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fcIPAGE AND FATA MORGANA.
B, hK sO*lE\o\ BHIIH RE(Ern
I STARTLED CHICAGO PEOPLE.
b> Trm elcrs—Appraranrpn
I jB (hr Dnrrl a nil In Ike Arrilr Hr.
I Conditions
I which I’roilncf Mirage—Cailln in
I the Air.
I yrom the Philadelphia Inquirer.
■, . a few days ago a paragraph in the
Bg iy journals gave a report of a mirage
I. ] aK r Michigan, which surprised the
I of Chicago. A few months pre
■ he captain of a vessel which came
■ c ..v,„ a rd along the coast gave an ac
■ .. ,'a wonderful appearance of a city
H.. ■. iin the sky to seaward; and. at
8..... during each summer, we have
■ . . of such phenomena having been
H,. h\ frequenters of various seaside
Ht ;h. se days we'calmly look at such
H. i le?, wonder for a few moments at
K t . lr strangeness, and say that they are
B e ;o some law of nature, and pass on.
Bormerly they were referred to some su
■trnatural cause, and their mystery pro
■ r <\ superstition, if not exaggeration.
Bu it an effect may be seen in an account
B U nurage given by the Greek historian,
Bciorus Siculus, who lived In the days
B the early Caesars of Rome, lie says:
B An extraordinary phenomenon occurs
B Africa at certain periods, especially in
Blm weather. The air becomes filled with
Bnages of all sorts of animals, some mo-
Bonless. other floating in the air; now
Bey seem running away, now pursuing;
Bey are all of enormous proporiions, and
Bits spectacle fills with terror and awe
Biosr who are not accustomed to it. When
B r se figures overtake the traveler, whom
Bey seem to l>e pursuing, they surround
Bni "i'h a cold and shivering feeling,
not used to this extraordinary
Bienomenon are filled with fear; but the
who are in the habit of see-
B it, take no particular notice of It."
Has a parallel to this, the following ac-
HcTni of a mirage given by M. Bonnefont,
Hho accompanied a French expedition to
B -A flock of flamingoes, birds of prey
Hhi h are very common In this province.
seen upon the southeast bank, about
miles and a half off. 1 These birds, as
left the ground to fly to the surface
Bf the lake, assumed such enormous pro-
Bortions as to give the idea of Arab horse-
B>en defiling one after another. The illu-
B'c: was for a moment so complete that
Ben. Bitecaud sent a Spahi forward as a
Bront. The latter crossed the lake in a
Bftaight line, but when he had reached a
Bolnt where the undulations commenced,
Bte horse's legs became so elongated that
Both steed and rider- seemed to be borne
■everal yards high, and disporting itself
B* the midst of the water that appeared to
B*htnerge it. All eyes were fixed on this
Bunions phenomenon, until a thick cloml
Bitereepiing the sun's rays caused these
Bpt'cal illusions to disappear and re-estab-
objects in their natural shape.
I The writer goes on to say; “Sometimes
■not her effect, which became a source
Hf amusement to the soldiers, was pro-
B'ued. If, while the sun was in the east,
B n( i the wind blowing from an opposite dl-
Becilon, a small and buoyant object, sus
ceptible of being floated along by the wind,
B' as cast in the lake, it was curious to ob
■erve how it became larger as It got far
■her off, and as soon as the wind had
Bade it undulate, it suddenly took the
■hape of a email boat, the movement of
B'hu-h above the waves was In proportion
■ > the slaking It experienced from the
Binds.
| I "At about 8:30 o'clock on the morning
Bf June 18, with a temperature of 26 de-
Brces Centigrade (about 79 degrees Fah-
Benheitl, while a somewhat strong breeze
■' ss Mowing from the east and a nebulous
Btmti.m was beginning to dissipate the
■nit, a certain number of these thistle-
B n ad> Wei 1 , launched upon the water, and
■o sooner had the wind driven them to the
Boirit where undulation commenced than
■hry presented the curious spectacle of a
Beet in disorder. The vessels seemed to
Bash on against the other, and then.drlven
By the wind to a greater distance, they
Bisapprarod as completely as If they had
down."
■ Such is one kind of mirage. Another is
Bhen in the narrative of the celebrated
Bravpler, I * r. Clarke: "We procured asses
Broui party, and setting out for Rosetta,
■•’cm :n recross the desert, which appoar-
B likr an ocean of sand, but flatter and
Bnner as to its surface than before. The
Bralis, littering their harsh, gutteral lan
ran chattering by the side of our
Bssps. until some of them called out “Ras
■hid. we peri-etved its domes and tur
■ ' apparently upon the opposite side
B- an immense lake or sea, that covered
■II the intervening space between us and
|d • city Not having In my own mind, at
■he time, any doubt as to the certainty of
if I,r| ne water, and seeing the tall miner-
B anrl lln ''dings of Rosetta, with all its
t C dates and sycamores, as per
-811, reflected by it as by a mirror, inso
that even the minutest detail of the
i ' bbe, and of Phe trees, might have
■een ihem-e deliheated, I applied to the
f * sto iir informed In what manner we
to pass the water.
terpreter, although a Greek, and
bkoly to have been informed of
B',' , , a i’kenomenon, was as fully con-
Bf' 1 ' , as any of us that we were drawing
B,~ r ! ° ,ilp water's edge, and became in
-8,,u? nt ” ,lpn the Arabs maintained that
B ‘ mn a " ,10ur we should reach Rosetta
K-P " ossln S the sands, in the direct line
W, „ ?„f ursu ed and that there was no
Bnnati " hat ' sai<J he> * lvln F way to his
■ patienee. ‘do you suppose me an idiot to
■ persuaded contrary to the evidence of
W:*T™ V T!le Arab s, smiling, soon
Bhewh , m an< * completely astonishing
■ i j P Party by desiring us to look back
Be rlh iT rt wp baf * already passed, where
■„ " nc-l.j a precisely similar appearance.
■in U was th “ mirage.”
Rhea.-- \ pry early ages men began to
Bni - ’bout these natural phenomena,
B-ite■ ai ? excite'but little surprise that
, las ' s of nature were as little un-
BaV ° !-ome of the theories showed a
Bo^an am n ,ln, o£ wh,ch we now call “lg-
Bhove ' Uiodorus Siculus, mentioned
Bivfr) nfi'ea , H °me of the conclusions ar
■ at in his day.
Bo ev. r Physical philosophers attempt
■“"lenon Vwe l , trU * CaU,,e * ° f t; “ R phe '
Habium! ' h seems extraordinary and
B>! In rhpy sa y that there Is r.o
Bur L-a, arcely ar, y> in this country
i ■ masses of condensed air
Bum<. I m . Si hya what the clouds some-
Bani h Pro<luce with us on rainy days,
Bvf'rv . , , m ’ a kes of all shapes rising on
Busf'tnrinH i ln l ,l? p air - These strata of air.
But by hght breezes, become mixed
■me ~h Pr strata - executing at the same
Bnd wv r> ra PW oscillatory movements.
B-end p^lm a S a 't> *ets in they de-
R. . . Hr ' i the ground by their own
Rafl B ~ preserving the shapes that they
K,-f U ■ ' 'ientally assumed. If no cause
■v . 'haperse them they spontaneous-
B- ' 'hemselves to the first animals
Bni , ' mp "ear. Their movements do
Bor it £f r to be ,he effect of volition.
Be ■ lrn P° ss ible for an inanimate be-
I "Fi.n ’’ . Krpss or So backward.
x tbp animated beings whd im-
B : -. V P ro, i u ee these voluntary move-
Bi in • . r a ? they advance they cause a
B> fl< hof e ° £ l in tbe images w hich seem
■ fore them. Similarly, those which
Beiaxationf’ b 7 Producing a void and a
B-rsued Sv ir J h the *', rata of ,hf air - ,0 be
pons rll he aeHal specters. The per-
Bv,, ‘ . nR away are probably struck,
lom-ien k a, ® p or eeturn to their former
Kthj i, iL.I tbe matter of these figures,
tk against their bodies and pro-
duce at the moment of the shock the chil
ly sensation.” It is to be hoped that tlus
reasoning was clear to the philosopiS
minds of the Sicilian s readers, but g
will scarcely meet with acceptance in
these days of matter-of-fact inquiry'- Ex
planations such as this passed current for
ages, and it was not until the middle cf
the seventeenth century that real Inves
tigation began.
In fact it was nearly the end of the
eighteenth century that some method w.is
imported into the investigation by the pub
lication of a aerie* of observations by
Prof. Busch. No theories, however, were
advanced sufficient to account for tile phe
nomena. The credit of first offering a
truly scientific explanation belongs to
G&spard Monge 0746-1818). an eminent
b rench mathematician who accompanied
Napoleon in his expedition to Egypt in
17S>S.
To understand the phenomenon of mir
age Is not difficult, although the miuhe
matlcal solutions of every phase are un
doubtedly so. It is well known that the
density of the atmosphere decreases with
the hight above the ground. This Is the gen
eral rule undoubtedly. It may, however,
hapjien that although the stratum of atr
nearest the ground is usually the heaviest
It may become lighter than one above It.
as. for instance, when the air Is Intensely
heated by the sun s rays. Such a condition
is what we may all accidental, and will b -
due to peculiarities of the locality, or to pe
culiar conditions of the atmosphere. Now
we know that if a ray of light passes from
a more dense to a less dense medium. It
U refracted In a direction away from the
perpendicular to the surface at the point
where it enters the second medium. Sup
pose a ray of light to pass through a series
of strata of decreasing density, and we
shall see that by the constant bending
away of the ray it will at last have a di
rection which is at right angles to the sur
face of the medium.
What happens? It doets not enter the me
dium at all, but is totally reflected. You
can try this in a very simple way. Take
a clear, round glass bottle, such as a flor
ence-01l flask, and half-fill It with water.
Hold it above your head, and the surface
of the water Is a mirror in which you see
reflected the objects below the bottle. Or
take a large tumbler, fill It with water,
place a spoon in it, hold It above you so
that you see the under side of the surface
of the water and you will see the image of
the spoon.
Let us apply this to the ordinary mirage
as described by African travelers. Rays
from a city, from palms, from rocks, from
mountains pass through the various strata
of air, of which the uppermost Is densest,
until they strike the lowest, which Is least
dense, let us say from the heat of the sand.
Here they are totally reflected, and the
eye of the traveler sees the objec.s reflect
ed as in a mirror. The color of the sky Is
also reflected and gives the appearance of
water, and so you have "Rosetta" Imaged
In an enchanted lake.
But it Is evident that peculiarities of
locality may produce vertical strata, as
well as horizontal ones, of varying density
Here we get Images distorted and magnl
flred by the simple effects of refraction for
we are looking at them, as it were,
through lenses, albeit they are of air, not
of crystal; such an effect may not unfre
quently be observed by looking across a
river, a stret or on the seashore. By this
wc account for M. Bonnefont’s flamingoes
and thistledown ships.
In another phase of mirage, objects low
down near the horizon, or even below It,
appear lifted abovg It. Instances of this
are not uncommon. Helm has described
a case of this kind observed In the moun
tains of Thuringia, where be
held three lofty peaks appear above an
intermediate chain which generally con
cealed them from sight, and these peaks
appeared to be so clearly defined that he
was able to distinguish, with an ordinary
glass, tufts of grass that were distant four
German miles (about 15 of our miles).” It
has even been said on credible authority
that at the Peak of Tenerlffe a mirage
made visible the Allegheny Mountains,
which are nearly 3,000 miles awy.
The explanation is not far to seek. In
the former cases we considered the re
sult of the density of the air decreasing
as It descends to the ground. In this case
the density increases, but not normally.
In a normal condition of the atmosphere,
a ray of light from the horizon is refract
ed to such an extent that its path has
about a twelfth part of the curvature of
the earth. But what If conditions are
modified? If the density decreases with
the hight abnormally, It is possible that
the path of a ray may have a curvature
amounting to a quarter and more of the
curvature of a great circle of the earth.
Strange as it may seem, It is possible In
this way to have “a gun which can shoot
round a corner."
Proceeding to other phases of this mar
velous natural phenomenon, we come to
three cases which are connected with
each other: 1. A reflection is seen above
the object, but it is inverted, and above
that a second reflection, which is erect. 2.
The inverted reflection is seen alone. 3.
The erect reflection is seen alone. Re
markable instances of one or other of these
are on record. In December, 1869, between
3 and 4 o'clock in the morning, the river
Seine, at Paris, appeared defeated in the
sky with its bridges, surrounding build
ings and the hundreds of gaslights upside
down.
Capt. Seoresby, the Arctic navigator,
narrates a curious incident. He says:
"We had already observed similar appari
tlons.but this one was peculiar for the dis
tinctness of the reflection in spite of the
great distance of the vessel. Its contour
was so well defined that in looking at It
with a Dollond's glass I could distinguish
the details of the mast and the hull of
the ship, which I recognized as that of
my father. On comparing our books we
saw that we were 34 miles from each
each other, that Is, 19% miles from the ho
rizon, and far beyond the limits of vision."
Another instance is worthy of notice, be
cause of the scientists who were witnesses
of it. "Upon the shores of the Orinoco,
Humboldt and Bonpland discovered that
at noon the temperature of the gpnd was
127 degrees, while at six yards above the
ground the temperature of the air was
only 104 degrees. The hillocks of San Juan
and Ortez, the chain called the Gallera,
situated three or four leagues off, seemed
suspended in the air; the palm trees ap
peared to have no hold on the ground,
and in the midst of the savannah of Cara
cas, these savants saw, at a distance of a
mile and a half, a herd of oxen appar
ently in the air.”
Without entering upon a learned dis
quisition, it will suffice to say that these
phases depend on what is called the re
fractive index of each stratum of air,
which may be such as to cause intersec
tions in the paths of the rays. If there
is no intersection we only see the direct
image; if there are two intersections wc
shall see the inverted image above the
object, and an erect image above the In
verted one; while a very slight change of
conditions may obliterate either one or the
other.
It is possible to suppose conditions of at
mosphere In connection with the principles
already mentioned In which the strata are
not plain and regular, but contorted from
various causes. Refractions and reflec
tions then intermingle, and the result is
a fantastic aerial vision called the "Fata
Morgana,” because ancient superstition
supposed it to be the work of a fairy. It oc
curs on the seashore of the Bay of Naples
and at Reggio on the coast of Sicily. Flam
marion thus describes it. "The phenome
non generally occurs of a morning in very
calm weather. For an extent of several
leagues the sea upon the Sicilian coast as
sumes the appearance of a chain of somber
mountains, while the waters on the Cala
brian side remain quite unaffected. Above
the latter is seen depicted a row of several
thousand of pilasters, all of equal eleva
tion. of equal distance apart and of equal
degrees of light and shade.
THE MORNING NEWS: SUNDAY, MAY ‘J(S, IS!).-,.
"In the twinkling of an eye these pilas
ters sometimes lose half their hight and
appear to take the shape of arcades and
vaults, like the Roman aqueducts. There
Is often also noticeable a long cornlee upon
their summits, and there are also seen
countless castles, all exactly alike. These
soon fade away and give place to towers,
which In turn, disappear, leaving nothing
but a colonnade, then windows and lastly
pine trees and cypresses, several times re
peated." Can anyone imagine a more beau
tiful transformation scene? And It is car
ried out silently and surely by a few laws
of nature. No wonder that the inhabitants
look upon It as "a good omen," or that
crowds rush down to the seashore joyous
ly crying out: "Morgana' Morgana!"
Of a less beautiful and “xctrlng nature
are "The 1*1) ing Dutchman" of sailors'
yarns, and "The Enchanted Island," which
was sought for so long; hut none the less
they are results of mirage. Some people
will call in question the old salt's tale, and
declare that he imagined the ship and the
island, but we know that he may have seen
them "with his own eyes"—ln a mirage.
Let them study mirage and become believ
ers, although It is true that "things are not
what they seem."
HETTY liIIEEVA 9HRKWb\E99.
She Interview's the Enemies of n Cor
poration Before Investing In Its
Securities.
From the New York Mall and Express.
How did Mrs. Hetty Green accumulate
her vast wealth?
The small army of men who speculate
through brokers on the stock and produce
exchanges cherish the belief that a large
part of th* enormous accretions to her in
herited estate have been won through
lucky deals In bonds, stocks and grain.
When their hearts are heavy because of
prices going persistently against their
hopes they are wont to find renewed cour
age in contemplating her as an example
of what may be done by a woman, who
naturally has fewer sources of Inlorma
tion than the men who study the brokers’
blackboards.
So deeply is this belief rooted that the
news of her advent upon the street is suf
ftcent to gather a crowd in her vicinity.
The merest touch of her garments Is re
garded as better luck than the possession
of a foot of a graveyard rabbit, killed
when the moon Is dark.
And yet there is the strongest sort of
testimony that Mrs. Green has never
bought a share of stock for merely spetej
lative purposes. Ever since she- has con
trolled enough money to make her bank
account worth handling she has conducted
her financial affairs through the Chemical
National Bank. Her drafts and deposits
indicate the nature of her transactions,
and Mr. William J. Quinlan, Jr., cashier.
Is authority for the statement that the
bank has never cleared or liquidated a
share of speculative stock for her.
The same authority attests the fact that
Mrs. Green has made her money by the
shrewdest sort of Investment In railway
and corporation bonds, in real estate and
in loans at high interest upon real estate.
How does she acquire the Information
concerning Investment properties which
has enabled her to avoid the clutches of
the many shady operators who make life
a burden to most persons who are seeking
investment for capital?
iMr. Quinlan says that Mrs. Green has
in most eases relied mainly or solely upon
her own methods of acquiring accurate In
formation. A favorite plan of hers is to
go to the enemies of any corporation which
has attracted her notice as a possible in
vestment. After having learned everything
ascertainable against rhe management and
prospects she is armed for an Interview
with the persons In control. If they can
satisfy her of the rectitude of munagers
and of the reasonable prospect of success
upon the lines employed, she backs her
judgment with the cool certainty of a vet
eran gambler. Othfwise she cannot be
persuaded or bamboozled Into Investing a
penny.
Is Mrs. Green entertaining an application
for a loan upon house property? There
her shrewd detective methods come hftto
full play. She calls upon the tenant, learns
everything she wants to know touching
the condition and rental of the property.
Of course she must depend upon her law
yers for ascertaining the legal encum
brances, but for all else she depends upon
her own Inquisitorial powers and she rare
ly makes a mistake. Dwellers In apart
ment houses have often been surprises!
by visits from an elderly and not wrfl
dressed woman, who does not hesitate to
dicker for the flat as If she wished to rent
It furnished. It is Mrs. Hetty Green win.
In this way, is enabled to Inspect every
room and make up her opinion as to value.
This habit of finding out everything as
certainable about what she contemplates
buying. Mrs. Gren carries Into the smallest
concerns. Last summer ahe thought she
oouM outflank the livery stable men of her
Vermont home by buying a horse and rig
of her own. She told Mr. Quinlan that
every one was trying to rob her and that
the man who owned the horse t an<l car
riage she contemplated buying wanted to
charge her 3200, or Just double value in her
judgment. The next time she saw Mr.
Quinlan she-was In great spirits.
"I got that horse and rig for $60,” she
s ai(l - - . .
"How did you manage it?” Mr. Quinlan
asked.
"I went to a man who had a grudge
against the owner and got him to tell me
of every fault of the horse and carriage.
T would have given him 8100 for It. but with
that knowledge I beat him down to J 00."
$7,500 for a Set of Teeth.
From London Tit-Bits.
A well-known firm of bankers In London
have just made a profitable investment.
Some time ago a man who had defrauded
them of a large sum of money was taken
into custody, convicted and sentenced to
a long term of penal servitude.
As may be imagined, the prison fare
did not agree with a man who had by
means of fraud lived on the fat of the
land. The change affected him in many
ways, but he complained more particular
ly of the effect the food had upon his
teeth. They were not numerous or in good
condition when he was sentenced, and as
they rapidly became worse he applied to
the governor of the prison for anew set.
He was told that the government did not
supply prisoners with artificial teeth, and
at the first opportunity he wrote to the
banking firm in question, offering if they
would send him anew set, to give them
some valuable information.
Thereupon the bankers, thinking the of
fer might be a genuine one, sent the gov
ernor f the prison a check for £5 and
asked him to provide the convict with a
set of artificial teeth.
In due course the convict kept his prom
ise, and sent the bankers certain informa
tion, by which they were enabled to re
cover no less than £1.500. of which they
had been defrauded. They naturally re
garded this as the best investment they
had ever made, but It proved even better
than anticipated, for they have just re
ceived from the prison authorities a re
mittance of £l, the teeth having cost only
£4.
Senator Jones of Nevada.
From the Chicago Tlmes-Herald.
The life of Senator Jones of Nevada has
been a continuous romance. One year he
Is a millionaire and the next year he Is
flat broke. To-day he has 3100,000 to his
credit, to-morrow he is 350,000 poorer than
when he was born. He is a really brilliant
man. He has a remarkable fund of useful
information and he can make a good
speech on any subject with very little pre
paration. He is an inveterate stock gam
bler, and always a bull. At one time, fif
teen years ago, he was worth 35,000,000. A
severe streak of bad luck followed, and In
two years he was broke.
During his flush period he presented his
wdfe with $60,000 worth of diamonds. When
he reached the final zero he asked his wife
to lend him the diamonds She did so.
He sold them and invested the proceeds in
mining stocks, the venture was lucky, and
in less than a year the 36).000 had Increased
to 3500,000. He then returned the diamonds
to his w Ife Increased by 25 per cent. Jones
is interested In mines in Nevada, Califor
nia, Arizona and Coiorado. His wealth Is
now up in the millions again. Rich or
poor, Jones Is always happy. He is a firm
believer in his own good luck. He is a
spirited but not a wise poker player. He
lost 365,000 at one sitting at Tombstone,
Ari., and raked in $25,0(5) of Tom Bowen’s
money the first week the latter served in
the Senate.
A CORPSE 0W THE KEEL
THE AW FI I, CHI IRE OF THE Mill*
TORNADO.
Held Hack by the Dead on a Silent
Sea far Twenty Days.
From the l'lttshurg Post.
If there was a faster ship afloat In the
•30s than the Tornado, 1 have never heard
her referred to. The fact that she was a
clipper to sail came about more by ac l
dent than design, for she was built in an
English shipyard by English shipwrights
ami after the plan of an English draughts
man. It is no slur on the English nation
to say that they have never known ho*
to build sailing ships to compare with the
crafts turned out on this side of the water.
They have made some changes In tlie r
models and in their manner of rig
ging, but up to this date have refused to
copy after the Yankees and turn out a
combination of speed, grace and carrying
capacity. It was a source of wonder to
everybody who saw the Tornado that she
was launched from a British shipyard, and
her nickname—The Accident—followed Her
all over the world. She was three years
old and had won a record when I shipped
in her for a voyage from Liverpool 'o
San Francisco and return. She had a crew
of twenty-two men and a miscellaneous
cargo and was commanded by Uapt. James
Cross.
No less than nine sailing ships left Liv
erpool on the same tide with us, but only
one, the Astral, was bound around the
Horn. The others were for ports in Bra
zil. \Ve were four hours behind the last
one in the fleet, and yet In a run of fif
teen hours after the tug dropped us we
were In the lead. The Tornado was a
tug of 950 tons burden, but she handled
like a yacht, and had no tricks about her.
He best point of sailing, as In all square
riggers, was with the wind over the qu lr
ter, but she was a surprise no matter how
the wind came along. When another ship
of her class would have two men at her
wheel with their jackets off and thotr
shirts wet with perspiration the Tornado
only wanted the touch of a single hand
to keep her wake as straight as an ar
row. On that occasion there were eight
een days when we logged off a dally run
which the captain of a steamer might
have been proud of, and the voyage to
San Francisco was made four days short
er than ever before by a sailing ship.
When ready to leave port we found we
were to have company. The bark Wild
Rose and the ship Arrow, both American,
were homeward bound to New York an I
Boston. Both were fast crafts, and the
result of much bragging and boasting was
a wager on which craft would round the
Horn first. The three captains put the
sum of 31,500 into a pool for the victor,
and I have no doubt the American officers
followed Oapt. Cross's example In promis
ing the men extra money if they won the
wager. The Arrow passed out first, fol
lowed by the bark, and both were ten
miles off the edast before we had passed
Seal Rock. There was a fresh breeze
from Just the point we wanted, it, and in
three hours we were leading the bark and
creeping upon the ship.
At sundown we were leading the latt"r
by five miles. Next morning the ocean
was clear as far as could be seen, and
the crew looked upon the wager as al
ready won. The run to the south waa al
most the average of a passenger steamer,
and each day’s run was chalked on a
blackboard for the benefit of the crew.
At noon every day there was cheering and
tossing up of caps, and the mate gave out
that we were likely to beat the record
going home and thug lop off the days
at both ends.
Fate had get a trap for the Tornado,
however, and we found its jaws wide open
as we ran down to the equator. One af
ternoon, two hours after the blackboard
has given us the run of the previous
twenty-four hours as 260 miles, the breeze
began to die away, and by sundown there
wasn’t air enough to stir a feather. Of
course, we hoped It was only a temporary
calm. Not having any ports to touch at
the captain had stood off the American
coast until his southing would pass him
between Easter and Gomez Islands. The
Americans might have followed In our
wake or cut In closer to the coast. Every
hour we lay there allowed them to gain
on us, and when the night passed and
the sun came up and brought no breeze
we could figure that both were 150 miles
nearer.
From sunup to sundown we lay there,
drifting a bit, but without the slightest
breeze, and with the-sun so hot that all
work was suspended. Just at sunset it
clouded up and a deluge of rain descend
ed, but when the rain ceased and the
clouds drifted away the same dead at
mosphere prevailed as before.
Then we began to realize that we were
tn for a long-continued calm. One may
encounter a calm on any portion of the
sea, but an equatorial calm has sensa
tions to be experienred nowhere else. The
sky loses Its color and becomes dead; the
surface of the water has a grassy aspect
and the monotony of a dessert; the eter
nal cheeping of the blocks and the creek
of the yards brings out a feeling of lonll
ness to make men sulky and cross.
For five consecutive days and nights
there was not even a puff of wind, and
the weather was so hot that no unneces
sary work was done. It was well for the
ship that the officers understood sailors'
natures in a calm. Had the captain
cursed and the mates nagged there would
have been a mutiny. Jack works by the
calendar month. The longer the voyages
is spun out the more pay is due him, and
yet nothing upsets him more than slow
sailing, while he would sooner lose
a month's pay than to be becalmed for a
week.
Toward the close of the fifth day the
Arrow, which had followed our route,
hove in sight and passed us about ten
miles to the eastward. We afterward as
certained she lost a topmast and some of
her sails tn a squall, and had thus been
delayed. While we lay wollowtng on the
greasy sea she sailed right past. In other
words, ten miles to the east of us there
was a slant of wind to carry her over the
line, while the flame of a candle on board
of us would not even waver. The Amer
ican bark had taken the Inshore route and
passed us two day* before, though we
knew nothing about it.
I never heard such hearty cursing aboard
of a craft as was indulged in that evening
when we saw the yankee disappearing to
the south. Our five days’ gain on her was
not only lost, but she was clipping along
at the rate of six or seven miles an hour,
while we were lying like a water-soaked
log. There were half a dozen fights tn the
fo'castle before 9 o'clock, and at about 10
the captain and mates had a row in the
cabin which could plainly be heard for
ward. Everybody was mad and disgusted,
and wanted to vent his spite on another.
The sixth day came and went, as did
the seventh, eighth, ninth and tenth.
There was no ■ hange in the sky—no
change in the water. We ate, smoked,
drank, growleJ and slept, and no matter
what sort of a statement one made he
was promptly called a liar aril the offer
made to fight him. On the forenoon of the
seventh "day a ship passed us to the east
ward, bound north. On the ninth day a
ship passed us sailing to the south. On
the afternoon of the tenth day the cap
tain ordered three boats down to tow the
Tornado to the eastward. The Idea was
at first hailed with satisfaction, but after
we had labored for an hour without seem
ing to have moved the ship as much as
100 feet, the men refused to do another
stroke of work. I never could understand
Just what was the matter at this Juncture.
\\ hilo the Tornado had a pretty full
Carso, we ought to have been able to tow
her In any direction at the rate of two
milea an Ho our very host, we could
I no headway to the east. We may
have bc.ti on the edge of a current, or
; the spell of terrible hot weather may have
weakened us more than we suspected. At
any rate, we nearly broke our backs pull
ing away at the oars for sixty minutes and
■ hen gate It up. The eaptaln couxal and
. threatened, but Anally retted to his cab
in and the boats were hoisted in.
The eleventh day came and went, then
the twelfth, thirteenth and fourteenth. At
midnight of the fourteenth a few rats
paws began playing about, hut the ship
had no more than got a Steerage way
when it fell aflat, dead cairn again. At
sunrise on the lifteentl| morning the same
. thing happened again. and again In the
i afternoon, and we may' have made some
thing like a mile to the south.
From the lirst day of the calm we had
I visitors in the shape of sharks. There
I were only two on the first day. but after
that we could always count at least a
j dozen. ltut for the presence of these
monsters the men could have found some
relief from the heat In the water. On
; 'he fifteenth day. after a long spell at
box hauling the yards about to catch the
liuffs which had no weight In them, the
1 ship's carie-nter announced that he was
going to cool off alongside If It cost him
his life. Some of the men had gone below,
and some were lying about wherever
they could find shade, when he went over
the bows. I was seated on the heel of the
bowsprit, where I got a bit of air as the
ship rose and fell on the glassy ground
swell, an<l was the only one aboard who
witnessed the tragedy.
Before dropping Into the water the man
looked about him. The dorsal flns of at
least fifteen sharks were cutting the wa
iter, and he must have fully realised the
‘ risk he was about to run. I furthermore
called his attention to It, but he growled
out something about my minding my own
business, and made a dive from the rail.
Every fin went out of sight In an in
stant, and I thought the man would
never rise to the surface. He came up af
ter a few minutes, however, and swam off
to a distance of about ten feet. He was
treading water and brushing his long
hair back, when I aa a flash of white
in the water near him and the next In
stant he was pulled down. He threw up
his arms but uttered no cry. Fifteen sec
onds after he went down an enormous
shark broke water with the carpenter in
his mouth. For a full minute the mons
ter circled about on the surface, with his
victim kicking and struggling, and then
he disappeared into the depths to be seen
no more. Several of the men came saun
tering forward In response to my shouts,
but nothing was to be seen except a rip
ple on the surface.
On the night of that fifteenth day a very
queer thtng happened. It was a clear,
moonlight night, and at midnight the man
on lookout, who was stationed for form's
sake on the bows, awoke from a nap to find
a derelict cloea aboard. The whole crew
was routed out to take action In ease she
drifted aboard of us, but that did not hap
pen. She approached within a cable's
length, and then came to a standstill. It
was likely that she was In sight from
the masthead the afternoon before, but
no one had been sent aloft to look around.
She had come down on us from the north,
being caught In some current, perhaps not
over 20(1 feet wide. We made her out to be
a brig with both masts and bowsprit gone,
and after showing a light and hailing her
without result, we knew that she was
abandoned.
Next morning she was a bit nearer ua,
and after breakfast the gig was manned
and Capt. Cross put aboard of her. Two of
us climbed over her-bows with him and
helped him to rummage about. The craft
was named the Pole Star, and hailed from
New hern, N. C. She was on her way to a
Mexican port, and had been blown far to
the westward of her oourse. The last en
try In her log referred to a gale In which
she had been dismasted and was about to
be altandoned, b*ut that entry was eight
months old. For eight months the brig
had knocked about In all sorts of weather,
and was still floating. She had about two
feet of water In her hold, but most of that
had come In through her decks.
Her cargo consisted of machinery and
furniture, and was but little damaged. In
leaving her but very little had been taken
aside from water and provisions, and Capt.
Cross promised us a fair divide If we would
loot the derelict. All the crew were wilt
ing to turn to, and. we took out of her a
spare set of sails, two anchors and chains,
a capstan, three portable engines, a tot of
wood working machinery, 300 mirrors, a
great lot of fine tools and other things,
which I do not recollect, though the whole
was valued at $15,0(10 In Idvcrpool. We
had her alongside of us for two days, and
then towed her half a mile away and scut
tled her. •
On the morning of the twentieth day of
the calm, being a "spell'’ which only three
or four ships have ever encountered, the
second mate declared that there must be
a (lead man clinging to the ship's keel. It
was an old superstition and one general
ly laughed to scorn, but on this occa
sion no one Indulged In ridicule. The men
soon began to talk among themselves,
and within an hour her captain had given
permission for a boat to be lowered to
make an Ihvestlgatlon. The mate and
three men Mfet In the boat, and begin
ning the: jbri bow they worked aft
and around *’the ship. When they were
amidshlp oiV-tJte Starboard side, they be
gan ahouttng and cheering, and the an
nouncement was made that they had
found thA body.
Four or five feet below the water line, the
copper sheeting had been rolled up by
striking something In port, and held fast
by the sharp edges catching hla clothes
was the dead body of a sailor. As the
ship rolled he was broght Into view and
pulled away with a boathook. We must
have picked him up as we lay there,
though It was curious that a corpse should
be floating around there among the sharks
and more curious that they had not pulled
him away. There he was, however, and
though too badly decomposed for burial,
we got a weight to his feet and sent him
to the bottom. And did that break the
calm? The log of the Tornado says that
the breeze came at noon, and she went
flying down to the Horn in her old style
and reached port without other adventure.
Capt. Cross lost his wager with the Am er
icans, but his share of the salvage was
a much larger sum, and there were many
big dollars left for his mates and men to'
Jingle In their pockets.
A Fortone In the Sweepings.
From the Philadelphia Record.
The annual house cleaning at the mint
began yesterday, and will be completed
by to-morrow week. This house clean
ing will bring a small fortune to the gov
ernment, for the dust and refuse swept
up during the operation always bears be
tween 12(1,000 and $1(0,000 worth of gold. The
sweepings of the various apartments and
corridors, which have been gathered up
from day to day and placed carefully In
a barrel, were put Into a big pot yesterday
and burned up. It will be allowed to cool
for two days and will then be powdered
and turned over to the assayer. After
he is through with It he will find the
contents of the old barrel to be worth
about $20,000. There Is another source of
revenue in the sink wells below the wash
stands, where the operatives perform their
ablutions after handling the gold blo-ka.
The ooze in the sink wells tall! also b“
treated like the sweepings and will proba
bly net about SIO,OOO,
—A Rude Suggestion.—"lt’s strange how
England hates to let anything go," said the
man who worries
"Yes,'' replied the man of violent preju
dices; “the only thing that country sms
willing to drop Is the letter h."—Washing
ton Star.
Mothers’
Attention.
We call your attention this week
to our offerings of a large line of
Children’s
Shirt Waists
which we have placed on sale at
25c for unlaundered and 65c for
laundered. These are all fancy
goods—not white—but of the
value you can judge, for you buy
them often.
Star and “Mothers’ Friend” brands in PC a
pretty designs, all laundered Dull
Black Sateen, “Mothers’ Friend” sndAr*
several desirable brands,unlaundcrcd^jJJ
We have a big lot for all ages.
APPEL & SCHAUL,
15?) Broughton Street.
False ricnrilnu for Wrong.
From the Chicago Tribune.
The Atlanta Constitution Is pleading for
a slump to the silver basis. It saya that
without any new law the government may
lawfully pay Its bonds, currency and treas
ury note* In either gold or silver, at ita
own discretion, and adds:
Some people pretend to think that It
would hurt our credit If the government
paid out silver as well as gold In redeem
ing Its pledges. Yet the Bank of Fiance
at Its discretion no pays out gold, silver,
or paper, but It does not hurt "the credit
of France In Knglaiwt or anywhere else.
The (ieorgla paper Is trying to confuse
things for the obfuscation of Ita readers.
Just as all the free sllverlte papers and
orators do. Its editor musit know that the
Bank of France Is not the government of
France any more than the Bank of Kng
land Is the government of Kngland. But
the French government long ago stopped
the free coinage of silver and the bank of
that country does not pay out any sliver
that Is not rated as high In France ns Is
the gold of equal nominal value. Conse
quently If the French bank should pay
out to a party In England a lot of five
franc pieces It would be very easy for the
Englishmen to convert that sliver Into
French gold, the only cost or the operation
being the expense of transportation and
that due to the delay of a few hours In
effecting the conversion. If the sliver R
franc pieces were worth only two and a
half francs at home, being at a discount
of 60 per cent, there, such payment would
not be attempted. Hoes the Constitution
suppose the Bank of Frunce would at
tempt or think It could afford to attempt
to liquidate Its gold contracts In any coun
try with silver coins that would buy only
half as much a* gold coins of the same
nominal amount? The mere asking of the
question Is sufficient to show that to mnkc
such an attempt would be fatal to the
credit of the Bank of France In those coun
tries; and, similarly, If a French citizen
had a gold draft on the Bank of France
the bank could not afford to offer him In
payment money worth only half the gold
vaiue of the draft.
The free sllverltes persist In closing their
eyes to the fact that their proposition Is to
pay only half of what tney really owe and
to use the government as an Instrumental
ity to protect under the form of law what
without that law would be so dlshoneet
that it deserves to be branded as rank
seoundrellsm which ought to be punished
by Imprisonment. Their proposition Is that
the government shall authorize them to
pay a) per rent of Indebtedness and cancel
the other 50 per cent. They talk and write
as If they thought this seoundrellsm can
be legislated Into honesty, that the govern
ment can "lawfully depress the stiver dol
lar to Its bullion value and reduce the
weights of the gold coins one-half to make
them correspond In the debasement of the
currency unit.” "Coin" preaches this doc
trine tn his fake pamphlet. This ts what
they want to have done, and they demand
It for the purpose of being able to cheat
their creditors. Except the handful of sil
ver miners among them they can have no
other motive than this, and It Is undeniable
that all the people In the United States
who do not want to repudiate their honest
debts are opposed to the perpetration of
this seoundrellsm by act of Congress.
The government may do—that Is, It has
the power to do—a great many things
which are not honest, honorable, or neces
sary, and which would not promote the
welfare of the people. It cut down the tar
iff In 1893, but even the democrats will not
now claim that the action has done good
to the country; and an act to authorize
the administration to repudiate one-half of
of the government Indebtedness by paying
out silver instead of gold would not make
such repudiation honest. The citizen who
takes advantage of the forms of law to
do wrong, who is no more honest than the
law allows, does not stand very high In
the scale of morals and Is to be avoided to
be engaged In better business than In
teaching such dishonest lessons to the peo
ple of Georgia when the great majority of
them would be vastly Injured by the carry
ing out of the policy of semi-repudiation
to which It seems pledged. It Is a pitiable
position to be taken by a newspaper the
conductors of which want to have It rec
ognized as a great one, an organ of the
people.
KATHERIXE URKIKL'S WORK.
The First Colored Catholic Church
la the Month.
From the Philadelphia Record.
New Orleanp. 1.a.. May 20.—The first
colored Catholic church In the south was
dedicated tn this city yesterday by Arch
bishop Janss-ius. The church owes Its
foundation to Mother Katherine Drexel,
and will be known as Bt. Katherine's in
consequence. The colored Catholics of the
diocese number 75,000, and Archbishop
Jansstus has been anxious for years to
have a special church for them.
The Crusader, the colored paper of New
Orleans, arid the leading negro Catholics
opposed a colored church, on the ground
It was drawing the color line, and that
they were very well satisfied with the
present arrangement, by which both races
enjoyed their religious rights In the same
Catholic churches.
The archbishop has finally triumphed,
however, and In St. Katherine's the ne
groes will have a church of 4helr own,
where the choir and others are negroes.
HOTELS AND RESORTS.
The Gleason Sanitarium J
1852 Ilmira, N. V. 1809 i
!! but the scenery-—valleys—mountains— 2
spring broolm—the green—the sunlight— 4
the shade—pure air—the food—the water— 2
can it help rest and refresh the tired—body J?
—eyes —brain. Best medical skill—all kinds S
of baths—mas* a
l#f. ' iS^l
SUMMER BOARD.
CHESTNUT HIM.,
In (lie Piedmont Val|ey of Vlrglnlu,
- 1-2 hours from Washington nuU
Richmond, an the saburbs of vlllugc.
I,urge grounds, plenty shade. Ap
ply to MRS. R. C. MACON,
Orange, Virginia.
Hotel Balmoral,
I.IWOX AVK. AND 114 HT.. NEW FORK
CITY.
Location unsurpassed. Central Park
within three blocks. Attractions of city
and country combined. Very desirable
suites, two to five rooms, with bath. Ex
cellent table. Prices moderate. Bend for
circular. ROUOBKB A CO.
orkenbkiek
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS,
Optns June 1511.
Under entirely new management and great
est lmprovemepts in every department. For
pamphlets and further Information apply to
EUBANK A GLOVER, Proprietor*.
White Sulphur Springs. Greenbrier Cos., W Va.
Water for sale by Solomons A Cos., Savan
nah, Ga.
Mountain Top Hotel and Springs.
Rockflth Gap. Blue Ridge Mountains.
1.900 Feet Above flea Level.
An old-fashioned Virginia resort. Pina
view* Delightful temperature. Pure water.
Convenient to railroads. No mosquitoes. Rea
sonable rates. Address
MESSRS. MASSIF A 00.,
Alton, Va.
LONG BRANCH.
Wist End Hotel and Cottages.
Cottages Open Haturday, June 15.
Hotel Opens Tuesday, June SB.
Plans may be seen, and rooms engaged, at
N. Y, OFFICE, V 2 BROADWAY (Room 39).
O. M. & W E. HILDRETH. Proprietors.
" watch hill, R. I.
PLIMPTON HOUSE AND ANNEXES,
OPEN MAY 15
Write for circular to WIELIAM HILL.
Reference: Alex. H. Lawton, Jr., Esq.
LIEALTH RESORT,
* * Rawley Springe, Va.
Hotel open June to November. The Natural
Iron Tonic Water Is now bottled and for sale.
Write for booklet.
J. WATKINS LEE
85 DESPISE
Ao article because !t'a cheap; go to your
frocei and order a 10c. box of
Cunningham's Desiccated Egg Food
It la equal in rooking rapacity to 12 eggn;
large carton, equal to 86 egga. ; endorsed
by Prof. Henry A. Mott, Ph. D., LL. D.
Cunningnam Mfg. Cos., Kingston, N.Y.
COW I mixed
nr (U 'i and
A- OfllY. [ SPKCKI.fO
FLOUR,
Hay, ( rain. Feed. Lemons, Pea
nuts. Onion*, Oranges, Fred
HtufT. generally. Magic Food for
Stork.
173 and 175 BAY STRKKT.
W. 1). SIMKINS.
THE BEST 18 THE CHEAPEST-
Your stationery Is an indication of your
manner of conducting business. Have
everything neat and trim. In good tatt.
and on good material, from the complete
printing, lithographing and blank book
manufacturing department of tho Morning
New*.
7