The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1912-09-04
.SH|PWRECKED.
A Story For
Labor Day
BY ETHEL EDNA SANGER


ship, fitted up with every convenience,
|every luxury, were millionaires and
|multmillionaires, 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 ballroom in
lEngland's capital. There was one man
aboard occupying a suit Of apartments
the price Of which for a four days
"trip would give a workingman a COM
Portable home for q lifetime. These
people, seemingly regardless of being
Suspended between the heavens above
'and the bottom of an ocean several
I miles beneath them. wore their fine
clothes at dinner. and in the evening
ate choice viands, drank the best wines,
listened to music, flirted, even danced,
while the hours glided happily away
Ito the swish Of the waves against the
feviathan's side.
/ How different the underworld, which
on shipboard is as far beneath the up
per world as on land! In the steerage
were many a family packed in their
harrow quarters, eating the homeliest
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, 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
Ied in a 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 a very high figure. Accus-
tomed as they had been to living on
Xpittance, 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 so, putting together all the mon
ey they had with something that their
their long journey for what was to
them a land of promise. Taking ship
for England, they there re-embarked
for America.
Half their journey across the Allan
dc had been accomplished when one
afternoon a fog settled down over the
waters. Fogs on the sea are dreaded
by mariners, and although the dress
ling 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 at last all aboard the great
! ship except those whose duty it was to
sail her were in their berths.
Suddenly there was crash forward,
the sleepers were awakened, all Jared,
some thrown out of their berths. There
was a mad rush to the deck, many go
Ing up in their nightclothes, where
they found confusion and saw the
hights Of ship drifting away from
them. Fading into the fog they soon
passed out Of sight. The captain stood
on the bridge coolly giving his orders,
but few Of them were obeyed. Above
the babel was the wild cry for help
from the wireless machine. From the
first the crew realized that the liner
had been hard hit, and the worst was
feared. Those who were sent to ex-
hmine the damage came running back
TO report that the foremost bulkhead
was rapidly filing and that others
bstern Of it were in danger Of giving
way.
An hour later when it was known
that the ship was sinking the boats
were lowered and the women and chill
dren put into them The men Of mil
lions for the first time in their lives
came to position where the wife and
child Of an emigrant were permitted
10 step into lifeboat while they them
Selves must remain to go down with
the ship.
One parting among those who We're
TO go and those who were to remain
t Is the province of this story to men
tion. Amelia Stahr clung to her hus-
band and refused to leave him. Tax
png 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 few miles distant, half
sunken, resting on the water like a
dying sea monster. Slowly she settled,
watched by those in the boats, nearly
all of whom knew that some loved one
was soon to go down to death with
her. Then raising her huge stern she
plunged downward, and the place
where she had been was but part OF
the boundless ocean.
Safety came for those in the boats
in the appearance Of a steamer that
had heard the wireless cry for succor
The boats were relieved Of their bur
den, and those who had left the sunk,