Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1846-10-09

cabin was darkcncd. and ,orrart- IF ,,,,or o,, ,s
ing down upon Us through the aiylig}its
scarcely had the water rcoc ID tilc floor when alt
~ the cabins nnd state rooms spranv To their feel and
simultaneously rs If by concert he ladies ntered n
scream OF agony 50 p1inlu, fearful and 50 drnair
ing, the sound OF will never he forgotten: and heaven
grant that such wall oianguish may never again he
heard by me. Several iantcd-othefs clasped their
hands N mute despair, while many called aloud upon
their Creator
The crash to which the writer allule. was caused
by the tearing up OF the benches and her wood work
on the quarter deck These were hurled with yio-
ience against the skyights, by the which
broke the windows of the saloon, drencnr the berths
on the arboard side driving their ailrighted occ-
pants while it smashed by its weight the glass over
| the main cabin, and thus for ed its way below
This was period of intense emotion | was sitting
IN the upper saloon, striving protect some ladies
from injury SO violent were the shocks If the vessel
| although firmly braccd, it was with great difficulty
we could prevent ourselves being hurled from uur seats
and dashed with such violence against part of the
vessel as to endanger life or limb Many received
| efforts
l. was an anxious hour. Ny eye wandered over the
different groups in the saloon resting one while on
father passing from one to another OF his family and
cheering with kind word an interesting group Of
daughters then on Young wife, folded to the bosom
| OF her husband without a sylia5. being uttered but
the action spoke volumes ard gain upon a mother
whose children had been left America a. she clasp
ed her hands as il in secret prayer. while her husband
aud her father gathered around, aud all s,eced bow
ed down TO earth in common feeling of tender
orphans
1t was an awful hour The most ,houlltlcss among
Us covered in their secret hearts before a danger,
which none but fool or brute would have Knocked.
and all therefore accepted the invitation in the
cabin for prayer
Rev Mr. Marsh read the 10Th pzalm Rev DIR.
Smoker prayed. Rev Dr. Becchcr made few SOL
cmn remarks. Rev. Dr. Balch repeated the words OF
Our saviour, " Let not your heart be troubled, ye be-
!ieve in God, believe also in ine,-commcnting brief
y on their consoing import and then invited all pre-
| sent to JON with him IN the Lords prayer; after
which he pronounced the Apostolic bencdction
Night approached. And again | quote from the
gentleman VINO has kindly given an account OF what
took place below.
Amid this accumulation of horrors, and still more
to add to our alarm, night gathered in around us
The wind far from abatng the increase, the
us in the storm being less frequent and the squalls
ifany thing more terrific. The whole one
sea OF loan, lashed up into terrible waves wild and
angry while the spray and wind seemed driven through
the rigging and over the ship it with wild demon
iaca power. As darkness came. clustered together
in the cabin, all thought and reflected fate
Most, il not all OF had given ourselves up tor lost
For what with the heavy laboring of the ship the terri
BILE noise and bowling OF the wind the continued fire.
quent thumpngs OF the sea- the quvering and shaking
OF the groanlng tmbers, the carrying away OF 80
many portions of the vessels upper works and the
knowledge that we were perhaps Tor another night to
be exposed to the tu power OF raging hurricane lett
us little to hope tor.
In the evening about 9 O'Clock the Rev NJ Balch
the request OF several passengers administered the
Holy Communion in the cabin, to upward OF sixty
upi-os-nall Of whom received il there tor the inst
l time in their lives Several applied to him the
propricty Of their embracing that occasion to fulfil
long chcrishd purpose OF their hearts but which, like
many other" good thoughts had been deferred to"
more convenient season" They all communicated
together with others OF almost every creed and natIon
thus reminding rs of the promise OF Scripture, they
shall come from the East aud the West, the North and
South, and sit down with Abraham and Isaac and
Jacob, in the kingdom OF God"
Ii was most solemn scene. Nj. Bnich iIrst read
the service appointed Tor storm at after which.
the whole communion Office The terrible conflict
OF the elements which ragged without was rendered yet
more striking by the impressive stiffness which perva-
dcd tina, company OF Christ's disciples within.
Gathered around the table they received, into hearts
deeply moved. the coiiS,crated cnbieins o the Re
decmcr's body and blood All felt contoried by the
blessed ordinance OF grace. Many bosom, before
tossed with fear, tranquil through faith Once
more all renewed their vows, aud realized the peace
of God shed abroad in their hearts, and felt, with a
vivdness perhaps never before known, Your life is
hid with God IN Christ Ga . 1t was night and a
communion long to be remembered
After the communion returned to my state room.
'Tnn gentleman who shatdit with me had gone be
oY, to ic, as hccNpccted in company with h> dangh-
ter and son-in-iaw. LIT therefore alone, taking "A
asst LOOK nt the picture Of my llttly tamy, and conf
men ling th'r, and all dear to me- To the guce aud
pro,nc'lol ct Col. lny d,wn and slept p'aeeiu.y
Monday, 2lSt, l. 3D., conttnn the log the
storm commenced raging again in all it, fury aud the
"a perfect foam, t,ll \ NJ, NJ wlicn tun" the
clouds began To break, AM tt squalls 'ss furious
Got Tn" ships head to the " ami hau!. tn, wards
round the sea still ra 'in[ as before, and uaJv lh, ad
curling and breaking over the ship a every ..at on
At noon the storm ceased but the sea continued more
violent till = p NJ at which time it ceased gradually
with the wind-iavng listed about 80 hours during
winch time 1t gives me much pleasure to state IN,
officers and crew conducted themselves with Ereat
GOODNESS and presence ofmnl'
At halt-past O'Clock on Monday morning we wer,
III the grcarst possible danger
VT stevens, one of our pas-engers. saws of it" A
peculiar hitng OF the haze in the East with an appear
ance oil an amber coored belt Of light low down on
the horizon, warned lis OF an approaching blow Pre-
schty 1t came, perfect tornado driving before il the
clouds OF spray, and it neared us fairly lifting Ut
the White loan from the waves like a shower OF rain
a the squat struck Us, the ship cGrCencd over auC
buried her gunwoles in the ocean, aud lay Tor few
moments stricken powcrlcss, and apparently AT N,
mercy OF the savage waves that threatened 10 cnanpf
US ms was tlr tral, the last round fought between
the clements and our gallant vessel At this critical
moment the engine was to her duty SIN wen,
on It's revolutions, and round ana round Numbered her
iron water wings Gradually recovering her upright
position the good ship, with head qiaricrug the sea
clile up 70 htr course, and a. well. Il was the
climax OF the the last great etIu Of the wbirl-
VIVID klg TO send Us 10 the giants cave below
On Moniuy about l. the Storm had abaiyd suiTi-
ciehly To- aIn OF standing on the upper part of the
conpanon why with safety. II was a sublime but
an awful spectacle. The ocean still lahorcd under
N" elects OF the hurricane. The wind yecrcd 20
r points IN 80 hours it is impossible INA CINE or de-
n scribe the Wild and tangled confusion OF the waves
II Rising 10 height apparently greater than that of the
mainast they lenpel and reared around the shin as
II hungry and meddened NJ the loss Oi their prey
'S AT times the Great Western seemed as il low red by
- unseen spirits INTO her watery grave and every mo-
men you expected to be liied in md her requiem
81 sung by the winds amidst the wilderness Of the wa
le tiers.
l. But our danger past and with grateful hearts
e on tuesday morning, all assembled in the cabin to
|, render an act ct common prayer and thanksgiving
4 RcV DR. Suurkcr read psalm and made some
g appropriate introductory remarks, and Rev DR. Bee
Is cher addressed the passengers length and with much
= force ON the mercy We had experienced, and prayers