Toiler of the Sea Author:Victor Hugo Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III SOUND, BUT NOT SAFE. GILLIATT had not expected to find only a part of the ship left. Nothing in the account given by the captain of the " Sheal... more »tiel" had led him to anticipate this division of the vessel in the centre. It was probable that the "frightful crash" heard by the captain of the " Shealtiel" had marked the moment when this destruction had taken place under the blows of a tremendous sea. The captain had borne off a little doubtless just before this last heavy squall; and what he had taken for a huge wave was probably a waterspout. Later, when he drew near again to observe the wreck, he had only been able to see the stern of the vessel, the remainder, — that is to say, the large opening where the forepart had given way, — having been concealed from him by huge masses of rock. With that exception, the information given by the cap tain of the " Shealtiel" was strictly correct. The hull was useless, but the engine remained intact. Such cases are common in the history of shipwrecks. The logic of disaster at sea is beyond human science. The masts, having snapped off short, had fallen over the side; the smoke-stack was not even bent. The thick iron plating which supported the machinery had kept it together. The planks of the paddle-boxes were disjointed, like the slats of wooden shutters; but through the apertures thus made the paddles themselves could beseen in good condition. A few of their floats only were missing. The huge stern capstan had escaped destruction as well as the machinery. Its chain was there, and, thanks to its firm fixture in a frame of joists, might still be of service, unless the strain of the voyal should break away the planking. The floor of the deck bent at almost every point, and seemed unsafe throughout. On the other hand...« less