Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1916-06-09
A Singular
Marriage
By DONALD cHAMBERLIN

gers who were recovering from mai
de mer and getting out from the ships
smells to help them do so Helen Tim
erson 1 little thought that within five
days she would be my wife and we !
would be married In way such as no
couple had been married before.
/ was going abroad to establish a
wireless telegraph station, wireless te- |
legraphy being my profession. / kept !
away from the wireless Office on the
ship, fearing to make known my inter-
est in wireless matters, and / did not
care to have what 1 might say re-
ported But a time came when this
did not deter me.
We were steaming along through a
thick fog one afternoon when suddenly
felt a shock. We had collided with a
vessel, which passed out of sight leav-
ing us with a big hole in our ships
bottom. l ran to the wireless Office,
and from that time till the vessel went
down 1 alternated with the operator
calling for help. Meanwhile the ship
had been put on a course toward the
shore, and when we were left on the
water we were not far from it.
l was picked up by boat that had
left the ship with but few persons In
her, and during the exposure that fol-
lowed they all died. How l kept body
and soul together 1 am at loss to
know 1 have a hazy remembrance Of
the boat being overturned and l ex-
pecting to be drowned. But later l
found myself lying on a beach. This
seemed like life to me, and l made an
effort. Sitting up, l looked about me
and saw only bodies of those who had
been washed ashore from the wreck.
1t was a grewsome sight, one that
shall never forget. And was Cypress
ed with the thought how narrowly
had escaped a like fate.
Presently 1 arose and staggered
about on my feet. One of the first OBJ
jects to confront me was the girl
had seen on the steamers deck-Hel-
en- Timerson. supposed she was
dead. I approached her and saw that
she breathed. l had a flask in my
pocket with top well screwed on. and
had refrained from taking the last
drink. This 1 gave to the girl, and it
revived her.
Looking about me, discerned at
distance the antennae of a wireless
station. Expecting that there would
be persons there, took Miss Timerson
in my arms and carried her there.
What was my surprise to find the
place deserted. Why no one was there
is another story, too long to be given
here. Leaving the young lady on a
lounge, l went on the roof of the sta
ton building and saw that we were
Ion an island, though the mainland
was dimly visible. There were pro-
visions in plenty, and I prepared some
thing for Miss Timerson, feeding her
carefully.
Well, to make a long story short, we
were the only two persons on that Is
land for week. Others started to go
there, but were turned from their
course. Within a couple of days of
our arrival the young lady and l had
quite recovered our strength, and
noticed that she seemed concerned al
the equivocal position in which she
was placed being alone with man
l told her that the circumstances in
which we were placed would preserve
us from scandal. She replied thai
they should preserve us, but they
would not. There were always per
sons who would take advantage Of
such a situation to cast slur.
l told her that if she felt that way
about the matter there was but one re
course for us-to be married. Afte
much bordering without reply to this
she said that she did not see how WI
could be married, since there was NJ
one to marry us and no witnesses. 4
plan occurred to me for a marriage
ceremony that would be legal, but i
seemed so wild that said nothing t.
her about it at the time.
p The next day led Miss Timersol
If into the operating room and began t.
call for ships out at sea. l soon cam
in touch with a tramp steamer so
IS miles distant and asked If there was
rs clergyman aboard. The reply being ii
the affirmative, l called for him ant
D asked if he would marry a couple b.
or wireless. He assented. and then toll
III Helen what had done.
we were an nOur IdlklnS Ine ndtle
over, at the end of which time W
agreed to be married. called the shi
f. l had called before, gave the parse
our names and such other informatiO
n as was required, and we went thrOug
: a marriage ceremony by wireless telel
Z raphy. The minister was requisite
8 to send the certificate to her address
I duly witnessed by two persons o
! board the vessel.
Z The day after our union a boat a
) rived, bringing persons to take charg
( of the station, and the same boat too
! me and my bride to the mainland. o
& reaching it we learned Of the greG
! commotion excited by the loss of ii
q Arganda and that we had both been II
! ported among the missing.
8 Before going among our friends m
: wife requested that nothing be sal
Z about our marriage until she could a
! certain how our being together on
Z deserted island would be received. 81
! soon had cause to announce to Il
Z world that we were man and wife.
! Although our marriage was for Il