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Show SEA GULL AS MESSENGER. New of Famous LlUaster Carried to the Living by a Onll. "The news oi a famous disaster on the great Indian ocean was lately brought .o the living by a sea gull," said a traveler, who was on his way to New Zealand, according to the St. Louis Globe-Democrat. "Some years ago the Indian liner Atlantis, At-lantis, plying between Liverpool and Calcutta, was lost in the Indian sea and all on board perished. At that time I was sailing from London to New South Wales via the Red and the Indian seas. The boat I was on was the Tri-tonia, Tri-tonia, a good sound vessel, and I had an enjoyable trip.' While sailing In the Indian sea a sea gull was one day captured cap-tured and about its neck was tied a small note, which read: " 'Atlantis struck on the Harad rock. We are all lost. Father Coathe." "This remarkable message was all that was ever found. The boat had sailed some five months previous, well stocked with merchandise and passengers, passen-gers, and had been duly inspected and pronounced seaworthy. It must have been a terrific shock that caused her to sink. But the message was strange. Who Father Coathe was and how he happened to have a sea gull at hand will always remain a mystery. What wonderful courage he must have had, standing as he did on the brink of eternity eter-nity and there writing a message to the living. "We continued our journey to Sidney, where the note and sea gull were both delivered to the harbormaster, together with the evidence of the crew. This was afterward sent to England, where the knowledge was distributed., It seems to me that a few such facta as these would serve to build a narrative upon, and you can easily believe that it would be more interesting than fiction." |