The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-04-26


crossing the ~-Yitaff's1' Row. not aaif
| her length away.
Hell and D. growled the first
| officer. Steady on your course. auaI
| termaster." he shouted. Stand from
/ under on deck" He turned "A lever
| which closed apartments. pushed a
/ button marked. Captains Room. -
and crouched down. awaiting the
! crash.
| There was hardly crash. A slight
/ jar shook the forward end OF the
! Titan and sliding down her fore
! topmast stay and rafting on deck
/ came came a shower OF small spars.
sails, blocks and wire rope. Then. in
the darkness to starboard and port,
| two darker shapes shot blythe two
halves of the ship she had cut
| through: and from one OF these
shapes, where still burned a pinnacle
! light. was heard, high above tho con-
fused murmur Of shouts and shrieks
a sailorly voice: 4.
May the curse of God light on you
! and your cheese knife. you rbass-
bound murderers."
The shapes were swallowed in the
! Slackness astern: the cries were
hushed by the clamor of the gale.
/ and the steamship Titan" swung
| back TO her course. The first officer
| had not turned the lever of the en-
/ CINE room telegraph.
The boatswain bounded up the
steps Of the bridge for instructions.
Put men at the matches and doors
| Send every one who comes on deck
to the chart room. Tell the watch
man to notice what the passengers
| have learned, and clear away tina,
! wreck forward as soon as possible.
/ The voice OF the officer was hoarse
| and strained as he gave their direc-
| tons and the aye, SIR" OF the boat
! swain was uttered in a gasp.
| CHAPTER ".
| The crowssnest look sixty
! feet above the deck. had seen every
! detail OF the horror from the mo-
ment when the upper sails of the
| doomed ship had appeared to him
above the fog, to the time when the
| last tangle OF wreckage was cut away
by his watchmates below When re-
lfeved at four bells he descended with
| as little strength in his limbs as was
! compatible with safety in the rig
| ging. AT the rail the boatswain met
| him.
! Report your relief. Rowland" he
! said. land go into the chart room,"
| On the bridge. as he gave the
name Of his successor, the first officer
| seized his hand, pressed it and re-
peated the boatswains order. In the
| chart room he found the captain OF
the Titan" pale-faced and intense
: in manner. seated at a table, and
grouped around him, the whole OF
the watch on deck except the officers,
iookouts and quartermasters. The
cabin watchmen were there. and
/ some OF the watch below. among
1 whom we're stokers and coal passers
sand also a few OF the idiers--lamp-
/ men, yeomen and butchers who
sleeping forward. had been awakened
\ by the terrific blow OF the great hol-
low knife within which they lived.
/ Three carpenters mates stood by
j the door. with sounding rods In their
i hands. which they had just shown
/. the eaptain--dry.. Every face. from
the captains down. wore look OF
horror and expectancy A quarter
/ master followed Rowland In and
said:
! Engineer felt no jar In the en-
1 CINE room. sir: and there's no excite
/ ment in the stokehold."
i And you watchmen report no
! alarm in the cabins. How about the
/ steerage? Ia that man back" asked
the captain. Another Waterman APP
7 peared as he spoke
! An asleep IN the steerage. sir. he
7 said. Then a qnartermaster entered
/ with the same report OF the fore
i castles,
VERY we'll" said the captain. ris.
ing: ''one by one come into my Office
watchmen first, then petty officers
then the men. Quartermaster will
watch the door-that no man goes
out until I have seen him." He passed
into another room. followed by d
Waterman. who presently emerged
and went on deck with more pleas
ant expression of face. Another en-
tered and came out: then another
and another. until every man but
Rowland had been within the sacred
precincts. all to wear the same
l.pearing When Rowland entered. the
captain. seated at q dark. motioned
him to chair and asked his name
John Rowland" he answered. The
captain wrote 1t down.
4 Il understand" he said. that you
were in the crow's-nest when THU
nfortunate collision occurred
Yes. sir, and l reported tho ship
AS soon as ! saw her.
You are not here to be censured
You are aware. OF course. that moth.
ing could be done either to avert THU
terrible Gala nifty or TO save life after
ward
Nothing at q speed Of twenty-five
knots an hour In thick fog. SIR. !
The captain glanced sharply at Row.
land and frowned.+
We will not discuss the speed OF
tho ship. my good man. he said, .'ol
the rules OF the company. You viii
a md. when you are paid at Liverpool
Il package addressed To you ~ thu
q coshpany's ONCE containing one hun.
drsd pounds In bank notes- ThiA yos
will receive for your silenco IN ~.
] gsxd q tAis colItsoin the Fepoetial