From the exhibition
Tip Top Library: Frank Merriwell in the South Seas
· January 2, 1897

Museum Catalog Description
This penny dreadful issue features the first installment of "Frank Merriwell in the South Seas: The Cast for Life," a serialized adventure narrative by the author of "Frank Merriwell." The story opens aboard the steamer City of Glasgow navigating the Yellow Sea near Formosa at dawn. First Officer Murray spots a small boat occupied entirely by Chinese sailors displaying distress signals. Young passenger Frank Merriwell, a quick-witted American boy popular with the crew, gains access to the bridge despite regulations. When Captain Dunbar approaches, Frank escapes detection by hanging from the bridge rail, saved from detection by Dr. Rayburn, the ship's surgeon. The narrative combines maritime adventure with humor as Frank orchestrates a dramatic encounter with the distressed crew.
Public domain, restored and presented by comicbooks.com public-domain