Jefferson jimplecute. (Jefferson, Tex.) 1907-1926, 1913-02-13

A MENACE TO EVERY VESSEL.
rhsss Vampires OF tho Sea. Some Of
Thorn Wholly Submerged, Are Dread
ed bv All Msrinsrs-Msthodso Of L.
eating and Destroying Them.

VII tHem. Every sea 10 'b"uc b"N"'"
Gus by their presence. They have crash
ed into ocean liners and Into junks
| Of the China sea To them all vessels
are alike--souething to be destroyed.
They crash against them In the dead
OF night, when inky blackness hides
their cumin. Wrecks themselves, they
seem to strive to drag all others to
their own fate.
SO they go drifting on the seven seas.
More particularly they seem to swarm
eagerly in the gulf stream.
From Cape IIa.terus reaching north
to the Grand banks OF Newfoundland
is the graveyard OF the Atlantic 1t
Is n rolling waste where many ships
are buried 1t is place where dere-
licts borne by the sweep OF the gulf
stream and the counterchurn OF the
Labrador current dart about like an
cry sharks. eager to fasten their maws
on the hull OF some ship.
In the photographic office at some
seaport the wireless is sounding.
message Is coming through the void.
1t Is n message of peril coming from
steamship. 1t warns that derelict
has been sighted squarely In the path
of ocean travel For days the men Mt
the station have been waiting for word
OF this derelict Its position on the
chart that all photographic offices
keep has not moved for II week. They
have lost track OF it. Its drifungs are
as a mystery The station men have
been unable to wire back over the
seas warning captains OF It's where
abouts Any moment they may hear
that 1t has attacked and wrecked.
But now the derelict has come into
the light The Baltic has sighted 1t
and sent a warning humming over tho
seas. Now the men at the station are
quick to act. At a word from their
chief they relay the message to the
commander Of the revenue cutter Sene-
ca, lying by The Seneca has been
waiting for this message-waiting for
the derelict's whereabouts to be reveal
ed. And now, knowing them, It gets
up steam and sails forth, purger Of
the seas, on destruction bent
OF derelicts there are two kinds
those that float observed and those that
float unobserved Most people imagine
that wrecked ships are ultimately driv-
en- ashore and that vessels reported
sinking Mt the time of abandonment go
down soon after That Is not true.
Abandoned ships breed vampires OF the
deep. For months they float. Water
logged, half sunken, pitched and torn
by storm, they yet somehow seem to
survive. They will live In gales that
send the stanchest vessels to the bot
tom. Only time can destroy them
that is, unless electricity takes hand.
Too heavy to rise to the surface and
yet not water soaked enough to sink
to the bottom and remain there, they
crawl along just under the riding
swells Their abiding place Is nowhere
| From the untra veled tracks Of the seas
they may be carried by Il storm direct
| ly In the path OF navigation. Whittier
They descend upobserved, quietly,
| grimly Not until they have struck Is
their presence known. Then they take
their toll. They destroy Il ship. and
| from 1t another Of their kind is made
| 1t is their way of multiplying and
spreading the breed. That Is why 1t IL
so important that they be destroyed.
But now the Seneca has steamed into
the province Of the derelict. High tL
the mast the lookout is casting his eyes
on all sides. II he Is not alert the dere
lict may attack those on board the Sen
eca. Self preservation Is strong In &
vampire.
But now the tip OF submerged mass
rises above distant swell. Caught fr
sudden pitch OF the sea. the derelict
has revealed itself. From the lookout's
-est the cry sounds. Tho speed Of the
Seneca is reduced. 1t moves slowly
| toward its quarry. And now the worl
Of Harvesting electricity for the de
struction 1t must do begins. From the
magazines are brought mines charged
with sixty pound burdens OF guncot
ton. From the storehouses are brought
insulated electric cables and hant
magnetic. A small boat Is lowered. anC
the mines are taken on board. Ther
the boat rides over the sea toward Tn,
derelict. risky ride II the swells RI,
running high
And the next comes the work OF plac
ing the mines where they will create
the greatest explosions. Ii the wrecl
Is submerged the task Is more difficult
More mines must be used. Exquisite
care must be employed In their placing
Finally the explosive charges are con
nected by means Of the insulated cleo
trio cables, and the wrecking part.
draws OF to a safe distance. The mai
with the hand magnetic provides tn
necessary current. the detonators o
illuminate Of mercury explode. tn
primers OF dry guncotton are dealt
harsh blow. tho explosion IL sutficien
20 loosen all the heavy powers OF III
masses OF wet guncot'on. aud then III
derelics dies apart It's back broken. II
sides cying through the air. scrapin
and rcndlnr of nlanks the s"di-
splash n they hit the water again
| the sound of vampire dying