The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-01-05

cyclone north of the equator on a west
erly course she nearly has the wind at
first on the port side, but owing to the
revolution of the gale. when she passed
it's center the wind is on the starboard
side"
Yes that was right. as far as the
first part was concerned. Evidently
they had not yet passed the central
path oh, dear, She was so tired. II
demanded a physical effort to scon-
stantly shove away an unseen force
that tried to push you over. How funny
that big cloud should travel up against
the wind, And So amidst confused
wonderment, she lapsed into an uneasy
slumber, her last sentient though pc
ing a quiet thankfulness that the screw
went thud-thud. thud-thud with such
firm determination.
After the course was changed the
Sirdar bore away towards the south
west. the commander consulted the
barometer each half hour. The tell-taie
mercury had sunk over two inches IN
twelve hours. The abnormally low
pressure quickly created dense clouds
which enhanced the melancholy dark
ness of the gale.
For many minutes together the bows
of the ship were not visible. Masthead
and sidelights were obscured by the
melting scud. The engines thrust the
vessel forward like lance into the VI
! tails of the storm. Wind and wave
| pushed out of the vortex with impo-
/ tent fury.
AT last. soon after midnight, the bar
ometer showed a slight upward move
ment. At 100 a. m. the change became
pronounced; simultaneously the Wlnd
swung around to a point to the west
I ward.
Then CAPTAIN Ross smiled YEARLY
His face frightened. He opened his
oiIskin coat, glanced at the compass
and nodded approval.
| That's right" he shouted to the
! quartermaster at the steam wheel.
Keep her steady there, south IS west. "
South 10 west it is. sir" yelled the
sailor, impassively watching the NOV
| ing disk, for the wind alteration nec-
| essiated a little less help from the rud-
/ der to keep the ships head true to her
course.
Captain Ross ate some sandwiches
and washed them down with cold tea,
! He was more hungry than he imagined
| having spent eleven hours without food
| The tea was insipid. He called through
a speaking tube for a further supply OF
sandwiches and some coffee.
Then he turned to consult chart
| He was Joined by the chief officer. Both
men examined the chart in silence.
Captain Ross finally took a pencil
He stabbed its point on the paper in
the neighborhood of II degrees North
and liz degrees East.
1--WE are about here, l think.
The chief agreed. ''That was the To-
cality l had in my mind He bent
closed over the sheet.
Nothing in the way tonight sir =
he added.
Nothing whatever It is a bit OF
good luck to meet such weather here
We can keep as far south as we like
until daybreak. and by that time
How did it look when you came imp
"A trifie better, 1 think"
ct have sent for some refreshments
Let us have another dekka before We
tackle them
The two officers passed out into thu
hurricane. Instantly the wind endeav'
ored to tear the charthouse from thu
deck. They looked aloft and ahead. The
officer on duty saw they and nodded
silent comprehension. 1t was useles:
to attempt to speak. The weather wal
perceptibly clearer.
Then all three peered ahead again
They stood pressing against the wind
seeking to penetrate the murkiness il
'front.' suddenly theN were SdlNdHiZet
into strenuous activity.
wild howl from the lookout for
ward. The eyes of all three men glar
ed at a huge. dismantled Chinese junk
wallowing helplessly in the trough o
the sea, dead under the bows.
The captain sprang to the charthous
and signaled in free pantomime tina
the wheel should be put hard over.
The officer n charge Of the bridg
pressed the telegraph lever to stop
and full speed astern," Wills
with his disengaged hand he pulled
hard at the siren cord, and q raUcou.
warning sent stewards flying through
the ship to close collision bulkheai
doors The chief darted TO the por
rail- for the Sirdar's instant respons
. to the helm seemed to clear her nos,
frdsn the junk as if by magic.
1t all happened so quickly that wnil'
the hoarse signal was still vibrating
through the ship, the junk swept pas
| her quarter. The chief officer, 5oine,
now by the commander, looked dow
: into the wretched craft. They coult
see her crew dashed in a bunch aT0unt
: the capstan on her elevated poop. Sin
: was laden with timber. Although wa
: ter-logged, she could not sink if sh
held together.
A great wave sucked her away from
4 the. steamer and then hurled her bacl
[ with irresistible farce. The Sirdar wa
I just completing her turning movement
and she heeled over, yielding to til
2 mighty power of the gale. 7FOr an ap
/ preciable instant her engines stopped
I The mass of water that swayed til
junk like a cork lifted the great sh
! high by the stern. The propeller be
! gan to revolve in air-for the thir
D officer had corrected his signal TO "fu
D speed ahead" again-and the cum
D brOus Chinese vessel struck the Sirda
S terrible blow in the counter, smash
D ing off the screw close to the thrust
= block and wrenching the rudder frOT
t it's bearings.
e There was an awful race by the en-
s gines before the engineers could shU
= off steam. The junk fanished into tn
e wilderness of noise and tumbling sea
= beyond, and the fine steamer Of a fe,
t seconds ago. replete with magnificen
j energy. struggled like a wounded lie
s viathan in the grasp of d vengeful FOE
5 She swung around. as if in wrath I
I pursue the puny assailant which ha
dealt her this mortal stroke. No longe
] bTeasting the storm with stubbor
? persistency, she now drifted aimlessl
! before wind and wave. She was mere
r ly 2 larger plaything, tossed about p
I Titanic gambols. The junk was burs
a asunder by the collision. Her plank
Y and cargo Uttered the waves, wer
8 even tossed in derisiOn on to the deck
5 of the Sirdar OF what avail wa