The Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, Ohio) 1853-1861, 1856-10-09
2YSBURG, OHIO, THURSDAY, OCTOBER, 9 1856.

with the shrieks of the drowning passengers.
All there are thoughts which sometimes fl
the soul, Which are only felt by those to whom
scenes Of submity are familiar. Thus think
ing, walked to the after cabin and enter
ed
| o, God of Heaven
Had not my hand cenched the door with
grasp which mortal terror had made con-
vulsive, should have fallen to the floor. /
stood nailed to the spot. For there before
me stood a crowd of people-men and women
caught in the last death-struggle by the
overwhelming waters, and fastened to the
spot, each in the position in which death had
found him. Each one had sprung from his
chair at the shock of the sinking ship, and,
with one common emotion, all had started for
the door. But the waters of the sea had been
too swift for them. Lo then some wildly
grasping the table, others the beams, others
the sides Of the cahin--there they all stood
Near the door vas a crowd of people, heaped
upon one another-some on the floor. others
rushing over tLem-al seeking, madly, to
gain the outlet. There was one who sought
TO Chamber over the table, and still was there,
ho ding on to an iron post. So strong was
each convulsive grasp, SO fierce the struggle
Of each with death, that their hold had not
yet been relaxed but each one stood and
looked to the door.
70 the door-good God To me they
were looking They were glazing at me, all
those dreadfal those terrible eyes Eyes in
which the fire of life lad been displaced by
the chilling gleam ofdeath. Eyes which still
glared the eyes of the maniac, with no ex-
preston. They froEe me with their cold and
icy stare. They had no meaning; for the
soul had gone. And this made it still more
horrible than it could have been in | lfe for
the appalling contortions of their faces, ex-
pressing fear, horror, despair, and whatever
else the human soul may feel, contrasting
with the cold and CLASSY eyes, made tn ir
vacancy yet more fearful. He upon the ta
BILE Sc, med more fiendish Than the others
for his long, black hair was disheveled, and
fioated horribly dpwn-and his beard and
moustache, all loosened by the water, gave
him the grimness of a demon. Oh, what
woe and torture what unutterable ag, nies
appeared in the desparing glance of those
fac s-faces twisted into spasmodc contor-
tions. while the souls that lighted them were
writhing and struggling for life.
! | needed not the dangerous sea which,
even when we touched the steamer, had
slightly rolled. Down in these awful dep his
the swell would not be very strong, unless it
should increase with tenfoId fury above. But
it had been increasing, though had rot no,
tct d it, and the motion Of the water began
10 b. felt in these ably ssCs. Suddenly the
steamer was shaken ard rocked by the swell,
At this the hideous forms were shaken and
fell. The heaps of people roged asnnder.--
! I hat demon ON the liable seemed to make
spring directly towards me. fed, shrieking
all were alter me, thought rushed
out, with no purpose but to escape. sought
TO throw off my We ights ard rise.
| Ny weights could not be looscned---I pull
ed at them with frantic exertons, but C uld
not loosen them. The iron fasteuings had
grown stiff One ofthem | wrested off in my
convulsive efforts, but the other still kept me
down. The tube, also, was lying down still
in my passage way through the machine
rooms ! Gid not know this until had ex-
hausted ny strength, and almost my hope, in
vain efforts to loosen the weight, and sull the
horror of that scene in the cabin rested upon
me.
Where was Rimmer? The thought flash
ed across me. He was not here. He had
returned. two weights lay near, which SEEM
ed thrown off in terrible haste. Yes, Rim
mer had gone. looked up; there lay the
boat, tossing and rolling among the waves.
rushed down into the machine room, 10
go back so as to loosen my tube. had gone
through passages carelessly, and this lay
there, for it was unrolled from above as
went on. l went back in haste to ex'rcate
myself could stay here no longer; for if
all the gold of Golconda was in the vessel,
would not stay in company with the dread
full dead
Back-fear lent wings to my feet. l hur-
ried down the stairs, into the lowerhold once
more, and retraced my steps through the pas
sages below. l walked back to the place into
which had first descended. 1t was dark !;
new feeling of horror shot through we 1;
looked up. The dpature ,UaS closed
Heavens was it closed by mortal hand
Had Rimmer in his panic fright bindly thrown
down the Trap loor, which now remember
ed to have seen open when descended or
had some fearful being from the cabin-that
demon who started towards me-?
started back in terror.
But l could not wait here f; must go
must escape from this den of horrors. l
sprang up the ladder, and tried to raise the
door. ltresisted my efforts 'lput my helmet
ed head against it, and troed to raise it the
ruDg of the ladder broke beneath me, but the
door was not raised, my tube came down
through it and kept it partly open, for it was
a strong tube, end kept strongly expanded by
|, close wound wire.
5 Fseized bar of iron and tried to pry il
up raised it slightly but there was no way
1 to get it up further. L looked around and
D found some blocks with these l raised the
heavy door, little by little, placing block in
o to keep what had gained. But the work
t was slow and aborious, and I'had worked g
long while before had raised it four inches
i The sea rolled more and more. The sub
: merged vessel felt its power, and rocked
| l. l. L.. Ia.