Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1852-02-25

man to whose frfnness and presence Of
mind we all owed our safety was inerita-
bly, doomed to perish. We had not row.
ed more than \ couple of hundred yards
when the flames. leaping up everywhere
through the deck. reached the rigging
and the few sails set, presenting com.
plete outline of the bark and her trReery
Of masts and yards drawn down in lines
of FIRE Captain Starkey, not TO throw
away the chance he spoke Of, had gone
out to the end of the bowsprit, having
hrst let the jib and foresail 60 by the run,
and was for a brief space from the
flames but what was this but a pro.
longation of the bitterness Of death? {?
4 The boats to increase the distance be.
tween them and the blazing ship. amidst
dead silence broken only by the mea.
sursd dip of the oars and many an eve
was turned with intense anxiety shore.
ward with the hope of deserving the ex.
Pected pilot. AT length distinct hall
and felt my heart stop beating at the
sound-was heard ahead, Justify respon-
ded to by the seamen's throats, and pres.
emily afterwards swiftly propelled pilot
boat shot out of the thick darkness ahead,
almost Immediately followed by another.
"What ship is thatG" cried = man
standing in the bows Of the first boat
d" The Neptune, and that Is Captain
Starkey on the bowspritl"
! sprang eagerly TO my feet. and with
all the force could exert, shouted
"A hundred pounds for the first boat that
reaches the ship l's
That's young Mr.. MainwAring's face
and voice |" exclaimed the foremost pilot,
Hurra, then, for the prize !" and away
both sped with eager vigor, but unaware
certainly of the peril of the task. In
minute or so another shore-boat came up,
but after asking few questions, and soc.
ing how matters stood, remained, aud
lightened us of a portion of our living car
goes. We were all three too deep In the
water, the small boat perilously SO.
Great God the terrible suspense We
all felt whilst this was going forward.
can scarcely bear, even now, to think
about it. shut my eyes, and listened
with breathless palpitRting excitement for
the explosion that should end all. Il
came lat least thought ii did, and
sprang convulsivcly to my feet. So sen.
sitiYe WAS my brain, partly no doubt from
recent sickness as we'll as fright, that
had mistaken the sudden shout OF the
boats crews for the catastrophe. The
bowsprit, from the end Of which n rope
was dangling, was empty and both pi.
lots, made aware doubtless Of the dAE.
ger, were pulling with the eagerneAs Of
fear from the ship. The cheering among
us was renewed again and again, du.
ring which continued to gaze with
arrested breath and fascinated stare At
the flaming vessel and fleeing pilot.boats.
Suddenly pyramid OF flame shot UP
from the hold OF the ship, followed by q
deafening roar. / fell or was knocked
down, know not which the boat rock.
ed as il caught in fierce eddy next
came the hiss and splash Of numerous
heavy bodies falling from great height
into the water. and the binding glare and
stunning uprosr were succeeded by
in which no man could discern his neigh.
Dor. Tho stiffness was broken by
loud, cheerful hail from one Of the pilot.
boats we recognized the voice, and the
simultaneous and ringing shout which
burst from us assured the gallant seaman
Of our own safety, and how exultingly we
all rejoieed in his Halt an hour after.
wards we werc all safely landed, aud as
the ship and cargo had been specially in.
sured, the only ultimate evil result Of this
fearful passage in the lives Of the pGsseuss
gers and crew Of the Neptune. was a
heavy loss by the underwriters:
A piece Of plate, at the suggestion Of
Mr.. Desmond and his friends, was SUBJ
scribed for and presented 70 Captain Star
key at a public dinner given At Kingston
in his honor-a circumstance that many
there will remember. In his speech on
returning thanks for the compliment paid
him, he explained his motives for Teso-
luteIy refusing TO fight duel with NJ. Du.
pOnt, half a-dozen versions 0f. which had
got into the newspaper.
Il was very early left an orphan he
said, and was very tendorly reared BY
maternal aunt, Mrs. - He mention
ed name with which hundreds Of news
paper readers IN England must be still
famiIisr,) Her husband, ~ many here
may be aware, fell In duel IN the second
month Of wedlock. Ny aunt continued 10
live dejectedly on till I had passed my
nineteenth year, and so vivid an impTes.
sion did the patient sorrow Of her life
make on me-So thoroughly did learn
10 loathe and deteSt the barbaTous prse.
tice that consigned her 70 permatuTe
grave. that il scarcely required the col.
emn promise she obtained from me ss the
last sigh trembled on her lips, TO make
me resolve never, under any eireumstaD'
ces, 70 fght duel. As 10 my behavior
during the unfortunate eonAagration Of
the Neptune, Of which my friend, Mr. Des.
nond, has spoken so Astteringly, can
only say that did no more than my sim.
pie duty in the matter, Both be and /
belong TO . MARITIME race, one Of whose