New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1856-12-15

seemed really more fendsh than the others for hi
long black hair was disheveed, and floating horribly
down, and his beard and moustache, all loosened by
the water, gave him the griInness of demon. Oh,
what woe and torture what unutterable agones ap-
peared in the despairing glance of those faces
faces twisted into spasmodic contortons, 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 depths the swell would not be very
strong, unless it should increase with tenfold fury
above. But it had been increasing though had not
noticed it, and the motion of the water began to be
felt in these abysses. Suddenly the steamer was
shaken and rocked by the swell At this the hldeous
forms shaken and fell. The heaps of people
rolled aslnder. That demon on the table seemed to
make spring directly toward me. l fed, shriekng-
All were after me, / thought rushed out with no
purpose but to escape 1 sought to throw OF my
weights and arise.
My weights conld not be loosened; pulled at them
with frantic exertions, but could not loosen them
The iron fastenings had grown stiff One Of them
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.
did not know this until had exhausted my strength
and almost my hope, in vain efforts to loosen the
weight and still the horror Of that scene in the cabin
rested upon me.
Where was Rimmer? The thought flashed across
me: He was not here. He had returned. Two
weights lay near, which seemed thrown off in terrible
haste. Yes, Rinmer had gone. l looked up; there
lay the boat, tossing and rolling among the waves
rushed down into the machine room to go back,
SO as to loosen my tube. had gone through pas
sages carelessy and this lay there orit was nnroed
from above as went on. went back in haste to
etricate myself could stay here no longer; for if
all the gold in Golconda was in the vessel, would
not stay in company with the dreadful dead!
Back-fear lent wings to my feet. hurried down
the stairs into the lower hold once more and reraced
ny steps to the paszai1s :. below; | walked back to
dark new feeling of horror shot through me
| looked up. The aperture was closed! ... e..
Heavens! was it closed by mortal hand? Had
Rimmer in his panic flight, blindy thrown down the
trap-door, which / now remembered to have seen
opened when descended Or had some fearful being
from the cabin that demon who sprang toward
started back in terror.
But could not wait here !; must go; must
escape from this den of horrors l sprang up the
ladder and tried to raise the door 1t resisted my ef
forts. put my helmeted head against it and tried to
raise it; the Of the ladder was beneath me, but
the door was not raised: my tube came down through
and kept it partly open for it was strong tube,
and kept strongly expanded by close wound wire
| I seized bar of iron and tried to pry it up
raised it slightly but there was no way to get it up
| further; looked around and found some blocks
with these raised the heavy door. little by little,
placing the block in to keep what had gained. But
the work slow and laborlous, and had worked
long while before had raised it four inches.
The rolled more aud more. The submerged
vessel felt its power and rocked Suddenly 1t wheeled
over and lay upon its side.
l ran around to get on the deck above, to try and
lift up the door. Z But when to the other out
let, knew it impossible; for the tube would not
permit it to go so far, and then would rather have
died a thousand deaths than have ventured again 50
near the cabin.
returned to the fallen door sat down in despair
and waited for DEATH I saw no hope OF escape. This,
then, was to be my end.
But the steamer gave sudden lurch again acted
upon by the power of the waves. She had balanced
upon rock in such d way that slight action of the
water sufficient to tip her over. She creaked
and groaned, and labored and then turned upon her
side.
rose chung to the ladder; pressed the trap
door OPEN while the steamer lay with her deck per-
pendcuar to the ground. 1sprung out and touched
the bottom Of the 1t was in good time, for mo-
ment after the mass went over back again.
Then, with last effort, twisted the iron faste1ngs
OF the weight which kept me down. l jerked it. 1t
was loosened, it broke, it fell.
In moment began to ascend, and in few min
utes was floating on the water: for the air which Is
pressed down for the divers consumption constitutes
; a buoyant mass which raises him from the sea.
Thanks to Heaven there the strong boat, with
) my bold brave They felt me rising they saw
/ me- and came and saved me.
Q Rn,mer had fed from the horrid scene when I
entered the cabin, but remained in the boat to lend
: his aid. He never went down again, but became d
sea captain. AS for me, still go down, but only
to vessels whose crews have been saved 1t is need
y less to say that the Marmion was never again
visited.