The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1908-06-03

Continued from last issue.)

|
The black hull of a South American
tramp steamer hove into sight beyond
Fastnet, and instituted a rapid inter.
change of signals. The men on shore.
as these advanced, looked at each
| other with blank dismay, and then,
| fearing that there had been a misun.
derstanding. and falling to grasp sud.
denly significance so terrible in It's
import. requested that the signals be
| repeated. There could be no doubt OF
their correct Interpretation. In one
hour all England knew beyond cavil
that her fleet had met the same fate
as that which had overtaken Japans
The message in brief was that the Es-
peranta had picked up in mid ocean,
| floating on life raft torn from it's
moorings. sailor wearing the uni.
form OF the Dreadnought. The man
was almost dead from exposure. snd
had not yet recovered sufficiently to
give a coherent account OF what had
taken place.
No ship ever sailed into Southamp-
ton that attracted the attention given
TO the Esperanto. Trainload after
trainload OF excursionists, farmers
within a days drive, and pedestrians
! from near by swarmed to Southamp-
ton, forming an excited and almost I'M
controllable gathering. Tugboats
fastened out to meet the incoming
steamer. which carried the only living
link between reality and the terrible
unknown. and long lines of constables
strove to hold back the excited crowd.
! the noise OF whose mutterings filed
the air with an ominous droRe.
Between these ranks of blueclad
men there came four surgeons, carry
! ing on a stretcher a wreck OF hui
manity who laughed insanely and
rolled his head from side to side.
The crowd fell into an awed hush
as the litter passed TO the special
train which was to convey this most
important witness TO a hospital. Next
| In public interest were the officers
and men of the Esperanto. who. feel
ing themselves In the imelight, be-
] came each the center of great crowds.
to whom they recounted rs best they
could the story Of how the man was
| found.
The exact details of-this as given by
the captain of the Esperanto TO the
ministers of the cabinet who were
| summoned threw meager light upon
: the case. The Esperanto had gone out
J Of her usual course, following the Gulf
stream to the northward, until warned
by an American cruiser to take more
easterly tack. She had done so, thus
bringing her into a less frequented
! path Of travel.
At ten o'clock in the morning. Ave
| DAYS previous 10 her reporting at
: Fastnet, the man on the lookout had
: sighted an object which drew his at
/ tontion. which at first ne believed TO
be mere piece of untenanted wreck
age tossing on the swell. lie had noti-
fed 'he captain. who altered the ships
course and bore down upon It. only
! 10 learn that II was a life raft on
which was a man. A boat was low
ere 4. ard II was found that the mani
! mate form was that Of a British sailor,
On whose cap which had been thrust
beneath a cleat OF The raft, were the
words III. NJ. S. Drcaduought." TIE
nan evidently had lashed himself Sc
curcly before his strength had failed.
knowing how small were his chances
for rescue. and how certain his com
Ing weakne $. when picked up by the
Esrcranta be was thought 10 be dead
| bu being taken abnard he showed
some slgas OF life. and after hours Of
work recovered sufficiently 10 Siye
some slight hope of survival.
So terrible had been his suheripgs
from prllation that his mind seemed
unhingod. and they had been unable
to gather any Information from him
save that Of some overwhelming dis
aster. He was now in the throes OF
brain fever, and talked only the speech
of the dehrious. His fragmentary
mumblings were beyond all under
standing; his MIND seemed to be
| confused tumble Of Authorizations, In
which he cried for water and made
absurd comments on what was passing
in his dreams. There we're strangely
| interviewer babbings OF submarine
boats. sea serpcnts and unheard of
monsters which harried the ship and
sent her TO her doom. Pitiful eXcla
nations of heiplessness and fear. in
| terieoiions of overwhelming dread,
and brief snatchcs Of prayer came
from his lips throughout all the days
in which they had attended him. The
| strangest part in all the incident OF
| picking up the castaway was that
the captain of the Esperanto, seek
| ing other survivors. had cruised for
hours in the vicinity; but had found
no other sign Of wreckage or of hui
manity. lie had courscd to the north
ward thinking It possible that the
! trend of the wind had driven this
lone mariner away from the scene of
catastrophe; but the ocean itself was
q blank. The crest of no wave carried
even piece OF notsam, nor was
there anywhere a clew to the mystery.
The rocking of the foundations OF
the world could have created no more
suspense or terror than did the fear