Evening star., 1923-12-16

1t seemed We were doomed to de-
struction, with binding and incessant
flashes of lightning, accompanied by
l! thunder so terrific we could not hear
voices around US, while blistering
flames and pungent smoke added to
the horror.
u CSHIEG to where the captain was
directing the fght to keep the fire
from the helmsman. i pulled him
aside and. as best I could. by sign
and sound, tried to make him under
stand that our only hope lay in put
ting the ship before the wind. rum
ming under the lee Of the Crozet Is
lands. which lay about thirty miles
TO lceward.
BY this maneuvre | figured we
could save the boats and possibly the
ship. The captain considered the
fight against the fire hopeless and
thought We had better abandon the
ship. taking our chances In open
boats, without provisions, all our food
supplies having been aft and by this
time involved in the fire.
This seemed to me sheer madness
In those dreary latitudes we might
be weeks without being picked up
by passing ship. 1t would be inn
possible to get back to the coast, as
the winds blew incessantly from the
west. There was no time for parley,
so We wore ship and ran for the
Crozet Islands.
We scarcely had the ship fair be-
fore the wind when the flame was
shooting as high as the crossack-
yard. Fleming's position at the wheel
now became extremely dangerous. al
most physically impossible, yet there
he stood, calmly steering his course,
his flesh actually blistering from
heat. 1 have seen thousands of
splendid deeds performed by brave
men, but never have I witnessed a
more truly heroic figure than Bill
Fleming as he stood at the wheel of
our doomed ship, his hands and face
burned. his clothing on fire, but still
holding on and steering true course.
1t became clearly evident that IL
Fleming remained much longer he
must surely perish. so we called to
him to abandon the wheel and make
his way forward To our horror.
when he let go the wheel he was only
able to take a few steps before he
fell from exhaustion.
Recognizing the situation at a
glance Duffy and Jackson dashed aft
along the weather-rail. got hold Of
Fleming and carried him forward.
They laid his now unconscious form
on the forecastlehead and started
anew the fight for their lives.
The ship was now about four miles
north Of the westerly island In the
Crozet group. The fire had reached
as far forward as the line of the
mainmast
Our only chance now to save our
lives was to head the ship for the
island. The vital question was,
Woul we fetch up against the face
OF precipitous rock, or would
we fetch up against the face of a
Providence guide US TO a crevice be-
tween the rocks?
We steered the ship as best we
could by manipulating the head sails
which, up to this were not involved
in the fire. AS she sheered on before
the wind. now less than a thousand
feet from the k-bound shore, we
saw what appeared TO be an open
space between the rocks. Adroitiy
maneuvering the head sails. we man
aged to land the blazing hull on a
shelf between the rocks. There was
barely room for the hull. as the open
ing was not more than sixty feet
wide.
1t was fortunate, however, that the
opening was so narrow. because.
when the foreyard, which had not yet
caught nre, was squared, the ends
came in contact with the upper ledge
Of the rocks and SO furnished a means
of escape. forming a bridge, over
which we carried the unconscious
Fleming and Jackson, both OF whom
were badly burned.
HAVING reached pIace Of safety
= on the ledge OF rocks, we huddIed
there watching the progress of the
fire.
Imagine our feelings as we beheld
our ship, her sides gored by the
ragged spikes OF protruding rocks.
her hull and cargo being devoured by
flames! What hope had we, cast away
on these bleak and solitary rocks in
midocean. Seldom had a mariner a
more desolate prospect.
Our ship had been beached on
rising tide, and as wave after wave
slippery ledge. great rents were made
In her sides. Through these rents the
water flowed and extinguished the
fire in the hold. The decks were still
burning. All our boats had been
smashed to splinters by the huge
seas.
At dawn the fire was practically
out. Little remained but q charred
and burned hull. The tide was at ebb
now and it behooved US to make an
effort to salvage everything possible
in the way of food and canvass. Con-
sequently. the crew was divided, some
told or to get all the food possible
out OF the storeroom and harness
casks. others to unbend the forward
sails and unreeve the running gear.
Considerable food was recovered from
the wreck and hoisted to the top of
the ledge; the sails unbent and sent
ashore.
While this work was going on un-
der tho direction OF the writer the
captain climbed to the top OF the
rock, a distance Of more than 500
feet. to make a tentative survey of
conditions on the island.
On returning he reported that the