American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1844-1846, 1846-01-08
from the N. Y. Spirit Of the Timcs,l
A TALL SW | M.
BY AN OFFICER OF THE U. S. ARMY.

"Aye, Nam, and Tor the matter OF mat, |
those who 90 in briggs and schooners, too"
quoth Ben Pump.
1t has often and most truly been said, that
truth is stranger than fiction, and many who
have travelled far and wide have found this so
truly verified as to fear to relate many things
they have seen, and thus many a thrilling incl |
dent and tale have been lost to the world.
| have somewhere met with an anecdote of
Mungo Park, Illustrative of this. In private
conversation among his friends he often re-
lated his adventures in Africa; he was asked
why these incidents which he was relating had
never appeared in his published works SAID
he, 81 write for the public historic work, and
am bound not alone to make it true, but to
make it SEEM so. Were to insert III my works
what | have now related to you, doubt would
be thrown upon all have written"
But that has nothing to do with my story
In 1871 had the fortune, good or bad, to
be cruising upon the coast Of Africa. Those
who have been there know what tohite squat
is, and those who have not, would not advise
to take the trouble of going far 10 see, for in
my private opinion sit wouldntpaym
1t will be sutficientfor my present purpose
to say that white squall is SO violent as to
defy all struggling against it, and tho only
thing which can be done, is to get ''before it"
and ''scud" under very little or sail.
One morning, about "two bells'' in the mid
watch, Just as | had quietly turned in after
smoking my cigar and putting on my "night
cap' and carefully Tying the strings" was
suddenly aroused by the shrill pipe of the boat
swain calling all hands to shorten sail, and up
on coming on deck found we were getting
"snorter,'' as Jack says. About mile or two
TO the windward was to be seen approaching at
speed which would have distanced Clash
ion's'' best time, dense bank of haze, through
which the eye could not penetrate. In mo-
ment it was upon us, but our gallant ship was
ready, and flew away beforeit, throwing sheets
of spray over her bows, while tho rain was
falling in such torrents that the water was
standing several inches deep upon her deck.
1t was a scene of grandeur and beauty, but ia
the midst of it came the cry of "man over
board"
Now, at all times this accident is fearful
one as the ships boats have to be so secured as
to require some minutes to clear them away,
but in this case, the ship running dead before
the hurricane, at least eleven or twelve knots
an hour, and the rain falling so heavy as to rem
der it impossible to see an object at the distance
of q ships length, the poor fellows chance of
rescue seemed absolutely nothing.
AS soon as the cry was heard, the life buoy,
at which man is stationed night and day, was
away, and as it fell, some enc cried out he has
caught by the ''grab rope," which is a knotted
rope towing astern for the purpose of being
caught at in case of a casualty of the kind; and
in smooth water man can easily hold on till a
boat is lowered, or he can be drawn on board
the ship by means of rope. But in this poor
fellows case he had fallen overheard with his
Jacket and trowsers on, and over these heavy
pea-acket, which held great deal Of water:
which, in addition to the speed of the ship com
PEELED HIM to let 90 his hold, and i'll a second
he was lost in the iOaming wake of the ship.
AT this time it was impossible to heavo the ship
to, or in fact, do any more than get the boats
y manned and in readiness for the abatement of
the hurricane, which was not Until We were at
least three miles from the spot at which he had
fallen.
All the boats were then lowered and sent in
the direction we supposed him to be, and the
ship wore round and stood after them, burning
blue lights and port fires, not only a direction
for the boats, but in the hope that CLEAN
might fhd its way and carry hope to one whose
case we all deemed hopeless.
Nearly two hours of most anxious suspense
had passed, when one after the ether of the
boats came alongside, but no news of the man
overheard. Our captain ordered the boats TO
shove off again, and when some one remarked,
-, "There is no hope, sir" he replied, and with
no little sternness mingling with his emotion:
eyes, sir, there is always hope, hope on, hope
ever"
Nearly another hour had elapsed when all
the boats again returned save one, and in a
short time after, that hove in sight, and the Of
fcer cried out, "We're got htaat" There was
no cheer given on board, but every one felt as
though heavy weight had fallen from his
breast.
This last boat we found had given up all
hope of him, and had pulled around to return
to the ship, when i'll few moments she pulled
right upon him, swimming tho he intended
to make port in the course of few days at
the farthest. When he came on board he did
not seem at all exhausted, but said he felt ra-
ther tired, and although he had been in the
water over three hours said he felt Uery dry
He had not seen the life buoy at all, and as
soon as he parted from the ship he had stripped
off his jacket and shoes, retaining his shirt and
trowsers. These he kept, as he said, until he
saw one of the boats, first sent, pass by him on
her return: he then took his knife, which eve
ry sailor always carries suspended to his waist,
and cut off bis trowsers and shirt. Said he:
tffor few minutes after the boat passed me
felt was lost but Just as | was giving up a
blue light flashed athwart the horizon, and
seemed to say, hold on, there are those in the
old Macedonian who never give up and once
more put OUT "
My tale is DONE The ship once more was
put upon her course, and as the Captain was
about to descend to his cabin, standing in the
midst of his officers, he said with much emo
tion:-"Gentlemen, let this lesson sink deep
into your hearts, and should you ever, IN time
Of peril or danger, feel your hearts fail and
feel read ~ TO say there is no more to be done
think OF The white squall on the coast Of Airi'
ct-of poor hlchae-and still hope on, hope
ever. Pipe DOWN."
- Ono old salt who had been listening to al