Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1855-02-10


voice.
"Can see nothing now, sir; the g!im is
doused"
Here, Mr. Burton" cried the commander,
=" take this night glass; jump aoft on the fore
ject ahead. Hurry up, hurry ur, and let me
hear from yoa Immediately, sir! Lay aft to
the braces. Forecastle, there. have hands by
your staysal sheets on both sides. Forevard
theren
But before the captain had finished his hail
the voice of little Burton was heard, singing
out "Sail oh.'
What does she look like, and whore away"
" 4 large vessel, lying-to under bare poles
-starboard your helm, sir quck--hard a star
board, or you will fail aboard Of her.."
This startling intelligence was hardly com
municated before the vessel described from aloft
loomed suddenly into sight from deck through
the thick weather to Ieeward Her dusk and
shadowy form seemed torise up from the ocean,
so suddenly did it open to view, as the driving
mist was scattered for a moment. She Law
right athwart the Active's bows and almost
under her fore-ioot-as it seemed while she
pitched into the trough of an enormous sea
and the Active rode on the ridge of the sue
cecding wave, which curled above the chasm,
as if to overwhelm the vessel beneath.
Starboard your helm, quarter-master! hard
a-starboard" cried the commander of the Ac-
tive, in tone Of startling energy.
'Starboard" repeated the deep solemn
voice of FangS, who stood on the quarter net
tings, his tall figure proppcd against the miz-
zen rigging, and his arm wreathed around the
shroud
Jump to the braces mem" continued the
captain strenuously y" haul in your starboard
braces, haul. ease off your larb0arl, does she
come to, quarter-master? Focastle there.
ease OFF your staysail Sheet--let all go. sir.''
These orders were promptly obeyed, but it
was too late for them to avail The wheel. in
the hands Of four stout and experienced sea-
men, was forced swiftly round, and the effect
of the ruddcr was assisted by Il pull of the
starboard braces; but in such gale, and u:l-
der poles, the helm exertcd but little power
over the driving and ponderous mass. She
had headed off hardly point from her course.
when she was taken up by prodigious surge,
and borne onward with fearful velocity The
was now inevitable In an instant
the two ships fell together, their massive tim
bers crashing with the fatal force of the con-
cusson A wild shrek assembled from the
deck of the stranger, and woman's shrill voice
mingled with the sound. All was now confu-
sion and uproar on board both vessels The
Active had struck the stranger broad on the
bows, while the bowsprit of the latter, rushed
i'll between the Iore-naSt and the gtarbOard
fore-rigging Of the Active, had snapped her
shrouds and stays and tore up the bolts and
as if they had been thread and wire.
{. IL, L,
rcd to some distance by reHuent wave. which
suddenly subsiding she gave such heavy
lurch to port that the foremast-now wholly
on the starboard side-snapped
short of like a withered twig, and fell with u
loud plash in the ocean.
"Ihe foremast is gone by the board" shout
ed the officer of the forecastlc
Ny God.N exclaimed the captain. "and
Charles Burton has gone with it! Fo'castle,
there. Did Charles Burton come down from
the forcyard?'
Burton. Burton, Burton" called twenty
voices, and Burton!" was shouted loudly over
the side; bit there 1cas no repiy
In the meanwhile another furious blIow lift
ell the vessel on its crest, and the two ships
closed again, like gladiators, faint and stunned,
but still compelled to DO battle. The bows Of
the stranger this time drove heavily against
the bends of the Active, just abatt her main
rigging, and her bowSprit dartcd quivcriug
over the bulWarkS. Us if it were the arruwy
tongue Of some huge sca-mOnStCr. At this i'll
slant a wild sound of agony, between a shrek
aud i groan, was heard in that direction, and
those who turned 10 ascertain It's cause saw as
the vessels again separated, human body,
swinging and writhing at the strangers bow
spirit head The vessel heavcd up into the
and showed the face Of poor NaugS
the quarter master, his back apparantly crush
ed and broken, but his arms clasped round the
spar, to which he appeared to cling with con
vuIsive tcnacity. The bowSprit had caught
him on its end as it ran in over the Actvc's
side, and driving against the mizcnmast, de-
prived the poor wretch of all power to rescue
himself from the dreadful situation. While Il
hundred ewes were fastened in a gaze of horror
on the impalcd seaman, thus dangling over the
boiling ocean, the strange ship again rcelcd
forward, as if to renew the terrible encounter
But her motion was now slow and laboring-
She was evidently settling by the head; she
paused i'll mid career, gave a heavy drunken
Iurch to starboard, till her topmasts whipped
against the rigging of her antagonist. then ris-
ing slowly on the ridge Of tho next wave she
plunged head foremost, and disappeared forcv-
err One shrek of horror and despair rose
through the storm--onc wild delirious shrek.
The water swept over the drowning wretches,
and hushed their gurgling cry. Then all was
still all but the rush and whirl of waves as
they were sucked into the vortex, and the voice
of the storm, which howled its wild dirge above
the spot.
presented different appearance from that
which she exhibited but few short hours be
fore. Her foremast gone, her bowsprit sprung
her topgallant mastS struck, her bulwarks
shattered, her rigging hanging loose and viii
tened by the wash of the spray-she looked
little like the gay and gallant thing which, at