The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1912-04-22

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him of danger that was near. And
yet Brownson had scoffed at him, rail.
ed at his intuition and sense Upon
the captain the whole blame of the
disaster must fall if Smith told.
The second officer almost smiled
as he struggled with his boat.
THE pig-headed fool!' he mutter-
ed between his set teeth THE muir
dering rat-he's done it now He's
killed himself, and FIVE hundred peo-
pie along with him"
Smith fought savagely for the disci-
pline of his boat. His men had rush
ed to their stations at the first call
The deck was beginning to slant dan
gerously as the falls were Stacked off
and the lifeboat lowered into the sea.
Smith stood in the press about him
and grew strangely calm. The action
was good for him, good for the burn
ing fury that had warped him, scorch-
ed him like a hot blast while he had
stood silently upon the bridge and
taken the insults of his commander.
Women pleaded with him for places
in the boat Men begged and took
hold of him. One lady, half clothed,
dropped upon her knees and, holding
his hand which hung at his side, pray
ed to him as if he were a deity, be-
ing to whom all should defer. He
flung her off ssvagely
Bareheaded now, coatless, and with
his shirt ripped, he stood there, and
saw his men pass down sixteen WON
en- into his craft; pass them down
without comment or favor age or con-
dition. Thirty souls went into his
boat before he sprang into the
falls and slid down himself A dozen
men tried to follow him, but he shov.
ed off, and they went into the sea
His men got their oars out and rowed
off short distance.
Muttering, praying, and crying, the
passengers in his boat huddled them
selves in her bottom lie spoke saw
agely to them, ordered them under
pain of death to sit down. One man
who shivered as he spoke, insisted
upon crawling about and shifting his
position Smith struck him over the
head, knocking him sense,ess. An
other, a woman, must stand upon the
thwarts, to get as far away as pos
sible from the dread and icy elemen
about her He swung his fist upol
her jaw, and she went whimperinf
down into the boats bottom, lyin!
there and sobbng softly.
FuriorsIy swearing at the herd o
helpless passengers, who endangered
This boat at every movement, h,
swung the crafts head about ant
stood gazing at his ship After
while, the crowd became more man
ageable, and he saw he could keel
them aboard without the certainty o
Iupsetting the craft. He had just beer
debating which of them he would
throw overheard to save the rest
save them from their own strugglinl
and fighting for their own selfish ends
He was as cold as steel, hard, in
flexible His men knew him for {
ships officer who would maintain his
place under all hazards, and they
watched him furtively, and were ready
to obey him to the end without ques
ton.
"Oh, the monster, the numbering
monster" he muttered again anC
again.
! His eyes were fixed upon the bridge
. High up there stood Brownson-th'
captain who had sent his liner to hei
death, with hundreds of passengers.
Brownson stood calmly watching
the press gain and lose places in the
boats. Two boats actually overloaded
rolled over under the immense loat
of human freight. The other did no
stop to pick them up They haC
.enough to do to save themselves. The
ship YVES sinking. That was certain
She must have struck so hard tina
even the 'midship bulkheads gave way
or were so twisted out of place tina
the doors failed. The chief engineer
came below him and glanced up.
AS he did So a tremendous, roaring
blast of steam blew the superstructur'
|, upward. The boilers had gone. Mac
dowell just gave Brownson a look
That was all. Then he rushed for
boat.
Brownson grinned; actually smile,
at him.
The man at the wheel asked permits
sion to go,
I'm married man, sir-its no us
of me staying here any longer" h
ventured
"Go-go to the devil" said Brown
son, without interest. The man FLED
) Brownson stopped giving any NOR
] III L. 81 lou n