Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1852-01-07

w hen they changc TO levy q urlnkj
Many the months that have passed, Jim Holmes
There is change from the old to the new,
But friends will be false and friendship will change
Ere refuse, Jim, to drink with you.
THE FATE OF THE WASP AND
HER GREW; a Thrilling Narrative.
BY j. E DOW, ESQ.
The wind that rings along the wave,
The clear unshadowed sun,
Arc torch and trumpet to the brave,
Whose last grecn wreath is won.
Wild shrcked the midnight gale,
Far, fur beneath the morning swell,
Sunk pcnOn, spar and all.
CIV. HOLMES.
1t was lovely evening in midsummer
in the year 1914, when a sloop of war ap-
peared off the chops of the English chan
mel, and stood in towards the silent shores
of Cornwall. The gentle breeze from the
ocean now sighed through the neatly fit
ted rigging of the beligerent stranger, and
the faint ripple at the bows gave evidence
that she was slowly gliding ahead. The
waves seemed to creep in long unbroken
swells before her, and the lingering glow
of sunset as it glanced through the vallies
of the deep, and systed on their dark green
SUBMITS, seemed like the smile of dying
day upon the rolling prairies of Illinois.
Her light sails, from sky to water sail,
swelled beautifully to the rising shores OF
merry England; and the starry ensign OF
the free streamed gallantly over her quar-
ter-deck; her ports were shut in; silence
equal to that of forsaken bark, reign.
ed through her halls of thunder, while
a solitary battle lantern cleaned at the
cabin door. The tread of the orderly on
duty, alone gave evidence that the gal
liant vessel was not a spectre ship-'somc
gallcon freighted with the dead.' Hour
after hour lazily colled away. The land
now began to grow more distinct, while
the haze of the morning settled still deep
er upon the shadowcd water.
AT four A. NJ. bright flash appeared
where the shade of the land and the moon
lit billow mingled together, and then one
after another the cleaning sails of shiI
of war hove in sight.
Beat to quarters = thundered the com
mandcr of the American vessel. and ther
quick as thought the silence of the quie
vessel was broken by the shrill notes o
the fife, the tapping of the drum, the tread
of armed men; the tricing up OF ports
the rafting of cannon shot in the racks
and the running out of heavy pieces o
ordinance.
The chase now showed English colors
turned awfully upon her heel, and ran W
the private signal of the channel fleet.
'Show them the stars cried the i'm
mortal Blakely. 'Forecastle, there
aye, ave. replied the masters mate
'Are you all ready with the bow gun ?
'All ready, sir
'Luff, quarter-master.'
'Luff it is SIR said the old salt at thu
helm.
Stand by forward-fre !
The sloop yawned gracefully at thu
command of the trumpet, and displayed
her ensign, which had been hidden by thu
mountain of canvass that lowered above
it. A heavy roar followed volume o
fire and woolly smoke from the American
vessels bows, and then sharp and crack
ing sound from the chase, as though 1
heavy body had fallen from great heigh
upon thin lattice of laths, and had pas
sed through it accompanied by a cry o
agony, that echoed fearfully over the still
waters, told but too plainly that the blood!
work of death had commenced.
They have felt the sting of the Wasp,
cried the American captain, as he scam
ed the chase through the night glass
Steady your helm, quarter-master, thi
is but the opening of the ball
Steady so, answered the attentive gun
ner at the wheel. And the gallant sloOI
was as silent as before.
"And still the sails went on,
A pleasant noise till noon,
A noise like hidden brook
Il In the leafy month of June.
That TO the sleeping woods all night
Singeth quiet tune"
AT fifteen minutes past one P. NJ, thu
Wasp tacked-the stranger also tackled tC
preserve the weather gage. AT three
p NJ. the enemy bore down on thu
Wasp's weather quarter, answered he
cannon of defiance, and stood gallantly
down to close. When within sixty yards
of the American, the chase fred ashiftine
gun from his top gallant forecastle, anC
repeated the same unwelcome salute fol
several minutes. This destructive fire
was, however, borne without murmul
by the Wasp, which vessel could no
bring gun to bear on her antagonist
A favorable moment had now arrived.
/ Put your helm down = shouted Blake
" from the quarter deck.