The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1856-09-17


varied history he told US the next eve
D, ing. What seemed to convince hi
II more than anything, was the peculi
u way in which the dead mans arm W
> slowed away under his head-Lis o
siipmate always slept SO, even in h
. ham mock.
Numerous and strange were the col
, lectures and remarks made by Officer
and men. Who, and what was he
How long had he been there? Ho
did be get there? The general conclr
sion was that he was one of the crew q
some vessel wrecked upon the iceber
itself, of WHICH no vestige remained.
" Yes like enough" said ole of th
sailors; she run into the house ia IL,
dark, and went down like stone, sam,
way as we might have done any time
these last six weeks"
" Perhaps he was aloft when she
struck, and got pitched up where he is
nov"
8. As like to be pitched into the moon, -
rejoined another contemptious'y.-
. Why, that there precipice is three
times as high as tho tallest mast ever
rugged"
" Perhaps, now" suggested third,
O. its some awful, cruel skippe', who 5
been a haziug and ill-using OF his crew
till they couldn't bear with it no longer,
ard was drove to mqtiny, and put him
ashore there, ali alone, to die by him
self, SO as they should not have his blood
upon their hands; or may be be was
murderer"
"Ah, Bill" growled out previous
speaker; you've always got a good word
20 say for every one, you have"
Itwas very old man who spoke next.
,ue who was looked up to as great
authority on all such matters, although
le was usually remarkably taciturn,
.ndwould never enter into an argu-
ncnt. He quietly deposited his quid
D hiS hat, aud as this was always done
to making his speech, his
hipmates waited in sile..ee for-lsiEif co |
egin.
THAT there ice island" said he, at
lst, "wasn't launched yesterday, BOZ
ct last year, nor the year before, per
apps; and by the lock of him, he's been
,r pretty long cruise in warm lati ude>
last summer, mag be-and then come
ack home for the winter. If you look
way yonder-there-just this side of
lat high point like church-steeple, on
lower down, there's a place looks
lrker than the rest. Now it's jnst
ere, l expect, that piece has broken
f and drifted away; and 1 calculate
was lower and more shelving off not
steep and rocky like as it is no~.-
was there that poor chap was cast \
hore from the ship or boat. He wk
ying to make his way up to the highs
take look round, aud hoist signal.
len he lay down and went to sleep and
yer woke again, only where he is now
u see, must have been covered with
ow then, or he couldn't have kept his
oting."
Having said thus much, he replaced
: quid in his mouth and spoke no
ire.
There was no earthly use in waiting
ger, and yet the captain seemed 10th
give the order to fill aud bear away.
= If the poor fellow had spark of y
in him he would have moved before q
5, for It's six or seven hours since we
It saw him. But if he did move, it u
uld only be to slide down over the 'e
cipice, for no living thing could Keep e'
,oting on such o slope as that. Aud
here are any more eff them we should II
re seen them before this time, al y
ugh we could never get them off if !"
did,"
Then pausing suddenly in his walk on =" y"
quarter deck, he gave all order to o'
a gun ready forward, aud presently IL
le the answer: r.
All ready with the gun, Sir" We
Fire "
u few seconds the echo of the loud WI
ort rcsounded from the icy mass; for an
ther instant all was still, and then
10 n noisa like tho rattlinv of loud Dl
nder, proceeding from the centre of SD
berg. IN
he danger of our proximity to this ee
object now became more and more ioi
aren't, and all sail was made to get a Oil
j offng. But we had barely pro-
led quarter of mile when, the tol
e noise was heard again, only loud
more prolonged, and accompanied ID
! rending, crushing sound, the inten- lei
and nature of which is perfectly in IT.
ribable. The vast island was part oil
in the mid lie. down the course of oy
deep valley before mentioned and ed
ly and majestically the eastern half an
ID over into the sea, upheaving what WI
been its base, in which were imbed- sa'
huge masses of rock, covered with
sea-weed. The other part still re- CO
ned. erect, but was swaying to and
as if it also must capsize. This con- ha
ion caused less foam and turmoil da
, yo;cbt bava boan ,1nooaad hut 6aI