The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1908-04-08
The Woman Who
Disappeared.


copyright. 1907. by e. C. Parcells.l
We we're hound up the coast TO Val
diva and Santiago and had run into a
storm that wrecked the brig aloft. We
made shift. however. TO work our way
into one of the bays off Chloe island.
and there we spent two weeks refit.
ting The island named is about forty
miles off the coast of Chile II Is If
teen miles IN length and from three to
ten miles in breadth. and at the time
! write OF was not permanently inbab-
tied II Is of volcanic formation, but
well wooded.
lust previous to leaving London on
this voyage Captain Bennett had been
married To young lady whom he had
been counting for over three years.
She was thr daughter OF maBufac
turer aud the marriage had the con
sent and good wishes OF her family
She was handsome. intelligent girl
OF twenty. much in love with the cap
tain, and this voyage was their bridal
tour ! was the captains nephew and
second mate OF the brig
When we had anchored the brig In a
Iandlocked bay and began at the re-
pairs the young wife suggested a tent
under the trees ashore. A tent was erect.
ed. few necessaries taken ashore. and
there the happy couple spent their
nights and part OF the days. During
fl., duvtiu,a 10 thu, aunto IA, uyoo NOT nm
board. they wandered over the island
or gathered shells along the beach. II
he was on board we could see her NOV.
ing about or sitting under the trees.
We finally had things ready to proceed,
and the tent and the wife were TO he
brought aboard next morning. when
strange thing happened. Captain Ben.
nett had been with US all the utter.
noon. going ashore about O o'clock In
the evening. An hour later we were
notified that the wife was missing.
1t did not seem thing OF much &C.
count TO me when went ashore at his
call. I myself had seen the woman as
late as 9 O'clock. She had bsen cat.
toned not to wander too far, but had
been bit needless. l had no doubt
that she would be found within the
hour and that We should all have a
good laugh over the incident. The only
direction she could take from the tent
was due west, where d narrow valley
led inland 'fhe captain had gone a
mile in this direction and shouted her
name and got no reply. We now hui
rled along until we had covered dou-
Bile that distance, and we shouted at
the top Of our voices, but no answer
came to our halls. We followed the
valley. winding and turning. for dis
lance OF two miles and then returned
TO the beach for men and lanterns.
The disappearance was u strange
thing. The woman could not have lost
her way. She could have gone In only
one direction. She had only to turn In
her tracks to come back TO the start
ing point. We had been there two
weeks and had not seen a stranger
about. Eight of us. provided with lam
terms or torches. divided into four par
ties and began a new search. One
party went up the beach, another down,
and the other two followed the valley
to its end. 1t began or ended in
basin of about an acre in extent. This
basin was shut in by rocky hills and
pretty well covered with bushes. We
had brought Il musket along. and for
an hour we shouted and fired by turns.
No reply did we get. Then we returned
to see what luck the others had met
with. There was not much to hope for.
The beaches were short. and no one
aboard the ship had seen the missing
woman strolllng up or down. When
we reached the tent 1t was to find that
the other searches had been In vain.
Then the captain said
my wife has wandered TO a dis
lance. and In climbing some hills. per.
haps utter II rare flower, she has met
with fall She may be lying dead. or
she may have been so badly hurt that
she canpot call out In answer. shall
the search the night through"
There was no one who did not pity
the man. We had a crew Of fourteen.
and. leaving only two men aboard as
nm anchor watch tho raot ~ no 70.