Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-04-18

conld not distinguish.
All this was the work of an instant
What had occurred was as clear to my nina
as though | had actually witnessed the
scene from the deck above 4 great steel
steamer. tramp, no doubt, from its dark
ened decks, had plunged out of the black
ness, ana rammed her bow straight into
US. The contact must have been well for
ward. near the bridge We were goinF
down by the head already | could per-
ceive the list. the deck under foot was
fitting; the engines had ceased to throb
as though the inflow of water had reached
the boilers. Feet scrambled along the deck,
overhead voices yelled and l could hear
the creaking of boat tackle
Working desperately in the dark. scarcely
able by now to keep feet on the slantng
planks. ] hastily drew on what bits of
clothing | could find at hand, and felt my
way blindly to the door, 1t was jammed,
but | Kicked 1t open, and stumbled forth
INTO the main cabin, clinging to the door
frame in order to retain my feet. A smok
ing lantern swung to beam, throwing n
dim glow over the interior. revealing
scene of utter wreck. Everything had been
wrenched loose, and flung forward-chairs,
books. piano. hurled against the bulkhead
and blocking the stairs. The bookcase had
toppled over the shattered glass of It's
doors strewing the deck, and, just beyond
lay the dead body of the steward the whole
back of his head crushed in, his white
| jacket ghastly with the stain of blood. Be-
| yond, half way up the stairs his face
hidden from view In his arms, lay an
| other man. clad in pa jamas. The stateroom
doors stood wide open. but no living being
| was visible. All who survived that first
shock must have fled to the deck in mad
| struggle to escape. Ay, and there was
| desperate need for me to join them. The
| Esmeralda was going down. already her
| forward hold was filled with water, the
| bulkheads alone keeping her afoat: once
they gave way, she would sink like a
stone.
| I crossed the cabin on hands and knees,
| clawing my way desperately through the
| litter until 7 attained the stairs. These no
| longer led up. but forward. Beyond was
| utter backness, silence. and through the
; shattered door drops of rain splashed.
1t was not until I had made my way to
| the outer deck and felt the night air and
| rain on my face that truly woke to the
| danger. The tilt of the yacht forward was
| so sharp / dared not release my grasp Ct
| the rail. | could scarcely see anything not
| light burned, not even distant star
| glimmered the driving rain blinded me
and soaked through my shirt to the skin.
| The only thing ! could perceive, shading
my eyes as | stared, was a green light show
| ing far away to the right, the reflection of
| which barely revealed our starboard rail
| crushed and splintered. and masses of water
/
| was sight to take the heart out of any
| man; the gloom, the silence, the death
clutch OF those waves almost at the COM
panion, the sharp slope Of the yachts deck.
| the dead, sodden feeling under foot.
| scarcely dared move. for to release my grip
| was to slide down into the black water. into
| the rifle of spars and ropes forward 1t was
| all horror and death that way, but from
| aft, under the awning, sound of excited
voices reached my ears, and the rasp of
| boat tackle. No doubt all on board who
| lived were there seeking to escape. They
| had sprung for the open deck at the first
| alarm not even waiting to dress, and, II /
| would join them. there was not an instant
| to lose. The after bulkhead could not hold
| long; any moment, any unusual roll of the
| sea, would rend it asunder. and the
| Esmeralda would sink. Life hung on Sec
onds nor would those frightened wretches
wait to learn the fate of any others aboard.
Clinging to every projection of the cabin.
| attained the port rail. The stanchions
| formed species of ladder by means of
| which / could Chamber aft, but even as I
| attempted the first step, voice called to
| me from out the black depths below and /
| hung there, staring behind me, unable to
| perceive a thing, excepting litter of
| tangled wreckage.
Don't leave me, give me a hand!"
who are you?"
| Mccain; you are Hollis, amt you?"
| YES; are you hurt?"
NO; bruised bit, no doubt; my foot is
| caught under a spar"
| "Alone?"
| 1.-THE second mate fell with me he's down
| below-dead, I guess"
1t was no small job getting to him. using
the slippery rail for ladder. and / was
knee deep in water when l finally found
foothold in the rifle, and rolled the spar
off the imprisoned limb.
1xEtn flnt
barely free of the waves, but was able to
clutch the nearest stanchion and haul him
| self up to the protection Of the rail-. His
face was but a blurred outline. although
/ could perceive the gllmmer of white
shirt / stared beyond him into the black
| silence.
you say Seeley is down there?"
81 fell on top of him." the words scarcely
| audible. He was trying to get into the
cabin, when he lost his grip. L tried TO
catch him, and he took me along Say"
he was breathing hard, do you know II
there was girl on board?'
Yes, there is. met her night before
last on deck. Seeley was trying to reach
the cabin, you say? He was endeavoring
to save her?'
"Ay; only got word Of It, BY God.
I thought the fellow had gone mad! Who
is she?"
'I do not know but never mind who she
is Did Seeley tell you where she was
hidden2"
"In a storeroom. next to the steward s
pantry; he said the door was locked"
| Desperate as our own situation was, all
thought of personal danger left me in sud
den realization of the awful horror 'front.'
ing her. almost under our very feet.
| could picture the darkness the swash of
the water, the helpless beating against the
locked door. Il gripped McCann by the arm.
I'VE must get her out of there" cried
Come on with me-"
Where? downtown there?"
"Yes, Of course you are man. take
II. The lantern is still burning, and we
have a chance. II the yacht goes down
we might as well be below decks as up
here. Come now, wake up Mccann--we are
Americans. and It is women nrst. you
know
If he was coward he had no wish 70 %!
II IS knewn, although the suddeanon q