The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1845-09-06

The second stranger continued in chase of the
Wasp until he got quite near, when he shot across
her stern, gave her parting broadside, and beat
up towards his consort, whose signal guns of dis
tress now echoed in melancholy murmurs along
the midnight deep. The Wasp left her prize in
such haste as to be ignorant ofhis name and force.
When the sea gives up its dead, and the crew Of
the Avon and the little band of Blakey shall mus
ter together at the final judgment, then and then
only, shall the conquerer know his vanquished foe
The Wasp was soon lost amidst the darkness Of
the night while the Castilian, the vessel that
to the assistance ofhe enemy and his consorts, ho-
vered around the wreck of the prize, and endeav-
ored to save the crew.
AS the morning watch was called, the Avon
gave sudden roll to leeward, then settling swiftly
by the stern, she sunk with gurgling sound, while
her dead men floated in CHASTITY and bloody forms
upon the summer sea. With heavy hearts the
English cruisers lowered their ensigns half mast,
and left the ocean tomb of their sister, firing min
ute guns in memory of the brave.
Having repaired her damages, which were prin-
cipaly in spars and rigging, the Wasp continued
her cruise to the westward, and on the 18th of Sep
tember fell in with and took the brig. 'Three
Brothers. After scuttling her, she overhaued
and took the brig Bacchus. This vessel she soon
sent to final resting place in cold water. As she
neared the Western Islands, an armed brig hove in
sight. CrowdIng on all sail, the gallant Blakely
fired shot across her bows, and received her de-
scending flag as token of submission. The YES
sci proved to be the Atlanta, of eight guns and
nineteen men. Midshipman Daniel Gaisenger,
now past-captain in the service, put on board
of her as prize master, and the prize slowly par
ted from the coDquerer at the dim hour of evening.
the prize master and his crew were the last Amer
leans who beheld the Wasp and her gallant band,
and lived to tell the tale. ..,
On the 9th of October following the Swedish
brig Adonis, from Rio, bound to Falmouth was
boarded by the Wasp-ln latitude IS deg. 35 min
North, longitude 80 deg. 10 minutes West, and
two passengers, Lieut.. Mcknight, and masters
mate, Lyman, late of the gallant Essex, were ta-
ken from her The Swede then pursued his course,
while the American cruiser continued to the south.
ward under easy sail AT A, P. M, her topsails
dipped in the Southern Ocean; and when the sun
set she was seen no more
Of the final end of the Wasp, rumor has been
busy with her thousand tongues. AT one time she
was said to have been lost upon the desolate coast
of Africa, while her hardy seamen battled with
the Arabs of the desert. At another time, she
was said to have been sunk in gale Of wind off
the Spanish shore after an action with an English
frigate. At one time she was supposed 10 have
been lost in the wild Ocean alone. At another,
blown up by the accidental ignition Of her maga-
zine. History being silent upon the subject the
pen of Imagination must trace her last moments
1t was an awful night in the South Atlantic
the waves lept in the mighty masses, like spectre
knights in dusky armour, upon their fire-tipped
crests, like the crimson plumes of he's battalion,
played with the clouds and flut tered in the breeze
Loud rolled the thunder Of heaven, and around
the horizon the lightning-llke tongues OF thous-
and adders forked in air, or wreathed around the
magazine of hail. that reared their pale blue bodies
upon the bosom of the storm. The wind swept
in one unbroken howl, and the din of dashing wa
tiers completed the dreadful music of the elemen-
tary war.
The sails OF the mariners bark were nd where
to be seen. 1t seemed as though man had left the
ocean in its majesty to its God, while the clouds
and darkness, the whirlwind and the water spout,
the lightning and the deep-mouthed thunder gave
terrific evidence of the Creator. But, hark! A
cannon family echoes! pale sepulchral light
family gares upon the deep! And now with the
velocity of the wounded whale, sloop of war
with her sails in strips her spars twisted, spintered
and broken, her bulwarks partly carried away, her
rudder gone, comes down before the wind. She
falls off from her course, now she buries her head
in foam, and now her stern seems fast disappearing
in the awful billow of the deep. Sea after sea
rolls over her numbered deck land the seamen LASH
ed to her sides seem waiting the hour of near des-
truction. The commander at the wheel with his
brazen trumpet, is silent His bright eye flashes
face of the deep. A few hours more and the ves-
sci must founder at sea. Her banner still floats
in ribbons at her peak; faint light CLEANS from
her starboard binacle and the signal bell tolls sad
y as the vessel is thrown from broadslde upon the
sideling waves.
The storm abates The firceness of the blast is
gone! The sea rolls in gentle pillows and the hea-
vens shower darkness instead of forked fire. A
temporary rudder is rigged-a storm staysail is set
the wreck of spars is cleared away, and the jib-
booms are cut adrift together. The rolling guns
are checked with hammocks from the nettings, ,and
the ports are closed.o e fr43a M-
sHa, my brave fellows, thunders the commander,
we are safe. Reilly, Tillinghast and Baury ,nobly
have you stood the test of this war Of nature. All
hands save the ship .lia' es..,i
'All hands, shouted the FIRST Lieutenant i"
Tumble up, tumble up,' cried the boatswain's
mate below. .a .ee 3H
And now the weary crew are upon deck. Those
who are lashed, cut their seizing as ifby magic
Grasping axes, the officers spring to the tops and
xyork with thei Iindaunted men The shattered