Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1910-01-28

light"
Again the receiver began a wild
tattoo. The light went out Of Har-
ling's face as he listened. Then he
turned almost piteously to the captain.
He says they're breaking up. sir.
For Gods sake
sfhe clicking stopped suddenly. The
two men In the wireless room looked
at each other. and slowly each saw the
horror grow In the eyes of the other
They waited with blanehed faces. The
receiver stayed still.
They're gone.'' said the captain
softly at last. and outside the wireless
room the wind roared triumphantly
while the big waves pitched the ship
about In the teeth of the gale.
Harling dropped back into a chair.
Gomez he muttered stu,idly
"Gone!" And then. to his plain imag-
i~nation. there came the picture of the
yacht breaking up and the thirty going
down to death In the sea. Perhaps
they might be closer; they might be
almost on them. Perhaps there was
still time. And then the thought. Sup
pose there are women, too, on board"
came to the young operator.
Harling sprang to his feet.
mo. nor be yelled loud above the
storm. "They shan't be gonel We
will save themI"
He sprang to the key and desperate.
~, rebelliously, volleyed out into the
night a message of cheer and hope.
We're coming. Well SAVE you yet.
Where are you? Hang oni"
The captain laid his hand gently on
the young fellows shoulder.
ITS no use. I fear. boy" he said
softly. They are gone That's the
way it is at sea. You've done all you
could, boy Make a full report and
transcription for me. II you should get
another call send for me at once"
Turning. the old seaman opened the
door of The wireless room to fight his
way along the deck to the lookout's
position. Inside the room young Har-
ling dropped into a chair before his
instrument and. bending yer, buried
his head in his hand.
Suddenly he sat up straight. tense In
every nerve and muscle. What was
that? Was it his imagination playing
tricks again? No. He could not be
mistaken. There 1t was again.
He looked, listened. then sprang to
his feet. with a shrek Of joy, for the
little recorder in front of him began
again slowly. as though tired. to click.
"A-A-A-A."
He read 1t off aloud. with regret.
Just some battleship," be said Bit
terly to himself. THAT'S the navy
call"
Next his face lighted, and he laughed
aloud Historically, for 1t was the navy
call. but it came from the ~lrvessa. I'M
patiently the operator seized the tele-
phone,
Captain. captain he shrieked. I'VE
got the lrvessa again, sir Not Pinck-
icy tins 4ides nrrSa 4 .
key. We can get something from this
one. He can't SEND much, bur mes ali
there with his nerve"
He dropped the telephone again as
the receiver began to click:
yacht ~Irvessa aground or reef. Po-
sition unknown, but within thirty miles
of you getting this message, 10 indi-
cate relative position storm center now
passing directly northeast of us. Heay-
lest lightning northeast by east. Can
you make out our position"
The captain had re-entered the wire
less room by the time the message was
delivered.
Tell him." exclaimed the officer,
1--WE can make out his probable posi-
ton. We are steering southwest by
west to find him. Ask him how long
he can last"
The answer to the message came
back slowly, with every dot and dash
absolutely distinct:
Half an hour"
"Tell him. commanded the captain.
1--WE are twenty miles away probably
and can't make better than u knots
an hour in this Storm
A terrific flash of lightning for one
binding instant lit up the mountain
GUS waste of waves outside.
ASK him where that lightning was.T
shouted the officer.
East by north" the receiver clicked
back.
In another minute the course of the
ship had been changed one point to
the southwark. and all this while the
receiver slowly but steadily clicked
out guiding news.
"We have two boats. Both boats left
yacht ten minutes ago during break in
communication with you. They seem
understand direction you coming. First
boat making for you. Look for its
lights"
An expression of admiration came on
the face of the old seaman
"Then that fellow must have. stayed
behind to guide us and save the people
in the boat he exclaimed. TASK him
how many are with him."
Harling translated the quick answer: