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Updated: May 2, 2025
"Kate!" they cried in the same breath, and rushed for the main cabin. The decks were already thick with half-dressed sailors. Here and there lanterns gleamed, and what they showed was the three lifeboats of the Heron two on one side of the cabin and one on the other blown into matchwood. Only shapeless fragments and bundles of kindling wood dangled from the davits.
Her after-funnel was but half as high as the other; there were gaps in her iron rail, and vacancies below the twisted davits where boats should be; and her pilot-house was wrecked the starboard door and nearest window merged in a large, ragged hole. Officers on the bridge gave orders in foreign speech, in tones which came shoreward faintly.
My old ship, the Franklin, was shifting her berth, and her jib-boom had come foul of our taffrail. After some hailing, I got on the taffrail to shove our neighbour off, when, by some carelessness of my own, I fell head-foremost, hitting the gunwale of the boat, which was hanging, about half way up to the davits, into the water.
The boat should have been launched in a minute, but still it hung between its davits; its course downward was interrupted; something was wrong with the ropes, "A false start, by !" said the bookmaker, looking through his eye-glass. Colonel Ryder's face was stern, Clovelly was pale and anxious, as moment after moment went, and the boat was not yet free.
A glance sufficed to convince that I was alone, and unobserved. The deck was unobstructed aft, except for a small boat swung to davits astern, and the cabin transoms. These last were elevated some three feet, but considerable space separated from the rail. I slipped into this opening on the port side, crouching in the dense shadow, until again assured I was alone.
The sailors undid the fastenings of one of the large boats, and swung it out on the davits until it hung over the sea. Gradually rumour took form, and it became known that one of the officers and certain of the crew were about to make an attempt to reach the coast of Ireland and telegraph to Queenstown for tugs to bring the steamer in.
All the rest of the boats are at the davits; and before they can get them into the water, we shall be out of their reach. What do you think of that for a plan!" "I think it is a first-rate one. But hadn't we better wait till the instructors turn in?" suggested Adler. "No; the boats will all be hoisted up to the davits at sunset. We must do it while the professors are at supper, or not at all.
Curiously enough, the glass of this picture had not been cracked, whereas in the immediate neighbourhood I saw heavy iron davits that had been twisted and bent like the ironwork of a wrecked train. The ship was being crushed remorselessly. Under a dull, overcast sky I returned to camp and examined our situation.
He hobbled along, holding the rail, intent upon reaching the davits astern, where the third officer would give him orders, when suddenly there was a splitting sound, the rail gave way, he struggled to regain his balance and went headlong over the side, still clutching the piece of rail which he had been leaning on.
Far above her waist rose her smokestack. Overhead upon the mainmast was affixed the crow's nest. Whaleboats and cutters swung from her davits, while all her decks were cumbered with barrels, with crates, with boxes and strangely shaped bales and cases. She drew nearer, continuing that slow, proud progress down the bay, honoured as no visiting sovereign had ever been.
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