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

LET 10 IOOk Out upOu VIC HISty iueulC' "A
bright flash from the strangers battle Lam
terms as she waved, showed that she was
line of battle ship, without rudder, and
as she rose and sank upon the waves, she
seemed to draw us to her. A faint "hil,
loh 20 now came upon the breath of the
tempest; but fresh gust passed along,
and what followed was lost i'll the din OF
leaping waters. She was a dangerous
neighbor, and would neither get out of our
way nor lie. us get out her own.-And If
we ran into her she would doubtless ride
over our own sinking wreck. There she
loomed like a heavy fog bank before us,
and ever and anon we could hear her thou
sand voices whispering apparently amid
the storm. i" We must crack on all sail, -
said the captain with hurried voice.
We shall lose our spars them said
the sailing master, touching his hat.
eve shall lose lives if we stop to de-
bate the question:" said the commander
sternly, Call all bands to make sail, Mr..
trumpet"
"All hands," cried the Boatswain to his
mates, and the shrill whistle of the mates
said plainly, "All hands !''-to the crew.
"Clap on the mainsail," Numbered the
Captain, and soon the ponderous sheet
was spread to the gale. This gave US fresh
impetus, but not enable us to steer clear of
the wreck, we however looked little to
starboard, and hope of better things
cheered rs on.
"Set the maintopsal," shouted the
Captain.
"Chcerily mem hoist away ;" and the
sail belled aloft and ,rembled in the wind.
BY this time we were close aboard Of the
dark old three decker, and we could hear
the tapping of The tat.ered canvass, the
rafting of her tacks and sheets, and the
gtoaning of her laboring lmbers. Her
chain pumps gave a sharp sound, as the
weary crew worked them and the shot rat
lied as they rolled out Of their racks and
danced along her deck.
Starboard Quarter Master
S-t-a-r-b-o.a-r-d she is" sung the old
Gamer at the wheel, and we dashed by the
hulk like race horse.
What ship is that! Numbered our
Captain as we passed along, number of
persons on board the stranger prepared to
answer, but the noise of the wind and the
rafting on board the hulk prevented our
understanding the answer, and we could
not hail back again with any chance Of
being heard. Never shall forget the
agony exhibited by the poor fellows on the
vessels deck, when, mid the last hour Of
their lives we dashed by them in conpa-
rative safety. A female stood by the cab
in door, and number of officers with fol-
ded arms rested against the brass railing
around the companion way, while farther
forward, several hundred seamen looked
out upon the deep. and felt that every look
might be their last. 1t was solemn hour
the sins and virtues of d thousand lives
were brought by memory from her treasu-
ry and crowded into the fitting moments
of an hour upon the midnight sea.
The strong old ship was at the mercy
of the waves, and occasionally the sea
made clean breach over her, while her
crew by the means of an old boom cover,
and by standing close together on the rat
llngs of the fore shrouds kept her before
wind. Having gained sufficiently upon
wreck, we reduced our sail 10 the smallest
possible surface and continued at less
speed, ont IN greater safety, upon our
course. At A. M. the men lief! the
strangers forerig5ing and the foremost
with great noise went by the board. She
now preached too--a heavy sea struck her
amidships and washed her decks-her hull
careened upon the crest Of a mountain
wavc-a wild yell rang along the hollows
of the deep, and died far beyond usher
lanterns shone no longer--a wave rolled
between us, and when we looked again
towards the spot where was seeu to later
she was gone! Often have | seen in
my visions of the night the il,faied bark
Of the tempest as she flashed upon my
sight, and never shall forget the terrible
disllnctness of the yell that was given by
her crew, as she fell upon her beams ends,
and sank to her ocean sepulchre !!
We can conceive of death on shore, So
litary death, without fear; but this sudden
extinction of thousand lives with battle
lanterns blazing around, and cannons load
ed for battle Oh either hand, amid the cold
gloom of an ocean morning, is a picture
too terrible for me to dwell upon, and
therefore turn upon the other tack with
pleasure.
At daylight we made the Island of New
Providence, and as we struck upon sound |
ings, the sun came up from the dashing
pillows, and morning of Eastern splen-
dor dawned upon the wood crowned hills
of the Bermudas. boat from the shore
now came alongside, and from her we
learned that his Brtanic Majesty's ship
Thunderer, of 90 guns, had been driven |