116 



THE LAST CRUISE OF THE MIRANDA. 



to influence him in the least ; his only thought was for the 

 safety of his fellow-men upon the doomed ship, and his great 

 human heart beat in anxiety for them. 



Shortly after eleven o'clock at night a fire had broken out 



THE SECOND DAY OUT. 



in the second cabin of the Miranda, and this had hardly been 

 extinguished when the chief engineer, Mr. Dibbs, reported 

 that the top of the water-ballast tank had given way under the 

 immense strain caused by the high sea. At the sight of water 

 rushing in the firemen stampeded to the deck in a panic, and 

 attempted to launch one of the lifeboats, but only succeeded 

 in smashing it against the iron sides of the ship. Captain 

 Farrell promptly restored order, and the firemen were sent 

 below again. The leaks in the tank were partially stopped 

 by means of pillows and mattresses stuffed into the holes; 

 but this was only a temporary expedient : the ship was 



