The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1839-04-20
WHOLE NO. 22o.

Captain, TN it went like the spreading of
sea birds wing, giving the huge sail to the
gale.
"Gve her the lee helm when she goes into
the sea !" cried the Captain.
"Ay. ay, sir, she has Il" growled out the old
sea dog at the pinnacle.
Fright your helm keep her full and by.r
SAY, ny, sir, full and by she is" was the
prompt answer from the helm.
chow fast does she go 7"
"Nine knots and half, SIR"
''How bears the light?"
"Nearly abeam, sir"
keep her away half point"
slow fast does she go n
"Nine knots. sir"
STEADY, so !" returned the Captain.
STEADY" answered the helmsman, and all
was the silence Of the grave upon the crowded
deck. except the bowling of the storm, for
space of time that seemed TO my imagination
almost an age.
II was a trying hour with us; unless we
could carry sail SO as TO go at the rate Of nine
knots an hour, we must of necessity dash
upon Sicily; and who ever touched those
rocks and lived during storm The sea
ran very high, the rain fell in sheets, the sky
was one black curtain, illuminated only by
the faint light which was to mark deiyerance
or stand a monument IF our own destruction.
The wind had got above whistling, il came in
pnffs that faitened the waves, and made our
old frigate settle to her bearings, while every
thing on board seemed to be cracking into
pieces. AT this moment the carpenter report
ed that the left bolt of the weather fore-shroud
had drawn
Get on the tufts, and set them on all the
weather shrouds. Keep her at small helm,
quartcrmaster, and ease her in the sea-" were
the orders Of the captain.
The luils were soon put upon the weather
shrouds, which Of course relieved the chains
and channels but many an anxious eye was
turned towards the remaining bolts, for upon
them depended the safety Of the ship; for
with one foot Of canvass less, she could not
live fifteen minutes.
Onward plunged the heavy ladened frigate,
and at every surge she seemed bent upon
making the deep the sailors grave, and her
live-oak sides his coffin Of glory. She had
| been fitted out al Boston when the thermome-
ter was below zero Her shrouds Of course
slackened at every strain, and her unwieldy
masts (for she had those designed for the
frigate Cumberland much larger ship
seemed ready to jump out Of her. And now,
while all was apprehension, another bolt drew!
and then another until at last our whole
stay was placed upon a single bolt, less than
a mans wrist in circumference. Still the
good iron clung to the solid wood, and bore
us alongside the breakers, though in most
fearful proximity to them. This thrilling in
cident has never, believe, been noticed in
public, but it is the literal fact-whichI make
not the slightest a,temptto embellish. As we
galloped on-for | can compare our vessels
leaping to nothing else---the rocks seemed
very near us. Dark as was the night, the
white foam scowled around their black heads,
while the spray fell over us, and the thunder
of a dashing surge sounded like the awful
knell that the ocean was singing for the VIC
Tins it was eager to engulf.
AT length the light bore upsn our quarter,
and the broad Atlantic rolled its white caps
before us. During this time all were silent,
each officer and man was at his post, and the
bearing and countenance OF the captain SEEM
ed to encourage every person on board. With
but bare possibility Of saving the ship and
those on board, he relied on his nautical skill
and courage, and by carrying the mainsail,
which in any other situation would have been
considered suicidal, he wea,hered the lee
shore, and saved the Constitution.
The mainsail was now hauled up, by light
hearts and strong hands, the jib and spanker
taken in, and from the light Of Sicily the gal
liant vessel, under closed reefed topsails and
maintrysails, took her departure and danced
merrily over the deep towards the United
States.
" Pipe down. said the captain to the first
lieutenant, /" and splice the main brace. p
Pipe down." echoed the first lieutenant TO
the boatswain. Pipe down." whistled the
boatswain to the crew, and "pipe down" it
was.
Soon the "Jack Of the dust" held his levee
on the main gun deck, and the weather-beaten
tars, as they gathered about the grog tub and
luxuriated upon full allowance Of old rye,
forgot all their perils and fatigue.
"How near the rocks did we go :" said |
to one Of the masters mate the next morning.
He made no reply but taking down his chart,
showed me pencil line between the outside
shoal and the Lighthouse island, which must
have been small strait for fishermen to run
his smack through in good weather by day
light.
For what is the noble and dear old frigate
reserved! l went upon deck the sea was
calm; gentle breeze was swelling our can
vass from our mansail to royal, the isles Of
Sicily had sunk in the eastern waters, and the
clouds Of the dying storm were rolling off in
broken masses to the northward and west
ward, like the flying columns Of a beaten
army.
l have been in many gale Of wind and
have past through scenes of great danger; but
never, before nor since, have experienced an
hour so terrific MS that when the Constitution
was laboring with the lives of five hundred men
hanging on the single small Iron Bolt, to wea-
- - II - !. q IL LIZ L.EM In