True American. [volume] (Steubenville [Ohio]) 1855-1861, 1856-10-01

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anything, was the peculiar way in which
the dead mans arm was slowed away
under his head-his old shipmate always
slept SO, even in his hammock.
/, Numerous and strange were the conjec-
lures and remarks made by officers and
men. Who, and what was hel How
long had he been there How did he
get there? The general conclusion was
that he was one Of the crew of some ves-
sci wrecked upon the iceberg itself, of
which no vestige remained. a..
: Yes, like enough, said one of the
sailors she run into the ice in the dark,
and went down like stone, same as we
may have done any time these las. six
weeks .e...It ....;8,7. ,r.
Perhaps he was alolt when she struck,
and got pitched up where he is now
AS like 10 be pitched into the moon,'
rejoined another contemptuously. Why,
that there precipice is three times ashigh
as the tautest mast ever rigged.'
Perhaps, now suggested third,
it's some awful cruel skipper, who's
been hazing and ill.using his crew till
they couldn't bear with it no longer, and
was drove 10 mutiny, and put him ashore
there all alone, to die by himself, SO as
they should not have his blood upon their
hands or maybe he was a murderer
'Ah, Bill growled out a previous
speaker you've always got a good word
10 say for every one, you have .I
1t was very old man who spoke next,
one who was looked up to as a great au-
;hority on all such matters, although he
was usually remarkably taciturn, and
would never enter into an argument. He
quietly deposited his quid in his hat: and
as this was always done preparatory 10
his making a, a,speech his shipmates waited
in silence for him to begin. ~
That there ice.island,' he said at
last wasn't launched yesterday nor yet
last year, nor the year before, perhaps ;
and by the looks of him he's been for a
pretty long cruise in warm lalitudes--last
summer maybe--and then come back
home for the winter. If you look away
yonder--there, just this side Of that high
point like church steeple, only lower
down, there's place looks darker than the
rest. Now its just there / expect that
great piece has broken off and drifled
away; and calculate twas lower and
more shelving of--not so steep and rocky
like as il is now. Twas there that poor
chap was cast ashore from ship or boat.
lie was trying to make bis way up 10 the
heights to take look around, and hoist a
signal, when he lay down and went asleep
and never woke again only, where he is
now, you see, must have been covered
with snow then or he could not have kept
his footing .. 81 ..,
Having said this much, he replaced the
quid in his mouth and spoke no more.
There was no earthly use in waiting
longer, and yet the captain seemed 10th
to give the order to fill and bear away.
IF the poor fellow had spark of life
in him, he would have moved before this,
for It's six or seven hours since we saw
him. But if he did move, it would only
be 10 slide down over the precipice, for
no living thing could keep footing on
such slope as that. And if there are
any more of them we should have seen
them before this time, although we could
never get them off if we did.
Then pausing suddenly in his walk on
the quarterback he gave an order to ge,
gun ready forward, and presently came
the answer: .~ ...
'All ready with gun sir
Fire 7 .,,......... ........ .......l.
In few seconds the echo of tie loud
report resounded from the icy wall for
another instant all was still, and then
came q noise like a rafting Of loud
thunder, proceeding from the centre oI
the berg. ..... ..,.
The danger of our proximity to this
vast object now became more and more
apparent, and all sail was made 10 get &
good ofing. But we had barely proceed
ed a quarter Of mile, when the same
noise was heard again, only louder, and
more prolonged, and accompanied by a
rending, crushing sound, the intensity
and nature Of which is perfectly indescri-
bable. The vast island was parting ia
the middle, down the course Of the sea,
upheaving what had been its base, in
which were imbeded huge masses Of rock
covered with long sea.weed. The other
part still remained erect, but was sway
ing 10 and fro, as if it also must capsze
This convullion caused less foam and tur'
moil than might have been supposed, bu
raised wave Of such immense magnitude
that when il reached our ship she seemed
about 10 be overwhelmed by rolling
mountain of water higher than our mast.
heads. 4 The good ship rose upon it
crest, and before again sinking into the
hollow, we saw the man upon the iceberg
still in the same posture--glide swift
ly down the slippery incline--shooi ovel
the edge of the precipice, and plunge IN
to the raging surf. .fl @
A sensation Of inexpressible relief wai
experienced by all: il had seemed Sc
dreadful to sail away and leave him there
. unburied and alone now at any rate, W,
had seen the last Of him. eyN sta ~