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

the number called.-in an instant. as il
an electric spark had at the same momen,
touched every heart. cry of distress. and
a " man overheard" was no sooner heard
than four hundred gallant spirits rushed
Tor the quarter boat, striving who should
oe hrst to the rescue of their hapless com
Irade 1t was noble sight The strife
OF battle, or the glory of victory is not to
be considered in comparison with the pure
spirit of self-devotion for the sake of hui
manity that was here displayed The
men were. III great measure strangers
TO each other and to the officers; yet the
press was onward, with no object of per
sonal distinction or ambition. to
save. 1t was. indeed. beautiful exhibit
ton of the fearless and generous eharac-
ter that is formed by life at sea- Hap
ply the captain was present, and knowing
the certain destruction that must await
the boat. the seamen were convinced that.
as a least of evils. their cornraae must be
left to a sailors grave Itwas quite dark,
and no object could be seen under our
lee but by the light of the dashng spray
which made no revelation to those who
gazed for a brief space of time then turn.
ed away with heavy heart, submitting in
humble aoquiescence to the will of Divine
Providence
AS the night advanced, the wind con
tinued to increase, until the seanan's
mind was lost III amazement with its ir-
resistlble violence. The spray was lifted
IN torrents and borne with fury on the
gale; the human voice could not be heard :;
to turn ones face to the wind was to cease
to breathe The ocean was swelled into
ountains,-lashed to the fury of mad
vitality far above the ship like
an overhanging wall while the ship her
self. when she rolled to leeward, in rising
from the depths below, would poise upon
her beam ends, and the chances of her
rolling entirely over were with much rea-
son constantly present to the mind Life
lines were rove fore and aft upon the
decks to hold on by-an indispensable
precantion to keep those to windward
from bringing up in the lee scuppers.-
The storm stay-sails, made of the strong
est canvas, we're torn from the bolt ropes
and driven in fury by the blast, not yes
! tige remaining to show that a sail had
been there. Sometimes the fearful and
wild rush Of the bursting sea would rise
above the terrific wind but this was a
brief interude, for the very embodiment
of material air seemed to be irresistible.
roaring as if Iolus had let loose the
winds to drive the earth from its centre.
and bury in everlasting silence whatever
breathed
1t was evident to US that nothing made
by the hands of man could withstand this
long and the first alarm was the mainsail
swelling from the gaskets. Poor old Joe
Smith,-as he was familiarly called by his
mess mates, and who possessed as warm
and fearless heart as ever glowed to a
generous impulse.-poor old joe, then
one of the 6 mids" of the Macedonian,
silently touched here and there a seaman
whom he knew, and pointing to the sail
loosening from its furl. led the way, and
after great labor secured and preserved it
FIR future use Towards midnight the
masts began to complain. and the carpen-
ter reported that both fore and main were
sprung The rigging was new, and the
aboring and surgng of the ship had
slackened it by stretching The wedges
the niasts play, but the rigging still
stretched and both the fore and main
masts sprung in several places.
The weather quarterboat was turned
upside down, and blown upon the mizen
rigging She was a new and beautiful
whale boat, and with every expedient the
first lieutenant essayed in vain to save by
getting her inboard When every effort
had failed, fearful of her chatting and
pressing injuriously on the rigging. she
was broken into small pieces and cast into
the sea On descending below, the scene
was greatly changed The gun-deck was
| flooded with water, although the matches
were securely battened down. With eve
ry roll the shot or something else that bad
! broken loose, would sweep from side tc
side. with the deluge, and the watch be
, low, whose slumbers were disturbed
amused themselves with the casualties to
. which their less fortunate shipmates were
! exposed in trying to bring chaos into
] order
! The apartments of the young officer:
, presented still a different scene. Th,
. chaplain, with some of the newly initiated
= idlers might be seen in prayer or earnes
e exhortation, whilst there were reckless
: and thoughtless spirits, whose jest ant
/. light hearted laugh seemed to deride tn,
t storm with all its threatening evil. [
q was long and fearful night. and befor
| morning dawned the levity and thought
e lessness of youth yielded to the sobe
r contemplation of an early grave. Th
t captain and all the officers and crew wer
=, assembled on the quarter deck. In on
T. of the plumes of the ship the mizen mas
It jumped from the step, and breaking abou
e ten feet from the deck. fell over the taf
d rail Stripped of the rigging, an ancho
e and hawser were bent TO 1T, and it wa
launched overheard in the hope it migl
IS aid in keeping the ships head up, as sh
Il now lay in the trough of the sea and quit
a. at its mercy. The expedieut answere
lie no good purpose, as the hawser parted i
is few minutes and almost at the san
d time a sea lowered over our deck, combin
,r as it rushed. and we breathlessly awaite
70 the destiny that seemed at hand. Or
ID gallant frigate, shook in every timber ;
,r She heavily rose to avoid the impendin
:, .cntont but ere she reached the srlnrn