Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1837-11-02
though sounding the funeral knell of all on

hefore the whole sea was white with foam
and the wind blew up the water in such
quantities that the atmosphere was thick with
IT. Every sen stove ~ some new place; in
dows and doors gave way with awful crashes
and several times the fires were nearly extin-
gu:shed. The captain who had stood at his
post near the helm, now came down from the
upper deck and told us the fury Of the storm
was such that he feared he could not save
the vessel, that her upper works were fast
becoming wreck, and MS soon as they wen,
she would fill and sink; therefore if il me,
the appreciation Of the passengers, he would
endeavor TO run her ashore, in the hope OF
saving our lives. He said all would depend
upon the character Of the beach, and on on
self-posscssion and calmness to act with
judgment at the trying moment, and assured
us he would lose his life to save ours. lie
told MS to continue working at the pumps and
buckets. and in handing wood for the engines
rs long ns we could possibly stand and to
avoid giving way TO improper excitement
that when the vessel should strike we must
make for the how after the first sen had swcp,
her decks. He also directed ns where IL
! place those articles we should most want il
we survived. he then went to the women's
cabin. and calling them altogether stated his
apprchensions that the vessel could not be
saved, giving them much the same charges
he had done to us. All this was done with
rs much apparent calmness us though all was
well. lie then ordered the carpenter to be
ready with the axe to cnt away The mast the
moment she should strike, and having made
these arrangements resumed his station at
the helm.
! The boat now rolled more than ever, ship.
ped nearly every sea thnt struck against her,
and SWING round from the shock, so ~ not
to obey the helm An almost constant stream
of water swept the decks, and al every stroke
OF the scn the bont groaned, and the bell rung
with n sound that seemed peculiarly awful.
We all procured ropes and fastened them
around our bodies, for the purpose of lashing
ourselves TO the wreck, and, having embraced
each other, prepared to take our part in the
work, and to meet the awful impending ca
tasirophc. II. G. D.,B. W., w. W., and my.
self, stood together for a few moments. look
ing on the terrific display around ns,nnd both
secretly and openly, believe, putting mp our
prayers. After This deeply affecting scene,
went TO work and continued at it, until
eight o'clock at night, pumping, bailng, or
handing ont water, and carrying wood for the
fires. As we were then twenty-five or thirty
miles from shore. the captains anxiety was
to put the bont in rs soon as possible, before
she becomc unmanagcable, or began TO sink.
Tie stcered for Cape Lookout, in North Car
olina, though he conld not tell certainly
where he was. but concluded it must be the
nearest land, and that it would be as good
place ms any.
The land lay NNW, and the gale blowing
heavily NE. so that he could not steer her
in finding this, he came down and desired
the engineer TO raise steam with wood, to
enable him 10 steer in. o,hcrwicc all hope
was gone. Accordingly we all went to hand
ing wood for the engine, but so much had
heen washed over that VIC had hardly enough
for three hours; the sea had broken down the
doors and windows. &c. on deck and we
carefully collected these and put them in to
keep up the fire. But with all the steam we
could raise, we could not steer !or shore. the
wind and current carrying us down along
shore, but not in toward il; and this proved
our safety,foI with the tremendous sea which
we afterwsrd saw setting on the coast, near
which we aimed to ground, we must all have
perished had we succeeded in our attempt
As it was the wind, current and steam Just
served 10 carry u.s. under the guidance of a
gracious Providence, we knew not whittier,
bur into siillcr water.
About nine o'clock at nigh, the sea began
to be more calm, though the fury Of the storm
was not lesscncd, by which the captain was
induced 10 believe that we had doubled the
cape, and were coming under its lee. BY
inccssnnt exortion we now cleared the hold
and cabin Of water, and as the boat shortly
came into comparatively smooth water, the
captain thought he would try to weather the
night at anchor, thinking the storm might
nbato by mr. rning. Some protested against
this and insisted upon running on shore nt
once, but the captain would not,as he thought
we should all perish in the dark. He there
fore stecred in towards it, and after running
two hours dropped two anchors which held
the bont. On weighing these in the morning
we found that the largest one had broken
short of, and our safety during the night had
depended on a small, and as we should have
thought very insufficient one.
Thus succession of mcrciful 2rovidenccs
attended us, which sha, rejoice to recount
when VIC meet.
Our captain called n consultation Of the
passengers on third day morning, in which
nearly all agreed that we should run into
Beaufort to rcft. As he did not know the
channel, it was necessary to sound continu.
ally; hut after few hours a pilot came off to
us md stnercd US in handsomely.
After refitting at Beaufort they proceeded
on their voyage nnd arrived in Charleston on
the fifth day.
We find in tho Ionlon Times ar Sen,