The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-05-09
MORGAN ROBERTSON.

for the inspection of prospective ena- ployers. Not ship is cast away on any inhabitable coast of the world during underwriters business hours but what that mighty singsong cry an nounces the event at Lloyd's within thirty minutes.
 One of the adjoining rooms is known as the chart room. Here can be found In perfect order and sequence, each on its roller, the newest charts of all na- tions, with library of nautical liter ature describing to the last detail the harbors, lights, rocks, shoals and sail ing directions of every coast line shown on the charts; the tracks of latest storms, the changes of ocean currents and the whereabouts of dere- licts and icebergs. A member at Lloyd's acquires in time a theoretical knowledge of the sea seldom exceeded by the men who navigate it.
 Another. apartment, the captains room, is given over to joy and refresh ment, and still another, the antithesis of the last, is the intelligence office, where anxious ones inquire for and are told the latest news of this or that overdue ship.
 On the day when the assembled throng of underwriters and brokers had been thrown into an uproarious panic the .crier's announcement that the great Titan was destroyed and the papers of Europe and America were issuing extras giving the meager de tails of the arrival at New York of one boat load of her people this office had been crowded with weeping women and worrying men, who would ask and remain to ask again for more news. And when it came-a later cablegram-giving the story of the wreck and the names of the captain, l first officer, boatswain, seven sailors and one lady passenger as those of the saved a feeble old gentleman had raised his voice in quavering scream, high above the sobbing of women, and said:
 "My daughter-in-law is safe, but where is my son, where is my son, and my grandchild?" Then he had hurried away, but was back again the next day, and the next. And when, on the tenth day of waiting and watching, he learned of another boat load of sailors and children arriving at Gibraltar, he shook his head slowly, mutterine George, George" and left the room. That night. after telegraphing the con. sul at Gibraltar of his coming, he crossed the channel.
 In the first tumultuous riot of in quiry, when underwriters had climbed over desks and each other to hear again of the wreck of the Titan, one !. the noisiest of all, a corpulent hook nosed man with flashing black eyes i had broken away from the crowd and made his way to the captains room where, after draft of brandy, he had seated himself heavily with a groan that came from his soul.
 Father Abraham," he muttered; ''this will ruin mer'
 Others came in, some to drink. some to condole, all to talk.
 |, "Hit hard, Meyer?" asked one.
 '"Ten thousand" he answered, gloom fly.
 Serves you right" said another un- kindly. "Have more baskets for your eggs. Knew you'd bring up." | Though Mir. Meyers eyes sparkled al this, he said nothing, but drank him self stupid and was assisted home by one of his clerks. From this on, neg lecting his business, excepting to occa sionally visit the bulletins, he spent hif time in the captains room, drinking heavily and bemoaning his luck. On the tenth day he read with watery eyes, posted on the bulletin below the news of the arrival at Gibraltar of tht second boat load of people, the follow ing:
 "Lifs buoy of Royal Age, London picked up among wreol<age in Iatitud, 45.2o, north longitude 54,31 west. ShiE Arctic, Boston, Captain Brandt"
 "Oh, mine good Gody" he howled a. be rushed toward the captains room.
 Poor devil! Poor foolr' said one ob server to another. "He covered tn, whole of the Royal Age and the big gest chunk of the Titan. It'll take hi! | wife's diamonds to settle"
 Gro Be Continued.)
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