Iowa capitol reporter. [volume] (Iowa City, Iowa) 1841-1855, 1853-06-29
A Thrilling Incident.

A Thrilling Incident.
The Rev Mr.. Prime, one of the
editors of the New York Observer,
who recently went to England in the
packet ship Devonshire, has written
home two very interesting descrip-
tive letters of his trip across the At
lantic. In less than fifteen days they
were in sight of the English coast,
having never changed the course of
the ship from the time the pilot boat
left them off Sandy Hook.-When
within a few hours sail ofPortsmouth,
a man fell overheard and was drown,
ed. The scene Mr.. Prime thus des-
cribes:
A MAN OVERHEARD.
April 23d, Euening The full moon
rose on the sea and hung out from
the sky like a silver globe, with a clear
ness and beauty that | have never
seen. The ship was sailing well I'M
der fair breeze, and we walked the
deck in the enjoyment of one of the
most delightful evenings. One AFTER
another of the passengers went be
low, and only few of the younger
and more romantic remained to look
on the waves rejecting the beams of
the moon now riding far up in the
heavens. Il was nearly midnight
when the cry shot through the ship
piercing every ear and heart, ga man
overheard" Except the cry of fire
no sound on ship is more terrible.
For days you have been thinking
every time you looked over into the
deep through which the ship was
running, ofthe helpless and hopeless
fate of him who shall be cast into
the sea, and when the fearful word
is given in that tone of mingled fear
and pain which the fact EFFORTS, there
is shrinking of the heart, as if each
one had a friend now perishing
Mr.. Moore, the second mate, had an
assistant in the ships carpenter, who
had acted as a seaman during the
passage, as we had a miserable crew.
He was a fine looking young man,
and the only one of all the men who
had interested the passengers. He
had been down in my state room,
and told me something of his history
His parents were in Holland, and he
was on his way to visit them. A
young woman was on board to whom
he was to be married in May, and
they were to return to America to
spend their days. His manners
were very gentle, and be looked and
spoke as if he had left the comforts
of home, and had entered a life for
which he was not formed. Ny heart
had gone out to him, and in return
for his acts of kindness he had done
for me, | was thinking what present
| should make him before going a
shore, when at the instant the shout
was made, and this noble fellow, the
pride of the men, was struggling in
the pitiless waters.
Mr.. Moore was near him, and had
given an order to bear off the boom
from the side of the ship-ths man
stepped over the buIwarks on the
outside, pushed against the boom
the topping lift gave way, and he
pitched forward head first into the
sea. The ship shot by him in mo-
ment. Nothing thrown over could
reach him. His cries of agony came
up cutting the heart. O so bitterly
that it would have been mercy to be
deaf. The mate with admirable
promptness gave the order to put the
ship about. "Ready ab5ht. Lun
round. Hard lee. lacks and shee,
main topsal haul; let go and haul ,
Then he leaped into the boat and
cried "Put the helm hard down. Low,
er away the quarter boat. " Never
shall forget the look of the mate, as
he screamed, "giye me a knife, AKNIFE,
and taking one from sailor he pass
ed it through the ropes-"in men, in
and four stout fellows leaped in
with him, and down it went upon the
ocean, little shell of a thing SEN
forth to seek and to savo that which
was lost | wanted to go with him
and as they struck out into the deeI
under that full moon, at midnight, to
look for a drowning brother, | fel,
that their errand was noble, though
none of them should live to tread the
deck alive again.
Then we gathered on the stern OF
the ship and looked ont into the
night and the sea to watch the event
1t was light enough to see that tears
were falling fast on the cheeks Of
some in that enxious group. Some
ofus prayed. twas all we could
do. The little boat was soon out OF
sight. We could hear the shouts
they sent up to reach, if it might be
so, the ear of the "strong swimmer in