Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1912-12-03
|SH|PWRECKED..
A Story For
Labor Day

Is Labor Day ]
I By ETHEL EDNA SANGER I
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An ocean liner was coming across the
Atlantic. In the main portion Of the
ship, fitted up with every convenience
every luxury. were milllonaires and
multimillionaires. some Of whom had
been prominent In the London social
season, and not few brought with
them Jewels. a fortune in themselves.
that had blazed In many a ballroom In
England's capital There was one man
uDoard occupying suit Of apartments
the price of which for four days
trip would give q workingman a COM
| Portable home for lifetime. These
people. seemingly regardless Of being
suspended between the heavens above
and the bottom Of an ocean several
miles beneuth them. wore their fine
clothes mt dinner. and In the evening
nte choice viands. drank the best wines.
listened to music. flirted. even danced.
while the hours glided happily away
To the swish Of the waves against the
leviathan's side.
How different the underworld. which
on s!iiphourd IL as for beneath the up
pcr world al on land! In the steer,lge
were many a family packed In their
narrow quarters. eating the homcliest
fare. and many. though accustomed to
the ordinary wine of their country.
were drinking only water. and that
out of tin cups
Among these steerage passengers was
one Adolph Stair. a Swede. a young
man twenty-five years old. and his
bride. Amelia. six years his Junior.
They had left their native country.
their simple peasant life. to seek
home In the new world. Adolph was
mason by trade. and Amelia had work
ed In factory In her native land. be-
coming expert at weaving. They had
heard that in America the price OF
labor had. by the united effort Of the
laborers. been raised to what seemed
to them very high figure. Accus-
toned al they had been to living on
pittance. they believed that receiving
these wages they could save money
enough within a few years to build
them a home In which they might live
comfortably for the rest Of their days
And no. putting together all the mon
ey they had with something that their
parents gave them. they set out on
their long journey for what was to
them land Of promise. Taking ship
for England. they there re-embarked
for America.
Half their Journey across the Allan
tic had been accomplished when one
afternoon fog settled down over the
waters. Fogs on the sea are dreaded
by mariners, and although the dress
Ing In fine clothes. the feasting. the
wine drinking, the music. went on
among the passengers In the main
part Of the ship. many heard the con-
stant. deep toned toot-toot OF the fog
whistle warning vessels that might be
near. But ut last all aboard the great
ship except II. 'se whose duty 1t was 70
sail her were ~ their berths.
Suddenly there was crash forward.
the sl.eIers were awakened. all Jared.
some thrown out of their bertha. There
wax a mad rush to the deck. many 60
Ing up In their nightclothes. where
they found confusion and saw the
lights of ship drifting away from
them. Fuling into the fog they soon
pnSsed out of sight The captain stood
on the bridge coolly giving his orders.
hut few Of them were obeyed. Above
the babel was the wild cry for help
from the wireless machine. From the
frst the crew realized that the liner
had been hard hit. and the worst was
feared. Those who were sent to ex-
anime the damage came running back
to report that the foremost bulkhead
was rapidly fllling and that others
astcrn Of II were in danger Of giving
way.
An hour later when It was known
that the ship was sinking the boats
we're lowered and the women and chill
'dren put into them. The men OF mil.
lions for the tirst time In their lives
came to position where the wife and
child of an emigrant were permitted
to step into n iifeboat while they them
selves must remain to 90 down with
the ship.
One parting among those who were
to go and those who were to remain
1t Is the province Of this story to men.
ton. Amelia Stahr clung to her hus-
band and refused to leave him. TAX
Ing her In his arms. he carried her to
one Of the boats. put her In and be-
fore she could get out the boat was
lowered and pulled away from the ship.
The gray Of the morning revealed
the leviathan q few miles distant, half
sunken. resting on the water like q
dying sea monster. Slowly she settled.
watched by those In the boats. nearly
all Of whom knew that some loved one
was soon to 90 down to death with
her. Then raising her huge stern she
plunged downward. and the place
where she had been was but a part Of
the boupdless ocean.
Safety came for those In the boats
IN the appearance Of steamer that
had heard the wireless cry for succor
The boats were relieved Of their bur.
den. and those who had left the sunk.
en- ship were carried into an American
port.
Amelia Shhr on reaching the land
with her fellow sufferers received ev.
cry attention. But for this the case
would hare been hard indeed Never
theiess. II did not relieve the desola-
tion of coming to new land bride
widow. As soon az II was known what
labor she could do. those intrusted with
the work Of assisting the women and
children who had lost husband and
father. secured her a place In mills
where she could ply her trade. and she
became self supporting. Some time
after her arrival In America q little
girl was born to her. and although
there was melancholy In not having
her husband with her at the time she
,roloo,.,a<I tto child An n memantO of