Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1846-12-24
SyOl.UME A7.-NUMBER 13.
INsBURG VIRGINIA. THURSDAY

IN England, so that even the charactefisue NeT-
dure OF that beautiful island was parched, and
in some places was rendered comparatively
barren. But that evening the storm came on
Who felt any danger from the storms Our
pathway was charted and marked and known.
We had only TO round the Isle of Man and 60
nor,hward that we might speed North about TO
America, but instead Of that. strangely we kept
on almost in straight line from the mouth of
the Mersey TO the coast OF Ireland, WHERE in
the midst of the sorin--in the thick darkness
OF night and when we were all in the second
cabin below, and expecting nothing, we fell
the ship impinge upon the hidden earth -
When think of the events combined IN this
scene-that there was scarcely one spot upon
that rocky and perilous coast where the vessel
could have lodged tina, would not have uddled
her iron bottom and made her one common Sc
pulchre-I see the providence OF God, for who
could steer her Just there between two lodges
of rock The coast wa, shelving and high, q
though it has been. | see, represented IN The
ILLUSTRATED News" merely fancy sketch, as
of very different character. Between these
two lodges that vessel was run aground, and
the ground on which her keel was driven was
adapted Just to save us. II was, IN The first
place, gradual ACTIVITY of but few degrees
not a bluff-not steep ascent doabt II
the rise was more than five degrees of the cir
Gle and the soil as il were OF clay, yet really
of sand mainly, and 20 compact and tenacious
that while the vessel was going at the rate OF
twelve or thirteen miles an hour, she was gent
iy received and gradually retarded, stopped
without that suddenness which If against
rock might have Of itself ruined US.
You all know that when in uncertainty The
perfect ignorance o. your circumstances adds
heavy item 10 your agony. Imagination
paints unseen dangers OF ten fold horror such
was our case. You can realize it a little,
have no doubt, from your agony oil suspense
after YOU heard something, but not much OF
the real state Of the affair. We could cot tell
in the cabin where we were--ho~ we had got
there--what was the matier---we felt that we
were aground, where we knew not or how, IN
a channel that ought TO have been one hundred
fathoms deep. In that agony-ln that unex-
pecied, sudden and delusory vhlrl-when the
mind was left without any fixed solid cen
Ter of thoughtful kind on what to settle
"then shrieked the timld and stood still the
brave But il was a time that tried men,
sous-that tried their faith and their conscisn
ces~and though some who escaped have
since SAID in sport that "we go, up A prayer
meeting, but there was no use for it--thtre was
no danger, ani knew it'll am sorry to say
how much pity ihemi And would be sor
nv TO draw two pctuies--of pale man all
trembling there aud then and OF proud boas
ter two weeks siterSard! on the hypocrisy
| ofirrelirion--otli the nessness--oh, tho false
| courage of those buasers! When man IS
brought into real penl. II he has no apprecis-
ton of il, he is not a man lie has not the Mt
tributes that belong TO the nobility OF thought
aud perception. felt that we might very "a
sily 90 down as soon az the vessel was stop
ped. We felt what we have thought OF before,
| the dreadful pitch and roll Of the sea. The
word was given to "port the helm" Jus; time
enough 10 give her broadsde 10 the breakers,
and they came Ike booming armies, driving
their forces upon us. We ;sit that every mo
ment must be the last, and that shiyered tim
bers and dreadful wreck and drowned hun
bred. the result A, least we bought So
And yet, assure YOU, by the great goodness
| of God, was as free from panic as AT this mo
ment. You know how 1t was. some OF us
went to prayers and some Of US .elt as We never
felt beiore--hrst, the excellence OF prayer as a
resource and secondly, that God could hslp
us through, we knew not how. II was just
that, and and nothing else, which sustained
me did not know that he would whelm us
10 a watery grave. but did trust in his mercy
! After we had engaged in prayer on the me
morable evening. II was quite remarkable maj
the agitation within had ceased and that all the
persons, instead Of running from side 10 side
and inquiring of one another. appeared TO be
composed and comparatively trustsul; while
without il was also observable. that the break
ers had began 10 subside--the dangers appa-
rently to cease; and our captain informed Us
that while the sup would probably be gone
there was hope for the lives OF ,hs passengers
But how
The next morning by break OF day we be
held persons on the coast and IN he water all
around the ship, where the water was but TWO
or three feet deep, and in Some places had
rea ched so far as 70 show the surface OF the
beach. And now one great danger was thai
the vessel would careep and fall on her beam
ends And why notl consider II one OF
the greatest wonders Of the occurrence that the
shin did not carcen, as her great bulk was
high and dry, with hardly any part OF her hal
but the keel in the water. II there had mol
been a balance of power---lf the weight had
| exceeded even little on either side she must
| have gone over for the tides in those seas rise
and recede far more than in oar Hudson.
consider that wonderful demonstration Of the
providence of God; and the result you know
that no life was lost! Was il not wonderful
We felt that il was and the next morning we
deemed il dreary to go TO that shore which ap.
peared desolate and nhospitable Yet, after
ward, and especially when we had the pleas
ure of meeting our beloved friends in Belfast
the kindness, the hospitality, the piety, the
generousness, with which we were received,
was all that we could have desired-more
than we did expect And | desire to thank
/ God in public for the kindness OF Rev. JAMES
MORGAN and Rev. Professor JoHS EDGAR, and
great many others, whose names need not
mention, of excellent Christian brethren and
ministers in that metropolis. They love
America they love us--they love you--they
love Christ; and they showed the larges, kind
ness 10 us. which desire never 10 forget and
it was a cordial, well meant kindness--we
needed it,
ought. perhaps. in duty here, to stale that
what followed. though not perllous, was yet
emnently irving Ii was nearly, three weeks
from this period before we left the mouth Of
the Mersey. II was six weeks last Tuesday,
although six weeks last Monday SINCE we
went on ship. board. The difficulty was 10
get out of that difficult river and channel. i,
is not a thing OF incident adapted to graphic
and picturesque illustration, but can assure
YOU that il was thing that tried me in the
,vtrau,a ,uhen 1 came averv tlav Ia the SHIN