The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1908-08-08
THE LAST OF
THE SLAVERS.

win OF Philadelphia when the stranGest
thing In all my soafaring life happen-
ed We were on the banks Of Now
foundland. tho home or the fog king
and the mist had coine down on us
thicker than l had ever seen It. X
lasted so long without lifting that the
captain lost all traces Of reckonlns.
We We're on Halifax. Cape Race or
Cape Breton, we didn't know which
Finally he concluded to drop an anchor
aga wait.
There was a considerable swell roll
ing beneath us, but OF course no wind.
That would have blown away the sog.
One night the watch heard the sound
OF n distant bell. For an hour 1t tolled
faintiy. then very slowly became more
distinct It was evidently coming to-
ward u.s. 1t must be drifting. Tor there
was no wind to an sais. and we could
hear no sound o. stefm. At lnst the
bell toiled dismaly tithin cables
length OF US.
We began 10 be anxioiis and rang our
own bell to let the stranger know that
we were IN her course. There was lii
tie chance OF her crew balng able to
turn her. FOR there was no wind. bne
they might anchor. She was coming
so slowly as not 20 hurt us much from
fouling except for the waves II we
should be rolled together IN the trough
Of the sea on one should be let down on,
the other, there might be a terribIes
crash
Our signal excited no reply. except
the tolling Of the bell, which continued
constantly rearing those on the np-s
~ aching vessel had not lianrd Us. we
fired gum But this elected nothing.
Presently we could hear the bell toll
I ing right beside us. and now and then
Is netting black would appear not
twepty feet from us. hover there for Il
few minutes, then disappear. Once Il
came near enough for rs 10 distinguish
the side Of ship.
We were on terrible strain for
awhile fearing that VIC wonld clash
with the stranger; then we caught
glimpse of her stern under our bow
spirit She had evidently passed us.
| After waiiipg some time longer with
no view Of her we concluded we were
out OF danger.
At eight bells the next morning the
fog lifted. There was no sign OF land,
hut on our siarboard quarter was
barl,entine without sails. her foremast
gone. rolling with the waves. A wind
sprang up. and. raising SAIL. we made
| toward her. When we came near her
the captain sent boats crew TO inves-
| tlgate,
We found derelict that had evident
] y been floating long while. The only
thing aboard that had ever had life in
It was the body of woman. and we
had to stnve in the door OF the cap
taln's cabin to find that 1t was lying
In berth. and. Notwithstanding he
many tosslugs the vessel had received.
II had not rolled ont. We looked on
the log book FOR the last entry. II was
dated eighteen months agone, Nov. 10.
1854.
We read the entry and went back
further for an explanations No pars OF
the log made mention Of anything I'M
usual transpiring aboard Nevertheless
we traced what must have been some
th.ng Of the story. A bundle OF love
letters from o woman 10 the captain.
the last dated not long before the log
began. told us that he and HIS wife
must have made the voyage a wedding
Trip The last observation showed latl-
tude 23 degrees 80 minutes north, longi-
tude 1890 east or about 300 iniles
south OF the Canary Islands and OF the
coast OF Africa The ships boats were
gone. which led rs TO believe That ey-
cry one on hoard except the woman
had lett The vessel aud made for the
land
The period. 1851. was when the
slavers were running the last cargoes
Of negroes from the African coast to
the United States. In the forecnstle
we found q scrsp OF paper on which
was written. "fhc old man won't cons
sent; do the Job We interpreted this
70 mean that The men wished 10 force
the captain 90 take the crew ashore to
secure a cargo Of slaves. He declined,
and they were 10 kin him All this
accounts Tor the captains wife being
locked IN his cabin, The port anchor
was senc THIS indicated Ghat line
shin was atanehol when tlIsVtfhS left
her No found no esiAfnce to sho~
wpother the cppain--sas killed -
went with then Tho Gable haa evi-
IDENTIFY yarted ana was blOwa offshore.
Probably while the men were ashore
| after negroes storm caue up and
broke Che cable likely the captain
was killed on the ship. and during the
meice his wife went 10 tie cabin aud
locked herself iu Possibly she may
have lain on the berth. faint from
fright, and died there
And SO It was thnt ibis womans bier
doaied no ono know where. Tikely lt
drifted southweslward. eventually
turning norlhwafd. possibly 70 the
northern end Of tho Atlantic ocean.
then caught winds or cnrronfs which
bore IL south again 20 where we found
&C The rope 10 the bell rotted away.
aEl the '1ayes tolled with Il a requiem
for this bride whose happiness was 80
short lived.
But it was destined TO aoat NO