Bloomington herald. [volume] (Bloomington, I. T. [Iowa]) 1840-1849, 1841-05-07

The bending spars to their airy heights.
The gunner and his mates are seen going
from gun to gun examining their chocks
aud breechings. The loblolly boy hastens
from the cock pit to the sick-bay, and the
doctor and purser stand forward on the
gun deck smoking away the hour, and
criticising their superiors with unequalled
severity and satisfactorily watch from
cat head to quarter, from gangway and
cabin door, sing regularly the safety OF the
ship and the deep hoarseIy answers to the
shrill whistle of the Boatswain's mate.
Presently the lightning flashes with terri
BILE brightness. and then in the language OF
the poet is heard,
"T'he thunder-drum of HEAVIER"
Cold and senseless indeed, must be that
heart which remains unmoved during the
continuance of NoRTHER, and the man
that deems life certain in such an hour
may find out his mistake ere the striking
of the ships bell, in the middle watch
Such was the state Of things on board the
Sloop of war. before alluded to, when 9
o'clock came, and the sea officers went be-
low. The captain now turned in all stand
ing, and the ward room received It's quota
of grumblers and sleepyheads, the steer
age, where sound never dies, and where
'.lhe laughs last echo halls the rising
mirth''-was no longer cheered by the
twang of the Viol, OF the Refers bolster
Gus shout Cat gut and horse hair lay
sleeping together, and congregation OF
shores swung high and dry in the upper
air of the young gentlemen's apartment.
Above the officer of the deck covered with
India rubber cloth, with his brazen trum-
pet beneath his arm, trudged CALAMITY
along the weather quarter, from hurricane
house to main mast, and as the wind puff
ed with fercer gus. against the close
reefed foretopSa.l, he cast his eye aloit,
and then turned it towards the black heart
Of the tempest.
"Three Bells" cried the orderly at the
main hatchway, and sadly the ships bell
by the galley answered the strokes OF the
messenger boy. At this moment the sails
began TO start from the bolt ropes, and the
vessels bows to plunge heavily beneath the
crested deep. The giant rollers in quick
succession were fattened by the furious
burst of the hurricane, and the shrouds
rang fearfully to the unseen fingers of the
minstrel of the storm. Our vessel was
now stripped to a rag, and away she went
bowling along like a heavy sea bird, with
her wings dripping with the autumn rain.
The wind now apparently lullcd, and
the heavy foresail was Sc, to keep the YES
sci steady upon the tumbing deep, The
young idlers who had never witnessed the
misty glories ola gale, now retired to their
various quarters satisfied and one nightly
snore went up on the. breath of evening as
an offering to the God of sleep. None
sleep like the solitary sea boy on his diz-
zy perch, excepting another seaboy down
below in a warm hammock. Hear Dibbin
on this subject.
In the slumber of midnight the sailor-boy lay,
His hammock swung loose 30 the sport of the wind
While watch worn and weary his cares flew away,
And visions Of happiness danced DER his mind
At IL O'Clock, however. !" all hands"
were called "to save ship"
As came upon deck, had an opportu-
nifty of seeing the majesty OF a Norlher.
Our sails few and scan,y as they were,
hung in ribbons upon the yards, and the
sea broke over our starboard bow, and
rushed along our decks with Kissing
sound. Almost upon her beam ends the
ship lay staggering and trembling like
man upon the brow of precipice. At this
moment all awful crash rung below.
",Spar deck ,here!' shouted the mas
ter's mate of the spirit loom, with voice
split into a thousand quivers.
Well, sir,' said the first Lieutenant,
creeping down the hatchway, and bending
his ear to catch the officers report.
"a twenty four FOUNDER has broke
adrilt amid-ships, carrying all before it,
said the masters mate, stretching himself
upon the points of his toes, and shouting
through his closed hands.
the guns sir" said the first Lieutenant, as
he returned to the wheel. The order was
promptly opeyed. and in a few moments
wall of hammocks confined the unwieldly
cannon; but not until it had crushed sea
mems thighs into a jelly.-The unfortu>
nate blue jacket was soon placed upon the
cock pit table. and the doctor had some
thing besides grumblng to occupy his at>
tention. By the greatest excrtions our
ship was brought before the wind, our
yards stripped and pointed fore and aft,
our ports closed, and we scudded under
grating in the fore serouds. Scuddng is a
monstrous uncertain business, can tell
you'll you do not keep ahead of the fol>
lowing wave, you will be in bad box,
and the least change of the helm, or shift
OF the wind, will cause you to ship
mountain wave. or take a sneedv nassane