The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1851-01-29

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er of passing time or of our situation In that racked
and trembling fabric, came over us our souls were
too FULL anxiety was succeeded by exultaiion, un.
til our hearts leaped with joy instead Of dread, and
our eyes danced in gladness at the privilege which
was ours |; men on shore were worshipping the God |
of Revelation, but the God Of Nature was there. |
His enthusiasm, accustomed from childhood tosuch |
scenes, fully equal to that OF myself, (who was
gazing for the first time upon the in its anger)
while he exclaimed that he had never in his life |
seen the like before !" he thanked me, almost with
tears in his eyes, for having kept my promise, |
"For," said he, 81 have never desired any thing |
so much in my life, as for once TO have some one |
see what gale of wind is here; you are the first
man, save those who have been employed here,
that has ever witnessed it."
Aud truly it sight which any man might
take pride in exhibiting. Far as the eye could reach
the sea was moving mass of foam wave rolling
over wave and breakers towering above breakers,
which tumbed in upon the rocks as II determined
to hurl them from their place, and then new back
in clouds of spray, or urged on by their hufrying
followers, were hurled over the rocks, down whose
sides they fell like cataract, and mlngllng again
in the hot race, rushed with fresh fury upon the
next LEDGE to repeat and rerepeat the scene OF the
rst until three miles away they spent their strength
upon the beach, where the same hand which had
given them their power had also set the BOUNDS oi
their march.
! was shown every part of the house over and
over again, now TO the lantern, where taking care
not to be thrown against the glass, we could see
fartest and then down from terrace u teIIdCc, u-
ill reckless with delight we ventured upon the rail-
less lower deck, and there within a few ieet of
their ere sis, we watched the huge rollers thunder
ing beneath us, as they permitted us al one moment
to see the ragged rock on which we stood, and at
the next hurled their thirty feet of water against
the slender pillars, throwing the spray (freeZng
it ew,) in very faces, and then when the gale
sounded the hoarse trumpet OF retreat, falling back
to gather fresh strength to dash again at that work
of Art, which presumptuous man had dared to
MIS- thpFp lui plnmeptE
main. Never did | SO regret that description was
not gift of mine; would that an Irving could have
been there for the spectacle which makes the rude
assistants poets, and good poets too, would have
drawn from his pen a sketch which the world
would love to read. Even now have not lost en-
tirely the transport and delirium of that hour /
often hear the roar and feel the vibration of the pill
| lars, while the pillows come back in my dreams
and gambol again. | know not why it was, bu,
we were almost wild with joy, and knowing no
other way to testify the satisfaction of the hour,
toled the huge fog bell, determined to ring each
| surge merry welcome as it struck, even though al
the same me we tolled the lighthouses requiem.
But these feelings did not last long the sense OF
danger and the hopelessness Of escape in case of
the destruction of the pillars forced themselves
| again upon us. 1t with a delight almost in
l tense that we saw it clear away and knew that
many an anxious eye which from the shore was sea-
ward cast had found relief, when it saw that the
| light house had outtived the gale.
At night, however, with every appearance OF a
return of the storm. (when the tide made food,)
we felt for the first time the utter desolation of
position. A set in, to which that of the morn
ing was nothing, and shook the building that it
difficult to stand, causing it to oscillate two
feet each side of the centre, and to quiver and jerk
| in such manner as to make it seem impossible
for the legs to sustain the thirty tons Of weight
| which rested upon them, But for description OF
| the feelings and dangers of that night | must re-
fer you to the letter Of Mr. Bennett in the Journal
| Monday morning there was still very heavy
| sea, and every indication of a return OF the gale
We were afraid it would return before the boa,
could come off, but nevertheless the signal was set
| and for two hours we watched the shore, but no
| boat appeared. The assistant had great difficulty
| in getting crew to man the boat, but at last a
| speck in the distance told they were coming
| 1t a pleasant sight to see that frai boat il
came tossing along, disappearing behind the
huge seas and then rising unframed from the gulf,
| We feared they would turn back, but on they
! came, though the wind and the rising
| every moment.
In the mean time we hosted up the guy, which
| is always lowered in gale, and to clear the ice
| with which it was covered, placed Joe las brave
fellow ever lived,) in the chair, and let it go
by the rum fifty feet, crash into it this experiment
we repeated fifteen or twenty times before the ice
was cleared, the boat having to wait until it was
done at imminent risk of swampng every moment
| Finally we hosted him in, and l. with one of Ben
netts patent lifepreservers in tin box (nstead o
about my person, as the event proved it had better
have been,) was lowered down until strucl
the chair, when it was raised little. A moment
glance told me the boat could not come along sid,
the chair; the sea, OF which we in the lighthouse
could not judge at great height, rough
The whaleman in the stern sheets sang out chan,
over the side" Calculating the chances whel
| the boat nigh be under me, hung over the ice
covered side and watched her coming. There wa
no getting back into the chair, and either into tn
| sea or the boat must drop.
| Once, borne on huge sea, she was carried be
| yond me, but side " stern all - was tn
word, and she passed so near that the oars AM
gunwale were beneath me, but sea took he
away again she came up, and the bow oarsme
; twitched her beneath me just as another sea wa
| taking her back, when ! let go and dropped te
feet into the centre of her, where was told to kee
still until they got out of immediate danger. Th
, boat, inside and out, sheet of ice, and tn
men looked like images of frost-work.
Ay, that was jolly pull to the shoIe guided b
one who knew the way, we shot past the lime
, Minot, and wound our devious path among thos
famous rocks of Cohasset, the beat dancing owe
| the and the lusty oarsmen bending their ashe
sweeps until she seemed TO jump from biilow to b
low. | used to think there more poetry in
locomotive than in any thing else in the world, bl
: | now the locomotive must yield TO the whale boa
Mr.. Bennett watched us as we sped away unit
| the last ledge was passed, and then We heard tt
deep. toned bell ringing its merrest peal and Ion
may they live, the lighthouse and its keeper, tt
preservers of property and life, a comfort and
blessing to thousands of souls.
So ended my first and my last visit to the Edd!
n | stone of America a work of art and specime
| of the productions of human skill, it is equal
e | that world renowned fabric; but when you loo
i for the elements of safety and stability, cam
d but feel that they are wanting.
Foreign Intelligence per Steamer ASH