Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 173, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 July 1912 — Copyright, The Frank A. Munsey Co. [ARTICLE]

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CHAPTER V. In Newfoundland Again. When Captain Gienney rushed out of the Newfoundland cable station in a panic of fear and remorse, it was as a man laden with the sins of all the world and finding the burden too heavy for him. People whom he passed gazed at him with amazement and sympathy, thinking him some unfortunate, hard hit in the disaster, whose troubles had unhinged his mind, but he paih no heed. Remorse for what, in his excitement, he conceived to be his own individual fault, fear on behalf of his beloved little granddaughter, blinded him for the time to the impression he might make upon others. He reached the shore, where many people still lingered in spite of the lateness of tire hour. - Snatches efconversatioh, broken and disconnected, could be heard from men already Striving to adjust themselvees to the altered conditions which must be faced. be a big market on the other side for pretty much everything we can send over, if a half of the cable reports are true.” ‘‘And the man who can get over there quick enough to take advantage of it can have things just about his own way.” Men discussed animatedly' the building of wharves at the new water line; the purchase and equipment of vessels to take the place of those which were stranded and unavailable; the probable length of time which must elapse before these latter could be moved —if this were at all possible—upon specially constructed ways, examined as to seaworthiness, and then launched again. The captain made his way to where

a group of people,-were standing in the light of a fire, and touched a man upon the arm. “You see this strange and terrible sight,” said the captain with a wave of his stick toward the dim land where the sea had washed, “and you know the damage that has been done here and on the other side of the world. Sir, I have caused it! I am responsible for every stick of property destroyed, for every life lost, for every ” A flicker of understanding crossed the stranger’s face. “Yes—yes, that’s all right; I understand! Of course you are, but don’t worry about it” He put his hand under the captain’s arm, and, apparently with no ulterior motive, began urging him gently up the beach toward the lights of the houses. ( The captain pulled b&ck. “No—you don’t understand; I mean what I say! My Sam, man! It isn’t a joke to me!” His earnestness and agitation were obvious. “I cursed a man —cursed my best friend, best friend a man ever ihad, sir!—best friend I’ve got in the world!—and this is the fulfillment of the curse. Leggo my arm, can’t you? What do you think I am-r a darned baby that I can’t walk alone? I mean what I say! And now he’s drow'ned over in Scotland, my friend that I cursed, and my little tyke Minna with him, and that’s my fault, too! Hey, isn’t it my fault?” The stranger seemed more sympathetic.

1A man came running down the beach toward them. He was in his shirt-sleeves; his face was pale and -drawn as though be had passed through some terrific strain. In his hand he held a lantern, which, as he ran, he thrust into the faces of those he passed, without pausing for explanation, to their unbounded and indignant surprise. He spied the captain as the latter, propelled by the stranger’s strong arm, was proceeding unwillingly up the beach, and yelled at him: “Hi, you—hold on a minute! Got a message for you. We got her going again—and it’s from Scotland! ” At the magic word Captain Glenney jerked loose from the sympathizing stranger’s grasp, and ran to meet the shirt-sleeved messenger. The latter thrust at him a crumpled sheet of paper on which a few lines were hastily and very badly typewritten. By the light 'o? the lantern the captain unfolded it with shaking hands, and read: „ ; McAlister went to find Minna Glenney at Lancaster, knowing your alarm. Caught in flood, both dragged to safety at risk of recuer’s Jives. McA 1 lister ruined. Ridwell, Clerk. „ The captain dropped the .paper and hid his face in bis hands. “Thank God—oh, thank God!” he cried brokenly, with a sob that shook him. “ ' - • ■ The stranger said “Good enough!”

to show his entire sympathy and appreciation, the assistant operator picked up the paper and smoothed it with unnecessary care. Between them they led the old man, now thoroughly broken down and unstrung and weeping like a child, up the beach to the little dark cottage on the hill. * * * * * * Morning came, and for the first time people got a fair view of the strangest sight ever seen in modern times. If by moonlight the scene was weird, mysterious, shrouded in a glamour of its own-,-by daylight it was revealed in all its startling nakedness. An ocean without water, dotted with dead ships; a dead sea, peopled with dead creatures. It stretched away almost as far as the eye could see, except where, on the horizon line, a thin gray, light streak showed where the waters had gone. The sun, shining brightly in a cloudless sky, drew thin veils of shimmering vapor from the leaves and grass which lay half-buried in the black mud of the ocean floor. Various black humps against the sky-line were declared by people to be stranded whales. A strong fishy smell was blown over tihe land by the warm, faint breeze.

Along the eastern seaboard of the United States and Canada the cities were seized with panic. At one blow alt tbe maritime trade of the northern coasts was destroyed. All<-commerce with Europe seemed to be cut off until some method could be devised of bridging the vast extent of unstable sand and mud between the shore and the water. A cabinet official at Washington, well known all over the country for his inventive turn of mind, 1| a midnight interview suggested that passengers and lighter articles of merchandise might be carried across the intervening space by means of aifr ships—a flying ferry established, so to speak. But unfortunately this plan presented several well-nigh insuperable obstacles. Chief of these was the fact that there were only two airships to be found in the United States, one at Coney Island, New York, and the other in St. Louis, Missouri, and neither of there was capable of carrying more than three hundred pounds outside of ballast

Vast and far-reaching consequences might be entailed unless matters could shortly be restored to the normal condition. With the intewuption of shipments of American grain, to European markets, many countries of the Old World would soon find themselves confronted by the specter of famine. It was small wonder that men set their teeth that morning and de-

dared that a Way must, would, and should be found out of the difficulty, or the world would turn upside down. > (To Bs Continued.)