Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1910-08-04
Off the Banks
By Charles DAILY Douglas

Perhaps the saddest "Reminiscences
of my varied life is connected with
fishing excursion off the Newfound-
land banks. l owned yacht, and as
soon as / proposed the trip to my
friends, | had no difficulty in finding
plenty who were willing and axious to
accompany me. / chose a round dozen
choice spirits, who l knew had the
necessary qualifications to make such
an excursion pleasant. A happier
party never set sail from any port
than the yacht carried on this oc-
casion. Singing, music, storytelling,
and playing filled up the hours, and
when we met around the Widespread
table the hilarity was renewed. We
had rather disagreeable passage to
the banks, with frequent rains and
smart gales, but our skipper and crew
were perfectly reliable, and we had
as little apprehension of disaster as of
any other misfortune
The winds at last lulled, the sea
grew tranquil, and the captain report
ed that we should be off the fishing
grounds the next morning. I we'll re-
member the unbounded mirth and fun
of that night. We got out our tackle
and overhauled it in order to be fully
ready for the sport; and when that
was done, with the cross-fire of jokes
and quips that accompanied it, we
made merry with song, story and 9TH
err cheer till far into the morning.
When we went to sleep it was with
the highest anticipations of the COM
ing sport.
Good weather, 1 hope, captain? ?"
was the cry that saluted the latter as
he appeared at the breakfast table
next morning.
I'm afraid l can't say much for the
weather at present" was the reply.
1--WE ran into fogbank about daylight
and we don't seem likely to get out of
it till the weather clears. A fog is
about the last thing l expected to find
UP here at this season of the year;
but here we are, right in it. l hope
it'll clear, however, during the morn
ing"
Somewhat disappointed at this in
telligence, we ate but little, and then
went on deck. / thought / had seen
fogs before in different quarters of the
world, but never had / witnessed any
thing like this. The air was cold,
raw, and heavy with moisture, and
the fog so dense that we could hardly
see the length of the yacht. A servant
was sent below for shawls and cloaks,
and we sat aft, shivering in our wraps,
and feeling as gloomy as was natural
under the circumstances. One of us
produced some cigars, which were
passed around and lighted, and under
the influence of the weed, we grew
more companionable, and even began
to propose small bets as to the hour
the unwelcome fog would lift
The captain now came aft, and
asked me if there was anything like
a fog-bell among the rubbish in the
forward hold | told him there was
one. | remembered one foggy night
in the Grecian Archipelago when it
sounded dolefully all night over my
head, and prevented my sleeping, and
that the company the next morning
had voted the thing nuisance, and
directed it to be taken down. | be-
lieve it had never been hung since.
We'll have it put up and set it go
ing at once" said the captain, as he
turned away. 1t is probably an over
precaution, as we are far out of the
steamer-track, and there's not wind
enough to give Roadway to anything
with sails. But we'll set the thing
going, for perfect safety. Ho, there,
forward! Hoist up the big bell from
the hold, and hang it on that fixture
by the mast"
He turned away to see that his or
ders were executed, and at that in
slant our doom fell upon us, without
a cry, a noise, or any warning what
ever to herald 1t.
The great, high bow of one of the
as though she had risen from the sea,
or descended from the skies, and
struck us amidships with crash that
cleft the little yacht completely in
twain.
The two halves of the Inflated YES
vel rose up fore and aft, and she set
tied amidships.
1 heard shriek-a prolonged cry
of horror and despair, mingled with
the rush of the water and the putting
of smoke as the steamers engine was
reversed. | was conscious of a tre-
mendous shock, blow, and great
black mass gliding above me, and
was conscious of nothing further I'M
til woke to life in the saloon of the
steamer, lying on sofa, with a
crowd of sympathetic gentlemen and
ladies about me, applying restoratives
and chatting my hands.
Except few bruises l was not in
jured in body, and was walking the
deck of the steamer soon after, with
such mingled feelings of thankfulness
for my own escape, and bitter grief
for the fate of my poor companions, as
no words of mine can describe.
have been awakened in the dead