Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1924-12-24

and full speed astern," whilst with
his disengaged hand he pulled hard
at the siren cord, and a raucous
warning sent stewards flying through
the ship to close collision bulkhead
doors. The chief darted to the port
rail, for the Sirdars instant response
to the helm seemed to clear her nose
from the junk as if by magic.
1t all happened so quickly that
whilst the hoarse signal was still vi
brating through the ship, the junk
swept past her quarter. The chief of
ficer, joined now by the commander,
looked down into the wretehed craft.
They could see her crew dashed in a
bunch around the capstan on her ele-
waited poop. She was laden with tim
Der. Although water-logged, she could
not sink if she held together.
A great wave sucked her away from
the steamer and then hurled her back
with irresistible force The Sirdar was
just completing her turning move
ment, and she heeled over, yielding to
the mighty power of the gale. For an
appreciate instant her engines
stopped. The mass of water that
swayed the junk like a cork lifted the
great ship high by the stern The pro-
peller began to revolve in air-for
the third officer had corrected his sig
nal to full speed ahead" again-and
the cumbrous Chinese vessel struck
the Sirdar terrible blow in the
counter, smashing off the screw close
to the thrust-block and wranching the
rudder from its bearings.
There was an awful race by the en-
gines before the engineers could shut
off steam. The Junk vanished into the
wilderness of noise and tumbling seas
beyond, and the fine steamer of a few
seconds ago, replete with magnificent
energy. struggled like a wounded lev.
latham in the grasp of a vengeful foe.
She swung round, as if in wrath, to
pursue the puny assailant which had
dealt her this mortal stroke. No longer
breasting the storm with stubborn
persistency, she now drifted aimlessly
before wind and wave. She was mere
ly larger plaything, tossed about
by Titanic gambols. The Junk was
burst asunder by the collision. Her
planks and cargo Uttered the waves,
were even tossed in derision on to the
decks of the Sirdar. Of what avail was
against
the spleen Of the unclaimed and form
less monster who loudly proclaimed
his triumph? The great steamship
drlfted on through cnaos, The typhoon
had broken the lance.
But brave men, skilfully directed,
wrought hard to avert further disas-
ter After the first moment of stupor.
gallant British sailors risked life and
limb to bring the vessel under con-
troll
By their calm courage they shamed
the paralyzed Lascars into activity. A
sail was rugged on the foremost, and
sea anchor hastily constructed as
soon as it was discovered that the
helm was useless. Rockets f1ared up
INTO the sky at regular intervals, in
the faint hope that should they attract
the attention of another vessel she
would follow the disabled Sirdar and
render help when the weather mod
Grated.
When the captain ascertained that
no water was being shipped, the dam
age being wholly external, the COLI
sion doors Weer opened and the pas
sengers admitted to the saloon, bril-
liant palace, superbly Indifferent to
the wreck and ruin without.
Captain Ross himself came down
and addressed a few comforting words
to the quiet men and pallid women
gathered there. He told them exactly
what had happened
Sir John Tozer, self-possessed and
critical, asked a question.
'"The junk is destroyed, l assume?"
he said.
"It is"
would it not have been better to
have struck her end on?"
Much better, but that is not the
view we should take if we encountered
a vessel relatively as big as the Sir