World's End Part 23

"I cannot drive the subject of the salvage from my mind. The saloons, bars, hotels--everywhere people talk of nothing else. It has quite eclipsed the tragedy, as well it might, from the magnitude of the sums involved.

"First of all, there is the vessel herself--found upon the high seas, a derelict, without a hand at the wheel or at the engines. She is a splendid steamer, fully 3000 tons, and estimated at half a million of dollars, or, say, 100,000 pounds. The cargo she carried was immensely valuable--the bullion you know about: it was 718,000 pounds in exact figures--but the cargo must be worth at least another 75,000 pounds.

"Then there is a very large amount of personal property, for half the claimants who were to go by her had forwarded their luggage previously; and there are the effects of the poor creatures who died. But these last, Mr Baskette declares, shall under no circ.u.mstances be touched.

Happen what may, they are to be returned to the owners of their heirs undiminished.

"Putting it all at the lowest estimate, the value of the vessel, the bullion, and cargo cannot be less than 893,000 pounds; and the salvage will equal a gigantic fortune.

"So far I have dealt only with the salvage question. I will now proceed to give you a more detailed account than you will be able to get from the papers, of the terrible fate which overtook the _Lucca_. These I have learnt from Mr Baskette and from Mr Theodore Marese, who was on the yacht.

"The reporters are, of course, incessant in their inquiries, but there is much that has escaped them, as a certain amount of reticence must of necessity be observed. These gentlemen have, however, made no reserve to me--I must beg of you not to publish this letter, or any part of it, lest there should appear to be a breach of confidence.

"It appears that the _Lucca_ started at noon on the Friday, as per bond, with a full complement of crew, but a short list of pa.s.sengers. About two hours after she had left, the _Gloire de Dijon_ put out to sea. Mr Baskette was at that time still at Imola, unable to get to New York. He and his cousin, Mr T. Marese, were to have gone together in the yacht to London, where Mr Theodore's business was very pressing.

"When Mr Baskette found himself unable to reach New York, he telegraphed to Mr Theodore telling him to take the yacht and go on to London as had been previously arranged, thereby showing the same character of consideration for others which he has since exhibited to me.

"Mr Theodore put to sea in the _Gloire de Dijon_, and says that next morning they overtook the _Lucca_, or nearly so, the yacht being extremely swift. It occurred to him that, after all, as the Atlantic is still the Atlantic, notwithstanding steam, and there are such things as breaking machinery, it would be well to keep in company with a powerful vessel like the _Lucca_ as far as the coast of Ireland.

"They did so, and even once spoke the steamship, which replied, 'All well.' All that day the two ships were not half a mile apart, and the night being moonlit, the _Gloire de Dijon_ followed close in the other's wake till about four in the morning, when, as often happens at thick fog came on. Afraid of collision, the captain of the yacht now slackened speed to about six knots, and kept a course a little to the starboard of the steamer ahead.

"The fog continued very thick till past noon, and then suddenly lifted, and they saw seven or eight sail in sight, one of which was the _Lucca_ on their port bow, and about four miles off. She was running, as usual, at a good pace, and the sea being quiet, was making all thirteen knots.

The _Gloire de Dijon_ increased speed, and drew up to within a mile and a half by three in the afternoon. The _Lucca_ then bore due east, and they were in her wake. The wind was west, with a little southerly, and just ahead of the _Lucca_ was a large square-rigged ship, with all sail set, but making very little way on account of the trifling breeze.

"An extraordinary thing now happened. The _Lucca_ was observed by the captain of the yacht to be making straight for the sailing ship ahead, and had now got so close that a collision appeared inevitable. He called to Mr Theodore, who came up from below. The _Lucca_ ran dead at the sailing ship, though she was making thirteen knots to the other's four, and the slightest turn of her wheel would have carried her free.

On account of the direction of the wind, the ship was sailing almost right before it, and the steamer appeared to be aiming at her stern.

"On the yacht they could see the crew of the sailing ship making frantic signs over the quarter to the steamer, but not the slightest notice was taken. The captain of the sailing ship had relied upon the steamer giving way, as is usual, and had allowed her to come so close that, it seems, he lost his head. Seeing this, the mate sang out to put the helm a-starboard, and run straight before the wind. This was done, and only just in time, for the steamer actually grazed her quarter, and carried away their boom. Knowing that the captain of the _Lucca_ was an old sailor, and a steady, experienced man, they were astonished at this behaviour, especially as, without staying to inquire what damage had been done, she kept on her course at still greater speed.

"The captain of the yacht now put on speed, being desirous of speaking the steamer; but after an hour or two it was evident that the _Lucca_ was drawing ahead, and had increased her lead by at least a mile. They could not understand this, as the yacht was notoriously faster, and it became evident that the engineer of the _Lucca_ must have got his safety-valve screwed-down.

"Night, as every one knows, falls rapidly at this time of the year, and the darkness was increased by the fog, which now came on again. During the evening all their conversation was upon the _Lucca_. Surely she would not keep up her speed in such a fog as this? The yacht had slackened, and was doing, as before, about six knots.

"The night wore on, till about two o'clock, when the wind freshened, and blew half a gale. At four the fog cleared, and the watch reported that the _Lucca_ was on their starboard quarter, a mile astern, with her engines stopped. Mr Theodore was called, and came on deck. There lay the steamer in the trough of the sea, rolling, heaving--so much so that they wondered her sticks did not go. No smoke issued from her funnel, and the steam-pipe gave no sign. The usual flag was flying, but no signal was shown in answer to the _Gloire de Dijon's_ inquiry. There was no sail on her.

"It was at once evident that something was wrong, and Mr Theodore ordered the yacht to be put about. They tried the signals, but, as I said, no notice was taken. On approaching the _Lucca_, which had to be done with some caution, as she slewed about in a helpless manner, and was drifting before the sea, an extraordinary spectacle presented itself. As she rolled, her deck came partly into view, and they saw, with what feelings may be imagined, several men lying on the deck, and thrown now this way, now that, as the rollers went under her, evidently either dead or unconscious.

"Filled with alarm and excitement, they attempted to board the vessel, but found it impossible. The waves made all but a clean breach over her. She staggered like a drunken man, and swung now this way, now that. Some of the standing rigging had given way, and they could hear the masts creak. They were afraid to get under her lee in case they should fall.

"At length the captain of the yacht thought of a plan. He got a hawser ready with a loop, and watching his opportunity, ran the yacht close to her bow, and with his own hand, at great risk, hurled the rope, and by good luck the loop caught in the fluke of one of her anchors. They paid the hawser out over the yacht's stern, and gradually got her in tow. It strained fearfully; but as soon as they had got the _Lucca_ before the wind, they had her right enough, though there was even then some danger of being p.o.o.ped. The sea was high, but not so high that the jolly-boat could live, and they manned her and boarded the _Lucca_.

"The sailors were eager enough to get on board, but so soon as they were on deck the superst.i.tion of the sea seemed to seize them, and not one would venture from the gangway; for towards the stern there lay the bodies that they had seen, still and motionless, and evidently dead.

"A terrible mystery hung over the ship--terrible, indeed!"

VOLUME TWO, CHAPTER THIRTEEN.

"Not one of the seamen could be got to go below, or to approach the corpses on the deck; and even the mate, who did touch these last, had a reluctance to descend. It was, however, necessary to get another hawser attached to the _Lucca_, and this occupied some little time; and by then the men became more accustomed to the ship, and at last, led by the mate, they went down.

"At the foot of the staircase a terrible sight met their gaze. A heap of people--seamen, pa.s.sengers, all cla.s.ses--lay huddled up together-- dead. They were piled one over the other in ghastly profusion, having been probably flung about by the rolling of the ship when she got broadside on. So great was the heap that they could not advance without either stepping upon the bodies, or removing them; and in this emergency they signalled to the yacht, which sent another boat, and in it came Mr Theodore.

"He at once gave orders to make a pa.s.sage and to explore the steamer thoroughly, which was done, and done speedily, for the sailors, having now conquered their superst.i.tious fears, worked with a will. From that heap thirty-five bodies were carried up on deck, and laid upon one side in an awful row. They exhibited no traces of violence whatever. Their faces were quite calm; though one or two had the eyeb.a.l.l.s staring from the head, as if they had struggled to escape suffocation.

"A search through the steamer revealed a cargo of the dead. Pa.s.sengers lay at the doors of their berths, some half-dressed; and five or six were discovered in their berths, having evidently died while asleep.

The engineer lay on the floor of the engine-room with three a.s.sistants-- stiff, and with features grimly distorted. They had apparently suffered more than the rest.

"The crew were found in various places. The captain lay near the engine-room, as if he had been on his way to consult with the engineer when death overtook him. Bodies were found all over the ship, and exclamations constantly arose as the men discovered fresh corpses. The air between decks was close and confined, and there was a fetid odour which they supposed to arise from the bodies, and which forced them sometimes to run on deck to breathe. This odour caused many of the sailors to vomit, and one or two were really ill for a time.

"It appeared that the whole ship's crew and all the pa.s.sengers had perished; but one of the sailors searching about found a man in the wheelhouse on deck, who on being lifted up showed some slight trace of life. The sailors crowded round, and the excitement was intense. Mr Theodore, who is a physician by profession, lent the aid of his skill, and after a while the man began to come round, though unable to speak.

"The captain of the yacht had now come on board, and a consultation was held, at which it was decided to run back to New York. But as the wind was strong and the sea high, and the hawsers strained a good deal, it was arranged to put a part of the crew of the yacht on board the _Lucca_, to get up steam in her boilers, and shape a course for the States. To this the crew of the yacht strongly objected--they came aft in a body and respectfully begged not to be asked to stay on board the _Lucca_. They dreaded a similar fate to that which befel the crew and pa.s.sengers of that unfortunate steamer.

"The end of it was that Mr Theodore ordered the hawsers to be kept attached, and the yacht was to partly tow the steamer and she was to partly steam ahead herself--the steam was to be got up, and the engines driven at half speed. This would ease the hawsers and the yacht, and at the same time the crew on board the _Lucca_ would be in communication with the yacht, and able to convey their wishes at once.

"All agreed to this. Steam was easily got up, and the _Lucca's_ boilers and her engines were soon working, for the machinery was found to be in perfect order. By the time that this arrangement was perfected, and the ships were, got well under weigh, the short day was nearly over, and with the night came anew the superst.i.tions of the sailors. They murmured, and demurred to working a ship with a whole cargo of dead bodies. They would not move even across the deck alone, and as to going below it required them at once to face the mystery.

"After an hour or so a clamour arose to pitch the dead overboard. What on earth was the use of keeping them? An abominable stench came up from between decks, and many of them could barely stand it. Mr Theodore and the captain begged them to be calm, but it was in vain. They rose _en ma.s.se_, and in a short s.p.a.ce of time every one of these dead bodies had been heaved overboard.

"The gale had moderated, and the splash of each corpse as it fell into the water could be distinctly heard on board the yacht ahead. Such conduct cannot be too much deplored, and there was a talk of prosecuting the men for mutiny; but, on the other hand, there appears to be some excuse in the extraordinary and unprecedented horrors of the situation.

"Mr Theodore remained on board the _Lucca_, doing all that science and patience could do for the sole survivor, who proved to be the third officer. Towards sunrise he rallied considerably, but Mr Theodore never had any hopes, and advised the captain to take a note of his depositions, which was done.

"His name, he said, was William Burrows, of Maine. He could only speak a few sentences at a time, and that very faintly, but the substance of it was that all went well with the _Lucca_ up till early that morning, when first the fog came on. Very soon after the mist settled down, and speed was reduced, there was a commotion below, and a report spread through the ship that three men were dying. In ten minutes half a dozen more were taken in this manner. They complained merely of inability to breathe, and of a deadly weakness, and prayed to be taken on deck. This was done; but then ten or twelve more were affected, and those who went below to a.s.sist them up on deck fell victims at once to the same strange disorder. Every one throughout the ship complained of a faint, sickly odour, and no sooner was this inhaled than a deadly lethargy seized upon them, and increased till they fell down and died. He happened to be on deck in the wheelhouse at the time, and saw half a dozen sailors and three of the pa.s.sengers brought up, but remembered no more, for the sickly smell invaded the deck. He heard a singing in his ears, and the blood seemed to press heavily, as if driven upwards against the roof of his skull. He remembered no more for some hours. Then he, as it were, awoke, and got up on his legs, but again felt the same lethargy, and fell. When the disorder first attacked the ship's company, the captain talked of stopping the steamer and signalling for a.s.sistance; but it appeared to be useless, for the fog was so thick that any flag, or rocket, or light would have been unnoticed at half a cable's distance.

Preparations were made to fire a gun, and the steam blast was ordered, but the engineer was dead, and no one would go below. The captain then descended to go to the engine-room, and was seen no more. Meantime the steamer continued her way. When he got on his legs in the wheelhouse, it was just after the bow of the _Lucca_ had carried away the boom of an unknown sailing ship, and he could feel that she was then going at a tremendous speed. The fog had cleared, and if he had had strength enough he could have made signals, but the deadly sleep came over him again, and he was unconscious till picked up by the crew of the _Gloire de Dijon_.

"This was all he could tell, and it threw no light upon the cause of the disaster. After he had signed this in a shaky hand--I have seen the original doc.u.ment--he sank rapidly, and, despite of every remedy and stimulant, died before noon. His body was the only one brought into port, and it was interred yesterday in the presence of a vast a.s.sembly.

A _post-mortem_ examination failed to detect the slightest trace of poison or indication of disease; and all those who a.s.sisted in removing the dead bodies on board the _Lucca_, declare that they presented no known symptoms of any epidemic--for the prevailing belief in New York at first was that some epidemic had broken out--a kind of plague, which destroyed its victims almost as soon as attacked. But for this there seems no foundation whatever. None of the sailors of the yacht caught the epidemic. One or two were unwell for a day or so, but are now well and hearty.

"I think Mr Theodore's suggestion the best that has been made--and it gradually gains ground with educated men, though the ma.s.s cling to the fanciful notion of foul play in some unheard-of way--Mr Theodore thinks that it was caused by the generation of coal-damp, or some similar and fatal gas, in the coal-bunkers of the _Lucca_; and everything seems to favour this supposition. It is well-known that in cold weather-- especially in cold weather accompanied by fog--coal-damp in mines is especially active and fatal. Most of the great explosions which have destroyed hundreds at once have occurred in such a state of the atmosphere.

"Now the fog which came on that fatal morning was peculiarly thick and heavy, and it so happens that the coal in the _Lucca's_ bunkers came from a colliery where, only a fortnight ago, there was an explosion.

The vapour, or gas, or whatever it was that was thus generated, was not the true coal-damp, or it would have been ignited by the furnaces of the boilers, or at the cook's fires; but in all probability it was something very near akin to it. All the symptoms described by poor Burrows, are those of blood-poisoning combined with suffocation, and such would be the effects of a gas or vapour arising from coal. Fatal effects arising from damp coal in close bunkers are on record; but this is the worst ever heard of.

"It would seem that after the engineer and the crew fell into their fatal slumbers, the steam in the boilers must have reached almost a bursting pressure--the boilers being untended--and the engineer, in falling, had opened the valve to the full, which accounts for the extraordinary speed of the _Lucca_ when pursued by the yacht. Being a very long vessel and sharp in the bows, and going at a very high speed, she would naturally keep nearly a direct course, as there was little wind or sea to interfere with her rudder. So soon as the fires burned out the engines stopped, and the sea rising, she became entirely at the mercy of the waves.

"When Burrows fell a victim he saw nine or ten men on deck lying p.r.o.ne in a fatal sleep--when the _Gloire de Dijon_ sent a boat's crew on board there were but three bodies on deck; the rest had rolled, or been washed, overboard.

"These are the princ.i.p.al particulars of this unprecedented catastrophe.

This is a long letter, but I am sure that you will be eager for news upon the subject, and, to tell the truth, I cannot get it out of my mind, and it relieves me to write it down.

"What a narrow escape we have all had. And especially me, for I came on to New York from Imola before the rest started, and got clear through without any snow. When it was found that they could not reach New York in time, I was in doubt whether to go by the _Lucca_, or remain and accompany the main body in the _Saskatchewan_. Accident decided. I met an old friend whom I had not seen for years, and resolved to take advantage of the delay, and spend a day or two with him. So I escaped.

"But had it not been for the snow-storm, which caused so much cursing at the time, we should one and all have perished miserably. The impression made upon us was so deep that just before the _Saskatchewan_ started the whole body of the claimants attended a special service at a church here, when thanksgivings were offered for the escape they had had, and prayers offered up for future safety.

"I look forward with much pleasure to my voyage in the _Gloire de Dijon_ yacht, at Mr Baskette's invitation. A finer, more gentlemanly man does not exist; and I am greatly impressed with the learning of Mr Theodore."

Aymer was much struck with the contents of this letter of Anthony Baskelette's. The whole tragedy seemed to pa.s.s before his mind; his vivid imagination called up a picture of the _Lucca_, steaming as fast as bursting pressure could drive her with a crew of corpses across the winter sea. He made an extract from it, and sent it to Violet. Next day they were _en route_ for Stirmingham.

At the same moment the designer of this horrible event was steaming across the Atlantic in his splendid yacht, gulling weak-minded, simple Baskelette with highest notions of honour, and what not. When Marese found that the snow had blocked the line and prevented access to New York, his rage and disappointment knew no bounds; but he was sufficiently master of himself to think and decide upon the course to be pursued.