Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1841-06-19
From The Baltimore Ocean.
An Extract from my Journal, No. 3

THE BRITISH QUEEN-A SCENE ON BOARD.
1t was in the month of November,
1910. The British Queen, one of the
largest and strongest steam ships, had
been laboring for some days against
storms and heavy seas. The waves
had been rolling mountains high; the
cross seas were breaking on her bows,
and the high wind was dead ahead, and
every minute the vessel "shipped a sea-"
! pouring tons of water even to the quar-
ter deck. All that skill and activity
could effect upon the part of our gener>
Gus commander. joined to the tremen-
dous power of our mighty steam en-
gines, could scarcely succeed in preser-
wing our course. The torrents of rain
that were thrown down from the lower
ing sky upon our decks, added to the
melancholy gloom of our prospects.
Flushed with the hope of a short pas
sage, we had left the English shores
few days before, amid shouts Of Joy and
with confident anticipations how chan
ged the scene which a succession Of
storms, head winds, and high seas had
brought with them. The anxious looks
of the passengers, as the noble vessel
rode upon the mountain waves and
pitched forward, with tremendous jar,
as if for the last time; or as the foam
ing water broke upon her PROV, threa>
tening TO tear asunder every timber in
the ship, were living evidences that it
was trying time with all who had
trusted themselves on the "great deep"
Our commander had been pacing with
hurried steps the poop deck for three
days successfully, interrupted on y by
the occasional hours sleep which ma
ture required,) applying ever and anon
the glass TO his watchful eye, and look
ing from time to time at the still cloudy
horizon. 1t was about noon of the fourth
day of storm and head winds, that one
of the more seaworthy passengers
thought he deserted at distance ves-
sci under "bare poles" The captains
glass added to the information that she
had a portion of a sail tied TO the sail as
, signal of Distress" This news
spread among the passengers, and the
: tidings that wreck was to be seen at
, some miles TO the windward, were spec
: dilv conveyed to the state rooms. In a
few minutes all who could summon up
< strength sufficient were on the upper
e deck, strainng their vision TO make out
0 the character of the vessel, and 10 de.
e termine whether any living being wa:
d on board the unfortunate wreck. Few
II remained below-the intense interes
II excited on board drove away sea sick
n ness, and engrosscd every other feeling
o the upper deck was crowded. As W.
Y moved on, the commander thought h
,r perceived somebody on board waving
l. and Judging from the appearance of tn
. head dress, through his telescope. h
ir concluded that this being was female
lie and the only living creature on boarc
st For moment he delibcrated with him
w self whether it would be prudent-ir
" deed, whether it would be safe, with tn
~ sea running at that time and a stron
is wind blowing from the quarter in whic
re the wreck lay, to risk the lives of half
h, dozen of the best sailors, and some {
m the ships officers in so dangerous a
to enterprize, as the doubtful experimeI
or of rescuing single individual. He WI
IN has never been at sea, can have b,
a little conception of the feelings eliclte
a by the appearance of sail in sight, a
ut ter some days absence from land, vii
ot nothing but the sky and endless ocei
ng to look upon. A deep sense of the m
IN tual and imminent danger to which the
ire are both exposed at every momer
zen binds them together in sympathy, al
an they feel as if some safety were deriv
cir from their momentary proximity; Wi
longing eyes each passenger follows t
the bark as she separates from his vess
to and is lost in the distance, and a cast
MIA melancholy shades his brow, as he tur
the his back upon the last glimpse of b
,te, shadow. How much slighter must
as the impression he can fancy to hims
be of the intense anxiety, the deep and {
and pressive interest which every man
the board must feel, when the sail in 81:
me, is the sad remnant of a wreck, dast
dly about at the mercy of wind and wa
age with every sea breaking over the
act bulwarks, and washing from the de
1 it. every thing valuable TO the safety Of
\. unfortunate individuals who may yet
-, struggling for life. He sees the p
o of Eli u,en,nt Roberts, who left New Yorl
e a command Of the unfortunate President-and
sand God grant his safe arrival in England in dssi
all probabilities.