Evening Star Newspaper, December 23, 1923, Page 62

Christmas Obse Cast on a desert-island of the Crozet group, in the Indian ocean, after their ship had burned at mea, the stranded crew, as Chief Kenlon deséribed last week, un- derwent the dreadful experience of seefnz the only two vessels which passed thelr, way in months sail ont by without belng able to observe -thélr signals. Meanwhile, the captain died, leaving young Kenlon. in -command. Following an extraordinary dream or vision which he experienced he was in- cited by Fleming, an admirable sailor, 1o attempt to Invent some device which would get them back to- the world. The author had promised to do. all within his power to this end. It Is here that thte narration continues. This is the seventh of a series of eight notable articles narrating the great fire-fighter's career as a sallor. The concluding install- ment will appear next week BY JOHN KENLON. HILE desolate cast away on the Crozet Islands my mind was {mpressed as I have sald before, with 2 number of remarkable visions which almost amounted to actual experiences I capnot say that I was suffering from want of food, as our hunters and fishcrs were able to bring in reasonable daily provender: but. pos sibly, these mental flights may have been due to our constant sgrain and anxiety. 1 was enabled under cer- tain conditions to Indulge in my “astral flighte” without Interfering vith the welfare or comfort of any omrades T was able to retire ome quiet spot and visit other worlds than ours. The viriéns came to me usually when in a condition to sleep. or one Just bordering on that state. On one of these “flights” 1 dreamed that 1 was fn a small boat far out at sea. How I got there T know not. It was a v afterncon and the sun was draw in immense col- umns, waterspouts in every my constor n. my b lifted bodily from the surface of the water and far up toward the sun at a rat ich seemed to me to b many ! miles per minute. I saw tng below ing a ilight the earth and sea disappear- me just as if 1 tak- in airplane, r- | look drive an into this that en the s v et was th and sun, 1t such re, wi ddenly drawn into the tex of this meteorite, As this comet, if such it were. swung acround between the sun and Venus, it afforded me a splendid broadside view of the planet which we on earth admirs so much, the wonderful evening star. M times during my life at sea 1 had reckoned longitude by observa- tlon of the star Venus. Imagine my amazement, therefore, when this eplendid planet stood out in all her regal glory before me. * ¢ ¢ 1 was disappointed when ‘the comet swung around and headed away from. the sun on a line that I figured would bring It pretty close to the earth. Apparently my dream state permitted me to see the smallest ol jects thousands of miles away. I could see quite clearly the great sub- Glvisilons of land and water; oceans lke the Pacific and Atlantic; the con- tinents of Asla, Africa, Europe and America wera in plaln view; so dlso were the smaller seas and Islands. The Baltic and North sea were plain- 1y Indicated. By following the line of those seas I could discern the British Isles. Naturally, I turned my gaze to the position 1.knew Ireland should hold on the edge of the European conti- nental shelf, and behold! there was the Emeral Isle, covered for the time being by = Hght haze, due. 2e T right well Xnew, to the action of the ‘gulf stream, the wonderful natural cur- rent sent along by the Great Master to modify her climate, nourish her valleys, and replenish her numerous rivers. k¥ WAS enraptured. , flere T was per- mitted a splendid view of my home land, and, as the comet sped on, I hoped to be able to see the people moving about, and perhaps to recognize some of them. * ¢ o There was the Ifttle cottage on the shore of Dundalk bay—the cottage I had once so proudly called my home! The wall surrounding the garden, the wicket gate, and even the geraniums growing in pots set out upon the window sills! Mother jappeared. The same kindly face, careworn and sad. How should I re- strain myself from rushing into her arms. Alas! Some power hold me. |1 could not even speak. * * ¢ When I awoke from this last “ex- cursion™ T found myself lying prone on a i | {mossy bank between two ledses of ock. Not far away, with an anxious on his face, sat honest BIll |Fleming. He was looking at me | strangely. “What's questioned, been here?” “I have been watching you about an hour, sir,” he replied. “Your face seemed to indicate that you were passing through some wonderful ex- perience.” ¥l had & most extraordinary dream.” 1 told him. “I feel as if I had been absent from here w million years, and in that time 1 dreamed I traveled all over the universe. T cannot but realize the wonderful dif- ference betWeen the extraordinary eights I havo seen in my dreams and the concrete things of everyday life.” Fleming was unusually silent. On my inquiring the cause of his pensive- ness, he blurted out: “Why, Captain, you are knocking me, “Knocking you!" I exclaimed. “What In the world do you mean?" “I mean that you are knocking me with those big words, ‘phenomenal,’ ‘vision’ and “concrete’ How a vis- fon can be concrete, gets me.” “Oh! I beg your pardon, L “let me explaln: ‘Phenomenal' Is something extremely unusual, far be- yond the affairs of everyday life; ‘vision' is dreaming, seeing things that rarely or never happen ;and | ‘concrete’ has to do with the real hard facts of life, things with sub- stance to them.” “Oh! 1 see. Well, I can under- stand about concrete as I have seen it made, and know what it is. Be- lisve me, for you and for me it is on your mind, BII? I “And how long have you | among the starry heavens, |- TH rved by E SUNDAY STAR WASHINGTON, D. C, DECEMBER 23, 1923—PART 5. Castaway Seamen on Desolate Island Kenlon, as Captain of Shipless Crew, Has Remarkable Vision, Which Leads to Invention of Concrete Vessel'Upon Which Men Set Sail After Months of Hopeless Vigil—Task Is Com- pleted in Time for Yuletide Exercises Before Undertaking Voyage on Strange Craft—New York Selected as Home Port and American Flag Made. far better than those other things you speak of.” “I agree to all that,” sald I, “but, Bill. where have you seen concrete made?" “I saw it in Ramsey. in the Isle of Man. The English government gave the Manxmen some money to help build a pler to protect Ramsey har- bor. The engineers that built the pier decided to use concrete.” We made our way back to camp. 1 retired early, but, although ac- customed to sleep as soon as I my head down, that night awake, my mind refusing repose. 1 lay “LIFE AND DEATH DEPENDED UPON THE SUCCI In the very heart of it, covered it over with red-hot grechuck and Again and again I reverted to the |baked it for eight hours conversation of the evening regard- ing concrete. The word eeemed to {m- | cess of the experiment. Life or death depended on the suc- 1 shall never press itself repeatedly upon my mind. | forget my feelings as I raked away As a boy I had worked at the job of building & concrete house. The house still stands on the shore of Dundalk bay, in the little village of Annagasan, and s, or was, occupled by coast guards. The thought keep pressing in upon me. “Build & concrete boat.” Consideration of the idea from every angle left no doubt in my mind that a concrete bost would float, for, after all, it.ls simply & matter of displacement. An iron ship will float, so will a steel ship, and o, too, will & concrete ship. * x ¥ % RULY convinced that a concrete ship would float, could be rigged and sailed, I thought long on the ingredients that go to make concrete. Of sand, gravel and broken stone we had an abundance: cement, the one essential, was Iacking. How could I get a substitute for cement? Morning came, but no solution to the query, though I had not closed my eyes all night, trying to solve the problem. ! For days and nights I tried to think out some way of providing a substitute for cement. Finally, I gave up the idea of a substitute and started out to search the rocks for stone that would make the genuine artiole. Several specimens of stone were carried to camp. I kept my |fl=‘l to mysel?, determined first o make teet A piece of good blue limestone was selected and broken up into fine par- ticles. Then I had men grind those particles between gtones until a pow- der was produced. In all, we had about ten pound The hard part of the test was yet to come. Cement is subjected to a burning process. We had no burner. A large fire was then made and permitted to burn until nothing was left .but a big bank of ‘greehuck.” The grechuck I cagefully combed aside amd laid the powdered stone b i Il st [E—— I Jume - th ARE l FLEMING. “LET CHES* the glowing embers and uncovered the cement. It was certainly hot! Almost cooked brown. From the ap- pearance of the powdered stone 1 felt I had developed a good grade of hy- draulic cement and exclaimed with great joy, “Oh! thank God! We shall be saved! The men stood around, bewildered. 1 suppose they thought me demented. As moon as the cement cooled, a test was made as to its setting quali- ties. To my great delight, it set as hard as iron. Now I was ready to unfold my scheme. I called the boys around me and told them we were going ta bulld a concrete boat. You should have seen the looks on thelr faces. Some laughed outright and ridtculed the {dea, a very unusual thing, in the presence of thelr captain. Jackson and Nelson declared: “The skipper s going, daft.” Fleming shook his head. not float,” said he. ‘‘What, say you, Burgess?” sald I “You Yankees are keen on inven- tion.” “It looks good to me,. captain. is worth a try,” sald he. “All right, then,” I sald, “we shall begin tomorrow. We shall select the site for the shipyard, decide on the dimensions of the boat and, in a few days we shall lay the keel with ap- propriate ceremonies.” % % % BENRE building on an extensive scale, I decided to make a test, mot to convince me whether or not a cement boat would float, but to determine whether or not it would be watertight. Accordingly, we made a mold represening a large tub, then we selected some good sand, some gravel, some broken stone of appro- priate size, and then a certain amount of cement. These ingredients were thoroughly mixed and poured into the mold, which was left stand- Ing for. four days. At the end of that time we removed the mold and had a splendid firkin mado of concrete. The firkin was filled with. water and left standing for twenty-four hours. Not a drop had seeped through. It was as tight as a bottle! Henceforth I was a changed man' Perfect confidence In the success of the concrete boat took possession of me. It we could reach Possession I land, where stores are placed for shipwrecked eailors and ships call at intervals, we would be safe. A site was selected on perfectly level ground for the location of our miniature shipyard. Calling all the men around me, I spoke to them somewhat in the following words: “Shipmates, after mature delibera- tion, I am absolutely confident that we can construct a concrete boat that will not alone take us.to Pos: fon Island, but on to Australia, if nec sary. In acoordance with this. co fidence I have decided to continue the voyage to Fremantle or Mel- bourne, if necessary, because I have ire Lo stay & year, or more, on on Island.” % t about our project without loss of time. Men were selected ac- cording to their adaptability to per- form certain duties. Three men were detalled to pick out and carry cement It will It stone to three orthers who were to break it up into fine particles. Two men attended to the cement mill; that is, they made the fire, laid th cement In, as already described, and propérly baked it. Finding suitable ground, we meas- red off thirty-two feet—the length we had decided the boat should be on’ her keel—and set our frames so the stern of the boat would face the| a. Less than half a day was con- sumed in pouring the concrete for keel of the boat, though it re- quired six or seven days to harden. In three weeks we had succeeded in finishing the hull of the boat up to and around the turning of the bilge. The completion of the boal from that point to the sheer stroke was & much simpler problem. We were 'soon ready to set the gunwale, which was made from =|had strip of one of the spars, and to deck over the forward, and a little of the after part of the bost. The forward deck was lald more to’ ESS OF THE EXPERIMENT.” provide shelter over sleeping quar- ters. We felt that In the last and final effort we should have to use the boat to cover the distance between the Crozet Isiands and the western coast of Australia, a distance roughly | estimated at about 2,400 miles. To sall this distance in an open boat would, of itself, be i test of great endurance, particularly so if there were no shelter provided for the men when they lay down to rest. ‘The hull of the boat about com- pleted, a consultation was held to determine on the best type of rig. After much discussion it was decided that she should be a aloop. In ac- cordance with this decision we made and set In place a strong, substantial mast and bowsprit. THERE wero three or four very good sailmakers (n the crew, so we measured off the length of the mast, the length of the gaff and boom, cut out and set about making a mainsall and jib. Nor did we trust to one suit of salls; having plenty of canvas and rope, we made two. Sallors, If such should ever read this story, may ask where we got the palms and needies. We made canvas palms, and we made needles, out of the roots of the hard shrub- bery that grew on the rocks. Sad to relate, just as the boat was about finished and a few days would bave seen her launched and floating in the waters of the Indian Ocean, Bishop caught cold, developed pneu- monia and died. With sad hearts and weary hopes, we carried his body to a grave dug on the little slope alongside of the grave in which we had laid our cap- tain. There, sewed in canvas, we gently and reverently laid the mortal remains of Willlam Steele Bishop. He was a native of Middlesex. Eng- land; an intelligent, bright boy. Five and one-half months had passed since fire and storm drove us on those cruel rocks. Christmas was approaching. Every onme of us had deep reverential love for the great Christmas festival, so we decided to celebrate the birth of the Bavior by ceasing all work for three days, De- cember 2§, 25 and 26. Those three days we decided to devote to prayer. Many and fervent were the supplica- tions we offered, imploring the Al- mighty to give us fortitude and strength and health to overcome our dimculties. We dressed the tents with mosses gathered from the mountainside! in fact, did all we could to make the coming festival as much like our home celebration as possible. Christmas eve we lighted many candles and at sundown we all as- sembled at prayers. Soon after pray- ers each one retired to his sleeping place, but it was plainly evident that few could sleep that night because their minds were active with thoughts of home and loved ones. After hours of restlessness I fell Into a light slumber, soon to be awakened by a tap on my arm. I asked who It was. “It is I, sir" eald Fleming. “I can- not sleep, so thought I would Invite you to accompany me to church.” “There are many churches in all parts of the world.” said he, “and in each church are gathered devout Christians celebrating the birth of the Saviour. Let us go up to the lookout station; there we can kneel, look out over the ocean toward the northwest and imagine ourselves In any one of the great churches or cathedrals of the world.” Deeply impressed by the sincerity of the man, I arose and accompanied Fleming to the top of the rocky head on which we had established a look- out. It so happened ;that Duffy was there, walking up and down watch- ing, always watching, seaward. As wo approached he snxlously in- quired: “What is the matter? Is any one sick?” “No, Jim,” said I, “Biil has suggest- ed that we three kneel here, try to imagine ourselves at Rome in church praying to Almighty God, to ask Him to gulde us away from this lonely and desolate place™ Reverently we knelt, and fervently we prayed. For two hours, at least, our spirits were absent and, as the opirit travels through immeasurable space in the twinkling of an eye, 30 that night those spirits flashed across the Indian and Atlantic oceans and were as truly present as the people living near to the churches of their own native towns. * * * *x x AS our boat took the water, after our three-day Christmas holiday, I can imasine that all hearts stood #till, only to beat stronger and faster a3 she lay on the water on a perfect line, just showing the amount of freeboard our calculations had fig- ured out. The cheer that went up could be heard for many a mile. Success! Un- qualified success had crowned our efforts! We had bullt and success- fully lsunched the first reinforced concrete ship that ever floated. In view of the use made during tho world war of the concrete ship prin- ciple, this statement concerning our efforts so many years ago on those faraway islands will come as a sur- prise. No time was lost in making prep- arations to sall. A mast was imme- diately stepped, boom and gaff set in place, jib-stay sct up, and jib and mainsall bent. Provisions were se- curely packed, lamps, candles, -etc., were also packed away and water put in the water breakers which we had constructed. All things ready for departure, we met in council on a Saturday evening and agreed that we should visit and decorate the graves of the captain and Bishop the next day and that we ‘lhnuld pass a quiet Sunday In prayer of thankfulness to God for His aid and assistance, which we felt had been given us through every effort, and whose watchful care and gulding | nand were felt at every turn. Sunday, In accordance with our agreement, we gathered wild flowers and lovingly decorated the last rest- ing places of our comrades. Everything being In readiness for sailing, Fleming remarked: “We haven't as yet selected a name and port of registry for our little ship.” Many names were suggested, such as “The Erin,” “The Columbla,” “The Brittanlc,” etc. Fleming quietly re- marked: “All splendid names, boys; truly representatives of great countries, but what saith the skipper? He has not suggested a name, and I, for one, am anxious to know how he got the *“how In the world did you hit on the pecullar idea?” “‘Well. really, boys, I do not know, but beliove some power far heyond my control suggested it.” * ok k% THEN for the first time 1 told of the wonderful vislons. Leooks of incredulity and astonishmant &p peared on each face. Presentlys Dufty bulrted out: “What in the name of the apostles bas a trip around the’ universe to &o with a concrets boat?" “Nothing, Jim.” sald I, “except that in mentioning the dream to Fleming' I casually remarked what a differ- ence there was between the phe= nomenal visions of the mind during' sleeping hours and the concrets things of “everyday waking MHfa Fleming didn’t understand a singls thing about phenomenal, but knew quite a lot about concrete. Tho thought occurred to me to combins Pleming’s experience and mine in the bullding of a boat.” “Well, of all the fairy tales that ever came out of the Emerald Isle, this is certainly the sweetest,” ex- claimed Duffy. “Still, by jove,” he continued, “if you could ride the uni- verse on & comet, we can safely ride to Possession Island in a concrete boat, so three cheers for Capt. Jack, and the good ship Comet.” That settled it Having decided upon a name, it was now in order to, select a port of registry. This was by no means an easy task, for at least elght nations had representay tives in our crew. Said Fleming final- ly: “If it is decided to hall from a great scaport, I should think tber) would be no question as to whic! port that is; the greatest port in al the world New York. The vote was unanimous for New York, 0 a new ship was added to the list of American registry—the Comet of New York. Fleming now approached me. With a polite bow and a very graclous smile, he in- quired: “You are an American shipmaster, are you not?™" . “Yes, T am very proud fo say. I am.” “Then you must necessarily be an American cltizen?" “I am glad to claim citizenship in such a country.” was my reply. “Then, sir, I have labored all night to provide something I am quite sure you will like very much.” Whereupon, Fleming broke out from the peak an American flag. The com- pliment was s®o unexpected, but withal so touching, that I clasped the noble fellow in my arms. I found out that he had requisi- tioned all the avatlable pleces of red, white and blus fabric in camp, wash- ed and pressed them, and then neatly wed them together. As the flag fluttered in the breeze it represented to me, and I realiy belleve to all those present, more than the flag of any other country, human freedon and buman dignity. In the evening of the following day, at sundown, all hands knelt In prayer, giving thanks to God for His blessing and gulding spirit, and ask- the magnificent port o ldea of building a concrete boat.” All eyes were turned on me. “Yes, captain,” chorused the “lot. l l ; ing His help on our future course. (Copyright, 1923.) istletoe and Its Ancient Magic Lured A.E.F. Boys When in France BY STERLING HEILIG. PARIS, December 13. IVE years ago the American Ex- peditionary Fo at St. Na zaire, Nantes, Tours, St.-Algnan (and many & base and many a port) went out into the woods on & queer errand. At Havre, Rouen, the suburbe of Parls, eastward through Alsace to the Rhine, northward through Belgium to the sdge of Holland and south to the Mediterranean and the edges of Spain and Italy, the boys went into the woods, orchards, meadows and river- sides to climb a tree and cut a bough! In England they put a knlife into.our hands (of some of us), saying largely: “Cut mistletoe! You're cousins!™ Are we cousins? All Americans who 4id the thing, and those who missed their chance, and those who read this story have a probability of finding in thelr family stock & strain of the old race of Gaul and Britain. It includes France, England, Ireland, most of Bel- glum, all of Alsace—and stops at the Rhine! Three thousand years ago those old folks of ours ‘were cutting mistletoe as a holiday ceremony of terrific import- ance—solemn and mysterious and gay and sentimental. Julius Caes: in his well known book, is full of it, although the Drulds of his day (3.000 years.ago) had forgotten the bloody detalls and become benevolent - functionaries; and the mistletoe, remaining mystic, al- ways in honor, came, more cheerful, straight down to our own times (chiefly a8 pretext for kissing!). There is nothing in the general ap- pearance of the plant to account for so deep & hold on racial sentiment; but an idea may be arrived at when its curious habit of growth is considered. * k% % lN prehistoric days men were of neces- sity close observers of nature, though their powers of interpreting what they saw were not always so de- weloped, They could not but be struck by the fact that, while othe} plants grow. of themselves out of the ground, it was never the way with the mistletoe. In- stead, mistletoe is always found grow- ing firmly rooted In the branches of trees—apple, pear, maple, elm, bass- wood, willow, thorn, almond, ash, pop- lar and (note) much less frequently, the oak! That trees Yo widely different should all produce the mistletoe bough must surely have pussled those old nature fakers! > The oak among the ancient Druids ‘was always held sacred.. Many of their mo: \wful rites were done in oak groves. Since only rarely did the mistletoe appear upon the sacred tree, they looked on the beautitul forelgn bough of such a parent with pecullar reverence. It was cut on New Year day with pomp and ceremony. The arch Druid, draped in white, ascended the tre to which platform and stairs een prepared. Beneath the peo- ple waited for a picnic banquet, and two white bulls were held, all ready, for the sacrifice—and barbecus. ‘With golden m;- or sickle the | “COMMERCIAL MISTLETOE.” GROWING ON AN ASH TREE IN THE OUTSKIRTS OF NANTES. TO THE BRETONS, THERE IS A GREAT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE MISTLETOE WHICH, ¥ GROWS ON THE ASH AND THAT WHICH GROWS ON THE OAK. arch Druld cut the mystic boughs and as they fell were caught in a white mantle held outstretched by priests. “They slay the victims,” says Pliny, the old Roman natural history spe. cialist, “praying their gods to pros. per the gift to them unto whom they have given It. Propared as a drink, it is used as a cure for sterility and A remedy against poisons. It is sup- posed to possess, besides, great heal- ing powers, and imparts the power to soe ghosta” By a later tradition, which grew up in ignorance of the usages of the past, the mistletos, was claimed to have furnished the wood for the cross. Up to the crucifixion it had been one of the big trees of the forest, but thenceforth it was condemned to exist as a dependent—a weak bush growing by the sap of other trees! Hence the refusal to admit mistle- toe Into ohurches, which. by habit still persigfs in England and Franee. ‘The simplé facts about the mistle- toe are as queer as any old bellef. How it acquired its parasitic habit no man knows, but we do know that it owes its continued existence to the seed being carried, along with a Wose of sticky liquid, to the tender branch of some new tree, where it sticks and flows until it lodges In a crevice of the young bark. On germination it sends rootlets right into the heart of the silly tree which gives it lodging, traversing t| tender bark and sending numero suckers into the wood to suck the sap by which the mistletoe grows, while corroding the tre 1mbs locally. At thé same time it sends out new budi ‘which, breaking through anew, form another mistletoe plant by vegetative reproduction. ‘Where apple trees are badly infested the owners often pull the plant, off, but from the rootlets beneath bark new misygiyp slants soon come out—like the seven devils of the parable, worse than the first ok * % OW do the seeds get from tree to tree? ~ Here is another queer story, basis of the Latin proverd about “the bird which carries its own enemy.” It is the mistle thrush, which is particularly fond of mistletoe berries. Being inclosed within the very sticky pulp, seeds cling to the bird's beak and sre rubbed oft (because disagroe. able) on the bark qf the first tres where it alights after a feast. Now, look. As tha mistle thrush is small and dainty, it cleana its beak on a tender young green branch. Isn't nature slick? Why 18 the.berry the bird's enemy? It is nutritious and agreeable food. Alas, also, its sticky pulp Is the unique material from which bird lime is made to capture little birds, just as fiy paper captures files. Mistletoe, mysterious and lonely in west Europe, has a quantity of rela- tives in the tropics and two cousins in the south of France. The dwarf-juniper mistletoe, whick lives on the red-berrled juniper of the Mediterranean, is leafless and bears blue berries. The full-grown plant does not exceed two inches high. The loranthus europaeus, which battens on osk and chéstnut trees of the same Mediterranean reglon, grows to large size. Some of the tropical loranthus species are among the most gorgeous flowering plants, but the “pale mistie- toe” is the lone mystery of the north, So superstition clings, with respect to it, like a parasite of the mind. There are big speculators of the Paris bourse who carry little dirty bags of burnt mistletoe on their per- sons during business hours. . One such, who has made eight mil- lions gambling on exchange (francs, dollars, pound: obtained his dirty litge bag by stealing it from a child! 0 make the theft worth while, of course, he. deemed the product to be special, rare, authentic. * % % % JDOWY in the Morbihan, where Bre- tons belleve old ‘stories, friends of his live the year round fn a chateau. When the bourse man went there some' time ago he found the family agog with' indignation agalnst one “old Annie's” dealings with their children. Anhic is a formidable “bud witch™ “wise woman,” living * lonely. feared, shunned, sometimes courted for alleged powers. 8o the folks scolded privately that “Annjc made the babies take part in heathen incantations! The two children, out of bounds among the scrub oak outside the park met the crone dragging a short “Climb!".she told the' eight- year-oll boy, and leaned it agsinst a sickly.scrub oak which bore three small sprigs of mistletoe. “Cut!” she.., commanded, handing. him a “yellow knife” (they think it was the antigue golden sickle!). And she made tha . little sister catch the mistletqe in her. - white apron as it fell. ' The witch « never touched it, “only just the chils , drep”!. Then she Jed them to_her .