Mineral Point tribune. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1854-1858, 1855-04-25

New York Daily Times, by Of our highest
naval officers, who on beard at the time and
shared the perils of the scenes he now SO yivdy
describes
Tie Macedonian sailed from Boston
for the Pacific station on the goth day of
September, 1915 and on the Goth. she
had sailed thousand miles on her course
The morning of that day broke upon us
without a cloud, and the silence of a dead
calm pervaded the wide waste of waters
which. broken into mighty pillows, moved
on portentously, as if borne along by the
great spirit of the deep. Rising to the
summit, and descending far below, our
beleaguered ship kept up the unequal
strife with each comiag and receding
wave, the creaking of her timber, and the
sharp flap of her rigging and sails pro
ducipg a monotonous harmony, such as
always falls upon the seamans heart with
a depressing and saddening influence =
Hour after hour many an impatient eye
scanned the horizon, or looked into the
clear blue canopy without deserving rip
pie. o. scarcely indulging hope and the
creaking timbers sounded like mockery.
as the reeling ship alternately rose and
!
the captain made frequent examinations
/ of his barometer. while the first lieuten-
ant gave life and animation to the crew,
/ by calling upon them to secure every
/ thing in its place. Many young fellow,
prompted by vagrant fancy, or the abb
sence of a smie-who. from love or
pleasure, were for the first time on the
ocean wave.-paid up their accounts With
interest and sighed for the repose they
/ left behind
" hen the day was far advanced, a dark
streak was seen on the crest of distant
wave. then another and another, and the
appearance of some light-winged feathery
clouds confirmed the hope. and the prom
Used change was soon heralded throughout
the ship There is inspiration in fair
wind after a calm aud the change Is
most especially pleasant if the discomfort
of heavy swell, tossing and tumbling
the ship about, has been experienced
and the present occasion was one to I'M
part lively sense of enjoyment The
streaming of the dog vane was the signal
for spreading the light sails; the ship felt
her canvas and moved onward and heI
buoyant careening over the mountain
wave looked like the exultation of tr
umph The breeze fresheued, and on she
went, dasbing through the foaming spray
and as the gale increased, madly surgine
TO the press of her canvas. The roy
were no sooner furled and the yards or
deck. than it became necessary to take IL
the top gallant sails; then to reef the
topsails. taking in, in quick succession ont
after another, to the close reef The gale
still increased with fearful rapidity. Th'
lib and spanker were taken in and secure
Ily slowed the courses hauled up and furl
ed. storm staysails bent and set. and las
of all. the close reefed topsails were takel
in. We were now under the lowest sal
that ship can carry in gale, and wer
: fully convinced that we were fairly In TO
a hurricane The heavy dead swell tha
bad been rolling along through the day
had changed its aspect rushing and foam
ing and dashng as if imbued with spirl
bent on mischief; and our ship in plac
of her dull unresisting roll, now plunge
and dashed through the surging foam hk
some great monster in mortal strife
The evening came, and darkness wa
closing upon US at an early hour, when a
hands were called to stand by their ban
d mocks. No one enjoys a comfortab
:, snoose more than Jack and when it
: his watch below. and he is snugly stowe
L awav. the cares of the world aud the va
of the elements around him are fefs
those who have the watch on deck, )" an
paucht that wealth ere gave, or valC
won. would sweeten the repose of his ma
ly spirit
q Obedient to the call the men were eae
at their station. where In the morniI
!. i. they had slowed their hammocks tt
n, quarter-maste,s and captains of the to
ed ed mounted on the nettings to pass the hal
'rs mocks to the crew, who, each In his tur
waited for mis- number to be called.