsnk
I q Fly Island fassagc having foundeTCd during s
heavy gale IN the night Of The 9Th instant.
strong lee tide prevailed al the time and eTeTy
effort 10 sTod the threatened danger was unavail
able
OF course the treasure was insured. and
several efforts have been made to get IT,
Some expeditions have brought up con-
siderable sums OF gold. II is estimated
that between 1900 and 1866 about one-sixth
of the treasure was brought up, and nov
an attempt is to be made to recover the
rest.
Among the salvage from the Lutine,
brought up in one Of the tTeasuTe-hunt-
ing expeditions, about sixty years ago,
was the ships bell, and this was con
yeyed 10 LlOyd's. the great Insurance.
company5of London, and Il hangs now in
the outer room. The bell which once rang
out the hours. calling first French and
then English sailors to their duty. now
tolls out a CHASTITY requiem fOr the dead.
Posted at Lioyd's.
There Is a custom al Lloyd's that when
a ship is posted as missing. Or knowledge
has come that she has surrendered 20 the
perils Of the deep. the Lutine's bell Is
sounded, a deep peal. At once the busy
hum Of voices on the great exchange IS
hushed. and All attention Is focused on q
gorgeousiy- -gaTbed official, who stands by
the bell In a little pulpit SOlemnly he
calls out the name Of the vessel which is
lost-posted. they call it-and all those
who are interested in the insurance Of the
ship know that they are called upon 10
pay.
When a ship has Ugen missing a GER
tian time application is made 10 have
Il posted This Is done on Wedues-
day If the application is approved, the
insurance committee Of Lloyd posts a
notice that the committee would be glad
Of information covering the missing ship.
IF by the ensuing Wednesday nothing has
been heard. out rings the solemn note Of
the Lutine's bell. and, with It's sound
dying away IN silence, the ship is marked
as posted at Lloyd's." The insurance is
payable and the officers Of the ship and
the members Of the crew are dead in law.
and probate Of their wills may be OBJ
tanned.
And so the bell OF the iH-fated Lutine
sunk beneath the wave" tolls out the
death Of her later sisters, who have
sirawed their best TO the weed unrest;
To TIE shark and the sheeTiuz gIll
The bells toll out in London. and the
ship and cargo lie fathoms deep. many
miles away: but the treasure that was
lost still calls 20 the adventurous. and an
other brave effort is TO be made 10 re-
cover the lost gold.