Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1850-03-28
A Gale off Cape Horn,

About midnight, when the eta rboad watch
TO which | belonged. was below, the boat-
swuins whistle was heard. follow ed by the
shrll cry for AL hands take in sail Jump men
and save shipn SprIngny from our ham
mocks, we found the frigatc leaning over to
il SO steeply, that II was with difficulty we
could climb the ladders leading to the upper
deck. Here The scene wasawlul The yvs-
sci seemed TO be sailing on her side. The
inait-teck guns had several uuys prev lousy
heen run III and housed and the porr HOLES
closed hui ilI lee carrunades on the qtrarter.
deck and fvrecastle were punging Through
the sea, which undulaled over them u miik-
white bIilows Of loain. With every lurch To
leeward The yurd-e ends seemed 10 zip M the
sea, whe forward the spray dashed over the
bows III calnracIs, and dIenclied the men who
were on the iore-yaid. BY This ilme the
deck was alive with the whole strength OF
the ships company, five hundred men, Off
GERS and all. mostly clingIng to tile weather
bulwarks. lie occasional pho>phurescence
ot ilIe yeasy cast glare upon their up.
lifted !aces, as Gight fire in a populous
city lights up the panic stricken crowd. La
sudden gale, or when n large quantity OF
sail IS suddenly TO be fUred it is The custom
ior the irsI Lieutenant TO lake the trumpet
| from whoever happens then TO he officer OF
the deck. But Mad jack had the trumpet
that watch nor did the First Lieutenant
now seek TO wresr it from his hands. Every
eve was upon hun, as if we had chosen
him from among us all, 10 decide this battle
with the elements by single combat with the
spirit of the Cape; for Mad Jack was the
saving genius of The ship, and So proved him.
self Ihal night. | owe this right hand that
is this moment flying over my sheet, and all
my present being 10 had jack. Tie ships
bows were now bui!lng, batiering, ramining,
and Numbering over and upon the head seas,
and with a horrible wallowing sound our
whole hull was rolling in The trough of The
foam. The gale came athwart the deck, and
every sail seemed bursting with its wild
breath. All the quarter masters, aud several
OF the iorecastle-men, were swarmIng round
The domble-whevl on the qnsrler deck
Some jumping up and down. with their
hands upon The spokes; for the whole helm
and galvanized keel were fercely feverIsh
with the life impaired TO them BY the tem-
pest.
Hard up the helm: 4: shouted. Captain Cla>
ret bursting from his cabin like n ghost in
Bieht-dress. '-youn ragged Mad Jack
10 The quarer-mnsters hard do,on hard
doirn, ! say. Contrary orders! bur Mad
Jacks were obeyed. His object was to
throw the ship into the wind, So as the bet
ter 10 admit ot close-reefig the Iop-sails.-
| But though the lidlyards We're let 20, il was
inrossibe to ciew down The yards. owing to
| the enormous horizontal strain OIL the can.
| vas.
| 1t now blew n hurricane. The spray few
over the ship in foods. The gigantic masrs
seemed about 10 snap under the world wide
strain OF the three entire top-sals. 'Ciew
down ! clew down shouted Mad Jack, husky
with excitement, aud in frenzy, beating his
trumpet against one of the shroutIs. But
owing 10 the slant ftlle ship, the thing could
not be done. 1t was obvious that beiuIe
many minutes something must go-eiiler
sails, rigging. or sticks; perhaps the hull IL
self. aud all hands. Presently a voice from
the Top exclaimed that there was u rent in
the -topsall. And Instantly we heard
report like Two or three nIiskeis discharged
together; the vast sail was re:it up and down
like the Veil of the Temple. This saved the
'nali-mast Tor the yard was now clewed
down with comparative ease, and the Top
men land out TO stow the shattered canvass
SooA, the two remaining Iop-sails were also
ciewed down and tightly reefrd. Above all
The roar OF the tempest and the shouts of
the crew. was heard the dismal lolng of the
sh'p - uch-dimo>t dS ldISe us tildt OF n VII
lage church-whch the violent rolling of
the ship was occasioning. Imagination can
not conceive iIe horror of such a sound in a
nIght-iempest at sea. Stop that ghost !!
roared Mad Jack; away. one OF you. and
wrench off the clapper! But no sooner was
'hls ghost gagged, than a still more appalling
sound was heard, The rolling 10 and fro of
,'le heavy shot, which. on 'Iie gun-deck, had
| 'ioAeh loose from the gun -racks and con-
sei'1a ,: una, part of the ship ilRo an imm ense
"ow'ng-a'iey. Some hands were sent down
to secure them; bur il was us much as their
lives were worth Several were MANNED;
ana ine n'dshirmen who were ordered to
see the duty performed reported il imno,s;.
BILE, until the storm abated The mos, ,sr-
rife job ofall was TO furl the main. sail. which
at the commence ment of the squal, had been
clewed up, coaxed and quieted az much az
possible with the bunt-lines and slab-lines.-
Mad Jsck waited soms time for 'ull, ere he