The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1845-01-17

The excitement was now So great thai
the bo'dcsI hear, seemed struck with ter
rof; and men who had braved every dan
ger OF the seas for years, ~ere apparentl,
paraly zed and nerveless. Peal after peul d
thunder broke above our heads, the light
ming flashed aud Kissed around US, the rain
poured down as II a second deluge was CON
ln:, and every moment We expected the
electric fuiJ would strike the shir, und
wrap her IN a sheet Of t,me. At interval.
went the be!l-dong -dons-dong-
lns tho scene more appalling.
For low minutes there was a cessation
of the rolling thunder. md the mate thought
this a good opportunity of discovering tho
unknown bell ringer. Advancing a few
PAGES, he saul "Come men, We viii 20 10
body aul SO find out who Is amusing hun.
self with the bell" siylng, he led the
way, and We all followed rather closely
packed and great INCLINATION for each Que
TO be the last In this Way W. had reach
ed the main deck, when ono of The most in
tense aud whitening ifishes-nn, not flash
but stream Of lightning sealed up our
eyes. and was followed by volley Of thun.
der which broke directly over our heads,
shaking the ship 10 her keson. As soon as
we recovered from the shock, rush was
made for the quarter dock, aud there We
stood breathless aud horror s,ricken-dong
dong -dong-dnng. "Ah hear that
slr r said one of the men; otis 10 use
tempting God and Bill ioungs ghost. A
shark was alongside this evening. which
bodies no good, and some poor fellow will
have 10 leave the key of his ches, with his
mess. mate before long"
breeze of Wind at this moment taking
the ship aback, the order vas given TO haul
tho malnsaiI up, preparatory to brscing the
yards round. Now, although sailors have
great dislike TO encounter anything in
tue shape Of ghost, invisible bell ringers,
DC, they never think Of dIsobey ing an order
when they know II - for some necessary
duty. Away started tho whole party, the
clew gafnels were rove through Tho wind.
less holes, / must speak technically dong
-don2-dong-the ropes were grasped,
but just as the word was given 10 haul up,
burst Of thunder louder than the roar cf ten
thousand heavy artillery, ren, the ar, sim
ulIansously with most VIVID flash of Il. 1T
nIng, ard every man wa. prosttated on the
deck how long lay there stunned and
blih,'sd | kooS not. bit on recovering ms
fee, began to feel around me whom my
hands came IN contact with a ropo yarn
stretched foro aud aft, from the cook house
to The lofoDAsi, and as pulled ii, the bell
began again such succession Of sounds
that completely nstoni.hsd me but by lrac.
Ing along the yarn | found one end la, 10
Inc tongue Of tho uel, aud the other TO the
finger Of one oi my messmaIes, Jemmi
Nc D, who was snu.ly seated IA tho
cooks coil bucket, taking a comfortable
snooza IN the galley II bein. his torn to
strike the hours during the watch, he had
adopted this method to shelter himself from
The storm, and a loose rope swinging across
he deck with tho rolling Of the ship, caused
all the alarm. Master Jenny only escaped
lasting the virtue OF afopc's end, by pload
ng uncoHsclousnsss Of the storm above aud
lround HIM How he could have slept un.
Ter such circumstances always retnaued
mystery. When daylight came, We found
he sails much scorchcd, aud Ihe main roy.
limos: thtvcred By lightning -.norhing bu,
he ;orrcn,s OF ram sh,ch fell during the
night, saved the ship and all on board from
certain destruction.