The Plymouth pilot. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1851-1852, 1851-12-24


to Falmouth, was boarded by the Wasy
in latitude IL degrees 35 minutes North
longitude 80 degrees 10 minutes West
and two passengers. Lieut., Mcknight
and masters mate, Lyman, late of tn,
gallant Essex, were taken from her. Tn,
Swede then pursued his course, while tn,
American cruiser continued to the Sout!
ward under easy sail. At 4, p. M. hel
topsail dipped in the Southern ocean
and when the sun set, she was seen nc
more.
On the final end Of the Wasp, rumoI
has been busy with her thousand tongue:
At one time she w as said to have been
los: upon the desolate coast of Africa
while her hardy seamen battled with the
Arabs OF the desert.
At another time, she was said to have
been sunk in gale off the Spanish shore
after all action with an English frigate
At one time she was supposed to have
been los: in the wild ocean alone. AT
another, blown up by the accidental is-
milton of her magazines. History being
silent upon the subject, the pen o. imag-
ination must trace her last moments.
1t was an awful night in the South
Atlantic-the waves lept in mighty
masses, like spectre knights in dusky ar
NOR, upon their fire-tipped creSts, ike
the crimson plumes Of hell's battalions,
played with the clouds and Huttered in
the breeze. Loud rolled the thunder of
heaven. and round the horizon the light
ning-like tongues of thousand adders
forked in air, or wreathed around maga-
zines of hail, that reared their pale blue
bodies upon the bosom of the storm The
wind swept in one unbroken howl, AMI
Ne din of the dashing waters completed
the dreadful music Of the elementary
war,
The Sails of the mariners bark were
no where to he seen. 1t seemed as th o
man had left the ocean in its majesty to
his God, while the clouds aud darkness
the whirlwind and waterspout, tie light
ning and the deep mouthed thunder, CAV
terrific evidence Of the presence of the
Creator. Bat bark! A cannon family
echoes! A pale sepulchral light flintly
ylared upon the deep! And now. with
the velocity of the wounded whale
sloop of war, with her sails in strips her
spars twisted, splintered and broken her
bulwarkS partly carried away, her ruider
gone, comes down before the wind. She
falls off her courSe-now she burieS her
head in foam, and now her stern seems
fast disappearing in the hollow Of the
leep. Sea after sea rolls over her lum
bered deck. and the seamen lashed to her
sides seem waiting the hour Of near de-
on.
The commander at the wheel, with his
brazen trum pet is silent. His bright eye
lashes like that of the chained eagle, as
ne scans the face of the deep. A few
hours more and the vessel must founder
1t sea. Her banner still floats in rib
Dons at her peak: faint light CLEANS
from starboard pinnacle. and the signal
bell tolls sadly as the vessel is thrown
rom broadSide to broadside upon the
'ideling waves.
he blast is gone The sea rolls in gen.
lie pillows, and the heavens show dark
,ess instead of forked fire. A Temporal
y rudder is made-a storm staysail Is
et-the wreck of sparS is cleared away,
md the jib-boo are cut adrift togeth
'r. The rolling guns are choked with
from the nettings, and the
ports are closed.
'Ha! my brave fellows. thunderdd the
commander. we are safe. Reilly, Til
inghast and Baury. noble have you stood
he test of this war Of nature. ali hands
save ship.
All hands, shouted the first Lieuten
INT.
Tumble up. tumble up cried the
mate below.
And now the weary crew are upon the
ieck. Those who are laShed, cut their
,eizing as il by magic. Graspins axes,
he officers spring to the tops and work
with the undaunted men. The shattered
.opmasts are replaced, new sails are bent
md already the distressed bark begins to
wear the appearance OF "A ship "f war
But hark! from the northwest rushing
sound is heard A bright bow rears itself
rom the edge of the horizon; and from
he centre of that arch Of fire, flash OF
lightning, followed by an instantaneous
rash. blind the eyes of the anxious lead
n and his busy crew. In moment more
he fierce norther strikes the ship aback
from the top of a giant billow it hurls
Ter down. A huge abyss yawns to re-
.eive her-aud with her mainmast bla- |
ing with the lightnings fire, and her
altered stars cleaning amidst the lurid
,lare. down to the ocean sepulchre sinks
he gallant Wasp, her brave Biakely and
lis matChless crew.
One wild wall now rings along the sol
tary sea. il dies in echoes far away. The