Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1850-05-02
LIE CT TALE.
IFrom 6raham's Magazine for Msy'l
A Gale in the Channel.
BY CHARLES J. PETERSON.

III y
,hat we dropped down the Merssy and took
our leave of Liverpool. Our vessel was a
new ship of seven hundred tons and as she
spread, one after another, her folds oi white
canvass 10 the breeze. thought had never
seen a more beautiful sight The scene
around was lively and inspiritng. lnnumer-
able craft of all sizes covered the waters lar
and near here, a large merchantmen moving
like a stately swan, there, light yacht skim
ming along with the swiitness of swallow.
The sunlight sparkled and danced on the
blows; the receding coast grew more PIC
turesque as we LETT IT astern and the blue
expanse of the Irish channel stretched away
In front. until lost in thin haze on the oppo-
site hcr.Zon.
had been reading below for several hours,
bur toward nishIfall went on deck again.-
How | started at the change IL was yet an
hour TO sunset, bur the lumnary of day was
ALREADY hidden in thick bank of clouds, tha.
stretched ominouSly along the western sea-
board. The wind had increased 10 smart
gale, and was laden with moisture. The
billows increased in size every minute, and
were whitening with foam far and near. Oc
casionaIly as a roller struck the ships bows,
the white spray flew cracking over The fore
castle, and sometimes even shot into the top !:
on these occasions a forebojln2, melancholy
SQUAD, like the sroan OF some huge animal
in pain, issued from the thousand umbers of
the vessel. Already, IN anticipation OF the
rising tempest, The canvas had been reduced.
and we were now headIog toward the Irish
coast under reeied topsniS, coursers, spanker
and jib.
a rough night in prospect, Jack said,
addressing an old tar beside me.
You may well say that sir, he replied. Its
bad on the Norway coast in December, and
bad going into Sandy Hook in snow-storm;
but both are nothing TO gale in The channel
here, he added, as Il sudden whirl OF the
tempest covered US with spray.
4 wish we had more sea room, answered
musingy.
'Ay Id give the wages of the voyage, if
we had. How happy you all seemed in the
cabin, sir. the ladies' especially, an hour ago,
| suppose it was because We going home,
all lille did any OF us think, he added, with
a seriousness and in 4 language uncommon
for sailor, that we might be bound 10 anoth-
er and last home. wAiclI We should behold
first
AT this moment the captain shouted 10
shorten sail, and our conversation was of
necessity cut short The ship. | ought TO
have SAID had been laid close 10 the wind, IN
order 10 claw off the English coast, 10 which
we were in dangerous proximity; and as the
gale increased, the heavy press of canvas
pressing her down into the water. she struc-
gled and strained irighuully. While the
crew were al work, walked forward. The
biIlows now increased 10 Il gigantic Sue,
came rolling down uYon US one alter another,
with such rapidty that our good craft could
scarcely recover from one before another WAS
upon her. Each time she struck lead-sea
She would sJagger an instant. quverins IN
every timber. while the crest OF the shattered
wave would shoot 10 the iore-top like the jet
of fountain: then, the vast surge sinking
away beneath her she would settle, gFoaning,
into the trough OF the sea, until another bill
low hl,ed her. another surge Numbered
against her bows, another shower ui foam
flew over her Now and then, when n ruure
colossal wave than usual was seen approach
ing the cry, hold on ali rang waruingly
across the decks. At such times, the vast
hiliow would approach, its head towering 10
the gathering twilight, until 1t Threatened 20
engulf us but. Just when all seemed over,
our gallant ship would spring forward TO
meet it, like sized started 10y the spur, and
the mountain of waters would break over and
around US, Kissing, roaring and flashing by,
and then sinking INTO the apparently bottom
less gulf beneath us.
Meanwhile the decks were resounding with
the tread of the sailors, as they hurried to
and fro in obedience TO the capt1in's orders :;
while the rafting of the blocks, the shouts of
command, and The quick replies of the sea
men, rose over the uproar of the storm.
Let go bowlnes, cried the stentoran
voice of the captain, ease of the rack-haul
on the weather-bTaces.
Away went the huge sail in obedience TO
the order.
Ease off The sheet-haul up to lee y
The crew redoubled their quickness; and
soon the immense courses were slowed. In
a few minutes the ships canvas was reduced
to REFER, topsails, sranker, and fore-topmast
slaysah. BY this time evening had SET IN,
though the long twilight of that latitude pro-
longed sckly radiance.
But even this contraction of sail was not
sufficient The thick duck ;ugged at the
yards, as ifit would snap them in Two. Ev-
cry moment | expected to see the spanker
go.
we must take in that SAIL said the cap
tain finally, 'or she will tear herself TO pieces.
All hands in with the spanker.
In an instant the men were struggling
with the huge sheet OF canvas; and never
before had been so torcibiy impressed with
the power and usefulness OF discipline. In
an incredible short interval the gigantic sail,
Notwithstanding its struggles, was got under
control, and safely slowed.
The shin now labored less for a while, but,
rs the storm increased, she groaned and
struggled as before. The captain saw il
would not DO 10 carry the little sail now re-
naming, for, under the tremendous strain,
the canvass might be continually expected to
be blown from the bolt-ropes. And yet her
sole hope lay in crowding every stitch in
order 10 claw of the English coast! The
sailor will understand this al a word, but 10
landsmen it may require explanation.
Our danger, then, consisted IN having IN
sufficient sea room. If we had been on the
broad Atlantic, with hundred or two miles
of ocean all around us, we could have iain-to
under some biz of a head-sail, or ore-topmast
sky-sail for instance, or a reeted loresa'i.-
But when vessel lies-to, or in other words,
faces the quarter whence the wind comes
with only enough canvas TO steer her by. she
necessarily drifts considerably. and IN ine
OF motion diagonal to her keel. This IS
called making leeway. Most ships, when ly-
ing-to in gale, drift very rapidly, sometimes
hundreds OF miles if the tempest is protracted
II is for this reason that a vessel in a narrow
channel does not lie-to, for a few miles OF
Iee-wav would wreck her on the eiehboring
coast. The only resource, in such case, is
to carry a press of sail. and head in the di-
rection whence the wind comes, but not near
SO close 10 it as in lying-to. This is called
clawing off ee-shore. A constant struggle