Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-11-29

Edgar Allan Poe. 1909 40, was an American
Rsyen'" Tie Fall Of the House of Usher, .
THE Gold Bug, The Masque OF the Reo
Death" etc.
Our vessel was southwark bound in
tropical waters when some sort OF a
tidal wave swept over us and left as
survivors only myself and a Swedish
sailor. Without assistance We could ex-
pect to do little for the security of the
ship. and our exertions were at f1rst
paralyzed by the momentary expecta-
ton Of going down. We scudded with
6rightful velocity before the sea, and the
water made clear breaches over us.
our course for the first four days was
= southeast by south. On the fifth DAY
the cold became extreme. The sun
arose with a Sickly yellow luster ana
clambered a very few degrees above the
horizon. emitting no decisive ngnG'
About noon, as nearly as we could guess,
we again noticed the sun. IL gave OUT
no light, properly speaking, but 2 dull
and suIlen glow without reflection, as II
all its rays were polarized. Just be-
fore sinking within the turgid sea It's
central fires suddenly went out, as II
hurriedly extinguiShed by some unac-
countabie power. It was dim, silver
like rim alone as it rushed down the
unfathomable ocean.
we waited in vain for the arrival OF
the sixth day-that day to me has not
arrived; to the Swede, my companion,
never did arrive. Thenceforward we
were enshrouded in pitchy darkness, SO
that we could not have seen an oblect
at 20 PAGES from the ship. Eternal
fn
tempest continued to rage, but there
was no longer the usual appearance OF
surf or foam, and all around were nor
ror ard thick gloom and a black, swell
tering desert of ebony.
While at the bottom of an abyss made
by the giant waves we looked up some
cons later-we had lost all sense OF
aime-to see at terrible height above
us q gigantic ship. Her huge hun was
deep, dingy black, unrelieved by any
of the customary carvings OF ship. a
single row OF brass cannon prosrn sSu.s.
from her open ports and dashed from
their polished surface the fires OF in
Vulnerable battle lanterns which swung
to and fro about her rigging.
What mainly inspired us with horror
and establishment was that she bore uE
1lnder a press of sail in the very teeth
of that supernatural sea and OF thai
ungovernable hurricane. For mo-
ment of intense horror she passed upor
the giddy pinnacle. as If in contempla.
ton of her own sublimity, then tremblee
and tottered and came down.
The shock of the descending mas:
struck our vessel. I saw the Swede NJ
more. I managed to be flung aboarc
the strange vessel, where no one no
ttced me, and hid myself in a hatch
way, For these strange Seamen aWee
me, and 1 thought it best to hide. =.
There was about these sailors an ev1
dence of great age and inf1rmity. Knees
fottered beneath their load OF years, ant
their entire frames would culver. the,
anuttered to themselves In language
did not understand. Their navigator
instruments were old and antlquateo
of style long since discarded.
Eeternities passed. Incomprehensibl
men, these! Wrapped up in meditation
of a. kind which I cannot divine, the
pass me by unnoticed. Concealment
utter folly on my part, for the peopl
will not see me- It was but just nov
that passed directly before the eye
of the mate. It was no long while ag
that ventured into the captains owl
private cabin and took thence the ma
terialS with which l write and hav
written. I shall from time to time con
tinue this journal 1t is true that
may not find an opportunity of tra---
uniting it to the world, but / will nc
fail to make the endeavor. At the las
moment will inclose the manuScrir
in a bottle and cast it into the sea.
About an hour ago I made bold t
thrust myself among group Of tn
crew They paid me no manner {
attention, and, although I stood in tn
Very midst of them all, seemed utterl
unconscious Of my presence. Like tn
one had at first seen in the hold, the
all bore about them the marks of
hoary old age. Their knees tremble
with inflrrnity; their shoulders wer
bent double with decrepitude; thei
khriveled skins ratified in the wind; the
= voices were low, tremulous and broker
their eyes glistened with the rheum {
wears, and their graz hairs Streame
terribly in the tempest. Around then
on every part of the deck, lay Scattere
mathematical instruments of the mo-
quaint and obsolete construction.
The ship is rolling every moment
the most appalling hell of water WhiC
1t can enter the mind of man to in
agine I have left the deck, where
find it impossible to maintain a footin
although the crew seem to eXperient
little inconvenience. 1t appears to n
a miracle of miracles that our enol
NOUS bulk is not swallowed up at ont
and forever.
We are surely doomed to hover cor
tinually upon the brink of eterni
without taking final rlurge into IL