Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-02-11
Continued from page 4

destroy us; they came at us as II they were
aimed by old Jupiter himself, with wholesale
murder in his heart. Perhaps we were not
struck, because we were on our beam ends
more often than on an even keel. We rolled
and pitched so that l expected to see the
masts go by the board at any minute. And
l almost hoped they would; for it would
have greatly lessened the danger.
Next to the fiery fusillade, the thing that
gave me most concern was the possibility
that some of the boxes would get adrift and
the dynamite be exploded either by con-
cnssion or friction. We had been under a
blazing SUN for more than a week, and /
knew that IN very warm weather nitro
glycerin melts and runs together in the COM
position with which it is mixed into sticks,
in which condition it is likely to be exploded
by slight jar. | had personally directed
the slowing of the cargo, and it was well
done; but it appeared that nothing could
long remain secure in such buffeting as we
were getting. My anxiety on this point be-
came so keen that along toward the middle
of the night went down into the hold to in
vestigate. l could not send any of the crew;
for DYNAMITE" was stamped in large
letters on every box and at sight of that all
of them would have been over the side as
quickly as they could lower boat. | did
not wish to see them 60 to almost certain
death in the raging sea, nor was | anxious
to be left to navigate the ship alone
1t turned out that l was none too soon
with my inquiry; for some of the boxes were
just beginning to work loose and rub against
one another. 1t was no easy task to secure
them, single handed and with the ship con-
stantly trying to turn turtle; but with the
aid of tenders and strips of canvas finally
made everything fast again, so that l had no
hot Not
l think, as ticklish position as have ever
been in,-with boxes of dynamite under and
around me and the ships tirnbers screaming
and groaning like ten thousand devils;
crashing thunder, blazing lightning and a
deluge of water above; and outside a mighty
sea that was tossing the vessel about like
washtub. 1t was not situation in which one
was in any danger of falling asleep.
With the coming of the sun the lightning,
thunder, and rain ceased as suddenly as they
had opened hostilities, the sky cleared until
soon there was not cloud in sight, and the
trade wind breezed up over our quarter.
That is way the enlivening elements have
in the Tropics.
X1E reached Colon in twelve and half
days from New York, including the
night we were hove to in the storm, and an
other one when we went to the other ex-
IRENE and were becalmed, which was tramp
steamship time.
When the crew saw the hundreds of boxes
of dynamite coming out of the hold, some of
them probably would have tried to murder
me if they had not found themselves suffer
ing considerably from heart failure. Their
evident terror when there was no further
cause for alarm, was calculated to provoke
mirth; but | did not laugh much, for my
conscience was troubling me and | was not
at all comfortable under the reproachful and
accusing glances that were being leveled at
me- For the first time in my life had de-
liberately lied, and the realization of that
fact produced a new and decidedly unpleas-
ant sensation. If we had been blown up, |
should have been as much responsible for
the death of every man on the ship as though
l had murdered him. l offered no explana-
tons or apologies; but, as l watched our
deadly cargo going ashore, 1 determined
that there would be no more entries of that
kind on my logbook. was born with hatred
for liar and never since then have l told
an untruth that could possibly hurt anyone.
When it has been case of telling damaging
truths or lying viciously, l have kept my
lips closed-what you don't say can't come
back to accuse you.
With our cargo discharged, the Rambler
carried a few cargoes of ice from Jamaica to