The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1909-04-06


A--a woman and child Herel
here! for 12s yeanl oh, merciful
God!" she lifted her eyes again, filed
with horror, her hands clenched.
'They-they were actually here. ap-
pearing natural? looking as they did
in life?"
Yes; they seemed to be sleeping.
for they had been solIdly frozen IN the
very attitudes in which they died. The
woman rested on the couch yonder.
She had beautiful dark hair and eyes,
and must have been about 30 years Of
age. The child was in bunk, little
faxen-haired girl Of three or four"
"And-and you buried them7"
"As best we could. We wrapped
them in blankets, and consigned them
to the deep. with a prayer for their
souls" bent closer. Doris, dear.
don't let this rest so heavily upon you.
wish might have kept II all hidden.
II was only the end OF one Of the IN.
Vulnerable tragedies OF the sea. We
must face our own needs now, and
that task viii require all our courage"
thought she did not hear me, the
tears continuing to fall between her
fingers. halt-suppresed sobs shaking
her form. Yet as / rested my hand
upon her shoulder, she looked I'D at
me out Of moiStened eyes, her lips
firmly set
Yes-yes; know, Jack. but-but
II is all SO terrible and-and has come
TO me with such shock. can not
comprehend it-that they should have
actually been here-here, all those
years-walting! But | will not think
OF II any longer; IL will do some.
thing to make me forget"
We all messed together. sitting upon
the long benches drawn up about the
table. Dade waiting upon US. with Dor.
Is and Celeste occupying places be.
tween De Nova and myself. At the
beginning We spoke little, the strange
ness Of our surroundings holding us
silent. but the minds Of all being busy
with the same thought, we Insensibly
drlfted into conversation regarding
our chances Of rescue, and the history
Of the old vessel In whose cabin we
Aoated. Once De Nova introduced the
subject Of the treasure which might
be stored away below deck, and the
men exhibited their interest by nu-
merous question; but gave them lit
tie encouragement along this line. re-
allzing that for the present our EARL.
est effort should be to transform the
wreck into some degree Of safety-a
sail first, and clean rudder; these at.
tanned. the search for treasure might
begin.
What a scene and group that was,-
the wintry night without. the drifting
fog OF snow, the helpless hulk rising
and falling upon the treacherOus heave
OF the sea, that odd. viOletcOlOred light
cleaning over us. The faces are even
before me-the girlsh looking Celeste,
with her dark Curls and white teeth:
Lady Darlington, her gray eyes still
moist as she glanced about the in.
terror. unforgetnl OF its memories; De
Nova, jaunty as ever, with no thought
beyond the present, recalling to my
mind with every movement the face OF
that dead Spaniard who for more than
a century had sat where he was sit.
ting: Sanchez. pale and with that
hunted look. counterpart no doubt Of
some seaman this ship had known in
other days; Mcknight, burly and red
necked; Kelly. his blue eyes filled with
the merTiment Of old ireland; John.
son, broad-shOudered and sOber-taced
eating steadily, with never a lift Of
his shaggy brOws; and Dnde, finttering
about like waiter ashore. with his
eternal Sinking and suggestion of a
tip.
When the dishes had finally been re-
moved ! gave the men permission TO
smoke. went back to the after state.
room, and brought forth the log,book,
which We made an effort to decipher.
II was roughly written and by a num-
Der OF different hands. and between us
our knowledge Of early Spanish script
was barely sufficient to enable US to
read a portion OF Il. The earlier en-
tries made by the captain, although
badly faded, were lcgible enough,
bringing the story OF the voyage down
TO the latter part Of July. and recount.
Ing series Of severe gales, involving
the loss Of several members of the
crew, Then a new hand took up the
pen, "BaIaza. first officer" the captain
having been killed by a falling spar;
for week or ten days the tale was
Of fierce struggles In the iCe-pack. and
steady drift 10 the southwark. Others
followed "AlCassar. second officer"
Salvatore, government agent" every
line the record OF new disaster, gales.
wrecked rigging and death. They
were locked in beyond all hope early
In August, vast hummocks overhang-
ing the deck. the forecastle sealed by
ice. the cold so deadly the red.hot
stove scarcely kept the numbing chill
from the cabin, the doors and windows
OF which they had covered with
blankets. Not day passed but that
they carried out their dead upon the
Ice, leaving them beyond sight Of the
deck. The names were all written
down. There came a time when the
survivors were too few and weak even
for that service; when they could do
nothing but cover within the cabin
and 1ast lF,o - ,ntt1z -, 49,. - - 4