The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1908-06-05


house. sitting pit filed with the
charTel contents OF the furnaces. which
gave OF the most noisome fumes ow-
Ing to the rapid condensation of steam
| and water escaping from the damaged
ll.c:. =: "a gale raging withor.
! sc:yt,. &c good purpose in driving
city Of air down the ventilatng
II Gradually the choking atmos-
80 C,rG:e;'. Courtenay was the first
e reach TIE lowermost rung of the
ron !alCC", whence lie looked with
the eyes Of despair on scene of death
! ana ruin.
The c.ectric light was uninjured. 1t
revealed the bodies of several men,
! either dead or insensible, lying amid
the scattered coal. Shovels, stocking
rods and pieces Of iron plate had been
hurled about in wild confusion. The
door OF one furnace was blown clean
| out Of its bolts, furnace bars and fire
bricks strewed the iron deck, while
each time the ship rolled the heavy
clank of loose metal somewhere in the
engine room proved that the damage
was not confined solely to the stoke
hold
If Courtenay could have dropped
quietly into the sea through the stout
hull OF the Kansas he would have well
coined the certain result of that bitter
moment. But he was the captain, and
men would look to him for salvation.
Well, he would do all that was possible
and, at any rate. die at his post. So,
choking back his misery, he organized
the work Of rescue. Sings were form
ed Of ropes, and those men in whom
any signs of life were Visible were the
first to be lifted to the upper deck.
The stokehold was quickly emptied of
Its inanimate occupants. Living and
dead alike were carried to the I'M
tenanted second class salon forward.
Then Courtenay left Walker to solve
the puzzle Of the accident and report
on its extent. while he climbed back
to the bridge, there to tackle the far
more pressing problem of the measures
to be adopted If he would save his
ship.
1t was typical Of the man that his
first act was to wipe the CRIME Of the
stokehold off his face and hands.
Then he drew chart from the locker
in which he had placed it two hours
earlier. Mr.. Boyle, who had been at
tending the signals both by siren and
rocket, joined him. Courtenay pointed
to pin mark in the sheet.
1--WE were there at 6 O'clock" he
said, and his voice was so steady that
he seemed now to be free from the
least touch of anxiety. 1.-THE course
was south-40-east. and against this
wind and sea, together with a strong
current to the nor'east. we would make
eight knots under easy steam. There
fore by s o'clock. when the furnaces
blew out. we were here"
He jabbed in q pin little farther
down the chart. Mr.. Boyle grunted
agreement.
"Huh!' he said
Courtenay glanced at chronometer.
ut is now Il quarter to o." he went
on, land | reckon that since the ship
swung round we have been carried at
least six knots to the nor'east."
"Huh!' growled Mr.. Boyle again, but
he bent a trifie nearer the chart. TO
his sailors eyes the situation was quite
simple. Unless by Gods providence
some miracle happened the Kansas
was a, doomed ship. The pin stuck
where the admiralty chart recorded
soundings of 100 fathoms with fine
'bn t,,1a
west Of Greenwich and latitude 51.35
south. Staring at them from the 9TH
erwise blank space which showed the
wide eXpanse Of the Pacific was an
ominous note by the compilers of the
chart:
"Seamen are cautioned not to make
free with these shores, as they are
very imperfectly known, and, from
their Wild desolate character, they
cannot be approached with safety"
Right in the track of the drifting
ship lay a vaguely outlined trio Of
dread mport-"Breakers. Islet (coni-
cab. Duncan rock" Behind this sin
lister barrier stood the more definite
White Horse island, while, running
due north and south few miles away
to the eastward, was q wavering dot
ted line which professed to mark the
coast of Hanover island. Lending q
fearful significance to the unknown
character of the region. a printed COM
ment followed the dotted line, This
coast Is laid down from distant OBJ
servations OH board the Beagle" So
the sea face OF Hanover island had not
been visited by civilized man for near
ly sixty years!
Neither man spoke while their prac-
ticed scrutiny took in these details.
The roaring chaos of the gale told
what fate awaited them. The elemen-
tai forces had donncd the black CAPT of
the Judge and sentenced them to
speedy destruction.
Mr.. Boyle pursed his lips. He looked
sideways at Courtenay.
"Huh," he said. whats to be done?"
81 propose" answered the captain
coolly, ito endeavor"-
1t was then that the giant wave
leaped madly over the poop, as though
the sea were resolved to swallow its
prey without further warning. The
second officer, outside on the bridge.
had to cling to a stanchion for his life
Courtenay and Boyle saw two boats