Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1846-10-31

cnbn, where ] found q mass collected, with
horror in every countenancc. A succession of
shock after shock reused all, and screams began
to Issue from the Ladies rooms The wind now
rose to tempest. II was deep darkness with
ont. The rain began to pour down in torrents
There was one brigh, long continued glesm Of
| lightning which showed before and around us
the white breakers. and on each side large and
appalling rocks. The lightning wss followed
by loud thunder, which heard at such a time
was most fearful. The Captain s-nt up rock.
els from the deck, and fred heavy signal guns.
| oil Of which rather tended to deeper the com.
| mon alarm Sometimes we had few moments
shock, as the waves dashed against US and ll.
ed Us TO fall heavily on the ground.
| At each Of these shocks which occurred st
frequent intervals, il seemed as if our last hour
had come, and the only partition between us
and the wnve, about 10 be annihila,ed. Our
ignorance and the ignorance OF the captain as
to where we were and wha, we were to meet
next and our entire inability to stay on deck, to
| horror Of our situation. For hours we remain.
ed in THE condition and you may we'll imagine
they were long fearful hours, tha, will be re-
membered while lite lasts We waited, . how
impatientiy for the day, and yet feared ,ha, day
would dawn only TO show that escape was an
| impossbiiy.
The Captain Of on early period came into
the cabin. and told the collected passengers
that he was certain that the ship was on a sand
bank and no, on the rocks. and that he thought
all would be saved by boats in the morning
But a, he had run his vessel ashore so mysieri.
ously, and confessed he did know where we
were, and was moreover likely to attempt to
inspire quiet by giving assurance Of safcty-'he
passengers had but little confidence in his words
while the bowling wind was sweeping over
the deck, and the waves thrashng the vessel
with power that made the whole mass quiver,
as if every part was breaking nsunden
On The whole the passengers behaved well.
When it was thought that death was certain
and one and all about to be hurried to Eternity,
deemed ii my duty, while felt of course the
awful soemn,y of my own situation, to eny a
few words publicly. TO attempt TO benefit any
that might be unprepared TO die. The Rev.
DIR Cox followed with an exhor,ation and pray.
er-One Clergyman read Psalm, and another
still gave word Of encouragement. believe
there was neve! more sincerely praying cir.
Gle, or time and place, when and where man
more earnestly sought strength iron, God.
( The scene was sublime. !, was the hour Of
human passivr,y and weakness, Tor TIL morning
nothing could he done as the Captain confessed.
What could live in the mnd waves OF such a
tempest, amid such breakers as thunder sgains,
inc vessel. We cried un,p Mr Lord and he
heard rs, and delivered lis ou, Of distress
Towards morning the wind shifted. md after
blowing for 8 time violently from Nor,hwes,
,uled. There was gradua! subsidence of The
crowd into silent but anxious awaiting their
destiny, and some even slept When large
wave thundered ganst the vessel there was a
sigh, deep and almost universal. as each regard.
cd it indicative of us final breaking of the ves-
seh
The Lite worse than orphan, Opera girls,
in the for ward cabin, on The first shock set up
cry of alarm. Far rom home, parents, conn,
try. and seeing all around them alarmed, they
gave went to their agony in shreks until quis.
ted by the encouragement given by DR.. Cox
and others.
! As day dawned and the tide recedcd, and the
wind fell, Pilot boat came 10 us, and YOU can
ina CINE that there was music in human voice,
from outside our vessel. Il showed the posi-.
biliiy OF safety, and inspired general confidence
The pilot boat got along the leeward side.
and a man came on board From him the cap
tain fret learned that his vessel was stranded
near 81. Johns Point Dundrnm Day thirty
milesS f. of Belfast, Ireland. thirty miles
from her proper course We had ,csme between
huge rocks, where the passage Of such a ship
seemed impossible, and struck thin cables
: length of projecting ledge of rocks pro'rnding
from the shore the only sand beach in neigh
borhnod Of ten miles each way, and tho only
place where death 10 most of tile passengers
and crew would have been inevitable! At the
rate of more than twelve miles an hour. in
profound darkness and under an equinoctisl gale
we had roursed among rocks that no mariner
would adventure by daylight and gentle breeze
We had escaped mans ignorance in rashness,
which had led US into peril, TO be rescued bv
the over ruling providence ofGod. Had -,