Litchfield enquirer., 1855-04-05
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rHE rnxnlB1lIsG ErELi11. The following simpI snative is from l the pen of MRs. SiGo ", Of Hartford. 1 We publish it as rec& of actual, not If possible, events, without any of the adofn. ments of fiction, and interesting because Of 1 its truth, and also because of lkN practical llesson which it teaches -fhe portance, when exposed to scsere and psotracted cold, l of entire abssinence Gon Intoxicating liz quors. It is prevalent deIusion often a l fatal cne-l that these drinks enabie the user more successfully 70 resist th6 odd. But 1 we will not heTc go into the piilosophy of 1 the aatter, but command the fact, as taught l Iii E ssd story, to T consideration Of all our readers.:
 | IL was the day before Christmas, in the fyear ITS, that during t'Ia var If Revolu- ! lion, an armed vessel sailed odf n He port of Boston, U. s. She m 6l6onE hailt, and carried 20 gum flsd
 crew of mtFe than 1QQs md fof ! cruise of six month6 Aa e6c sPresd sheF broad white sails and <fsked llle f4S< bor with fair fresls bIeeze Es& TT ' l1o- bie appearance. Many lsS6 blnS lsedrts breatI,cd blessing on heF yo11 Tor she
 bore company of as bold and skilfulf sea- men as ever dared the perils Of the deep.- But soon the north wind blew, and brought heavy sea into the bay. The night proved dark, and they anchored witli great difficulty near Plymouth harbor. The strong gale that bndeipd them became a storm, and the storm hurricane. Snow fell, and the cold was terribly severe. The vessel was driven from her moorings, and struck on reef of rocks. She began to fill with water, and they were obliged to cut away her masts. The sea rose above the main deck, sweep. ing over it at every surge. They made ev- cry exertion that courage could prompt, or hardillood enduE9 bat so fearful were the wind and cold, that the stontest man was not able to strike more than two blows in cutting away the masts, without being re- lieved by another. The wretched people tlrongcd together upon the quarter-deck. which was crowded almost to suffocatlon. They were exhausted with toil and suffer- ing, and could obtain neither provisions nor fresh water; but, unfortunately, the crew got access to ardent spirits, and many of them drank to intoxication; insuhordination musiny, and madness ensusd. The officers remained clear-mindcd, but lost all authori- l ty over the crew who rayed about them. A mora frigl,,ful scene can scarcely be im- agined--the dark sky--the raging storm
 the waves breaking wildly over the rocks, and threatening every moment to swallow up the broken vessel, and the half frozen
 beings who maintained their icy hold on life, lost to reason or duty, or fighting fierce ly with each other. Some lay in disgust- l ing stupidity others, with fiery faces, blas- pheming God. Some in temporary deliri- um, fancied themselves in palaces Surround cd by luxury, and brutally abused the ser wants who they supposed refused to do their lbiddings. Others there were who, amidst
 the beating of that pitiless tempest, believed themselves in the homo they never more must see and with hollowreproachfulv voices besongit bread, aud wondered why water
 was withheld by tlie hands they held most
 dean X few, whose worst passions were Iqnickened by alcohol to fiendish fury, as- saulted or wounded those who came in tlIeir way, making their shrieks of defiance and their curses heard above the. roaring of the
 storm. lntemrerance never displayed it.
 selfin more distressing attitudes. Al length
 death began to do his work. Some of the
 miserable creatures fell drad each hour upon
 tho deck, being frozen stiff and hard. Each
 corpse as it hecame hreathlcss was laid upon
 the heap of dead, that more space might be
 left for the survivors; those who drank most
 freely were tho first to perish.
 On the third day of these horrors the in- habi,ants of Plymouth, after making many intellectual atienpG, reached tho wreck, l not without danger. What melancholy spertacle! Lifelcss bodies, stiffened in
 every form that suffering could devise =
 Many lay in a vast piles others sat with
 their heads reclining on their knees; oth-
 CTS grasping the ice covered ropes; some in posture of defence like tho dying glad liator :. others with hands held up 10 heaven,
 as if deprecating their fate.
 Orders we're given to search earnestly I for every mark or sign of life. One boy
 was distinguished among the mass of dead,
 only by the trembling of ono of his eye lids.
 I The poor survivors were kindly received Iinto tho houses of the people of Plymouth, and every effort used for their restoration. The captain, lieutenant, and a few others, who had abstained from the use of ardenl
 spirits survived. The remainder were buried,
 some in separate graves, and others in 2 t3EXe H1k. Wu04e HuitoW JS Stitl t0 uc S6Su 0t
 the south-west side of the burial ground ol Plymouth.
 The funeral obsesuies were most solemn
 When tho clergyman wlso was to perform
 the last service, first entered and saw nor, Ithan seventy dead bodies. some fixing oI
 him their stony eyes. and others with facel |ssiiiened into the horrible expression o
 thsir last mortal agony, he was 60 affected d 10 faint.
 Some were brought on shore alive. ant
 received every attention, but survived onl]
 l shofs time. Others weFa restored sfte long sickness. but with their limbs so in l iused by the frost, ns to become csipples 10 llife.
 1n village at some distance from TIT mouth, n widowed mother with her daughter ! wore couasanily attending couch, on wsIicl Hay . suiferer. n was the boy whose trem
 bling eyclid s1zicied the notice of pity ' the lay amongst the dead.
 Mother no said. in feeble tone, ssGo, hless you for having taught mo 10 avoid n \ dent sPirits; it was this that saved mo-