Minnesota weekly times. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1859, 1856-04-05

UnOcr the coptOu OF 'In0 steamship RACINE
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The town Of Liverpool, in Nova Scotia, situa.
ed about sixty miles from Halifax, is place OF
ome magnitude for u colonial outport. 1t Is,
ma always has been, remarkabie Tor the Num-
ness and comfort of its houses, for the activity
md enterpfiseFof ~ people, and for the wealth
ous and inclined to lay up worldly goods, The
intercourse with Halifax, the capital OF the prov
ncc, was, at the period of which We speak, chief
ly kept UP by smart and dashing little ,eraft,
called the Liverpool Packet, commanded by
Captain Bass, which piled weekly between thel
two places throughout the spring and summer
months, lying up during the severity OF the wln'
ter when the communication with Halifax was,
for the most part, limited by ~ weekly post by
land. aT g. uois,ge ri aaod 3 rsl o1u-Eisi.3. at
About the year 1915 or 1916, as the season of
navigation was drawing to close, agreat number
of passengers went to Halifax us the custom,
to replensh their stores for the winter, while
many heads of families proceeded thther to .pur.
chase clothing, groceries &C., for their private
winter stock and rs this was to be the last trip
of the season, the little bark was crowded with
some forty or Gftv passengers, chiefly fathers and
mothers Of large families who were left at home.
The voyage to Halifax was prosperous the
voyagers made their purchases and in due time
the Liverpool packet was ready to return. All
the passengers embarkedfin good spirits, and
the bark sailed cheerily down the harb0r and pro-
ceeded for her destination. nsts-sa 5aeo,37ea lTi
few hours after her departure there. sprung
up one of those terrific North Westers, SO we'll
known on the coast of Nova Scotia, and blowing
with the utmost fury for several days and atten-
ded with immense frost. 1t was clear that no
vessel could keep the coast; she must either put
herself before the wind and run out to sea, or
perish mserably by wreck and the rigor of an
atmosphere twenty or thirty degrees below zero.
A change of weather so sudden, SO severe and so
unexpected, gave rise to great fears for the
safety of the Packet, and the next post by land
was anxiou>ly waited for by friends and relatives
ut both towns. - -
The post at length arrived, but brought no IT,
dinss of the Liverpool Packet; another post and
another came in, and yet NO news of the missing
vessel. Search was then made along the shore
to see if the wreck could be found, but, in the
case of the Pacific, not a vestage could be dis
covered. The bold began to doubt and the tim
id to despair, and the opinion was at last arrived
at, that the vessel had been blown off the
coast or sunk in gale. If the latter she and
her passengers were of course ir etriveably gone,
-
if the former, there was still hone that the next
arrival from Bermuda would bring some intel
ligencc. ...
We will not attempt to describe the deplora.
bic state of mind of the people in the once hap
nv little town, for nearly all had "a relation on
board either father or mother, brother or sister.
PRAYERS were put up in the churches, and gloom
mantled over the cOuntcnance Of every one.
Advices were i'm due time received from Ber-
muda, but nothing was heard from the little
Packet and her passengers. Accounts were also
received from sew eral of the West Indies, but
still without intelligence of the missing vessel.
Three months at last passed away and the
Packet was given mp for lost. Those who had
friends ON board went into mourning, land prayers
were even offered up for the repose Of the souls
of the departed and SO connected were the df-
fercnt families with each other throughout the
town, that the on Sunday on which all who had
friends put on black, put nearly the entire popu-
laton in the habiliments of woe.
Four months had now pissed away; the
mourners, notwithstanding their irrcparable loss
were becoming recOncilcd to their bereavement ;
for there is philOSopy in the human heart which
teaches Us to bear with fOrtitu lie great losses,
when those of less severity are met with mpa-
thence. All hope had now fed; the vessel had
without doubt found red ami gone to the hottie ON,
with all on board; but when. and in what part
of the vast ocean, was to remain yeleu in the
secrets of the deep until the sea should give up
her dead.
Sixteen weeks had now elapsed when one fine
morning in the spring, some sca-faring people
at the Fort deserted II strange brig approaching
the harbor. She attracted attention from the
circumstance that although u stranger, she was
navigated by one who well knew the entrance of
the harbor, for she came in without pilot or
shortening sail. The quick eye and watchful
habits of scamcn could not likely pass over such
H. 81.
vessel com ng in soon spread through the little
town, and many persons assembled. The best
telescopes were pnt in requisitiOn, but none could
make out who what the stranger was. As
she drew nearer the anxious group, her deck was
discovered to be crowded with male and female
passengers. -. ....,.-.. ...-.. .~
ssAh!" exclaimed one, who had certain in
defnable hope. as that hope sank within him,
San emigrant ship after all, and deep sigh
came from his bosom; for be had near and
deer friend on board the little packet.
An emigrant ship!' said another, show can
any captain of an emgrant ship know SO well the
way into the harbor /? besides emigrant ships do
not come into LiverpoolH A pause ensued, du-
ring which, one with quick eye was gazing
through the best glass the Gown afforded he was
on one knee, resting his telescope, when he sud-
denly sprang to his feet, and declared that Cap
tain Bass was among the passengers !! Nonsense
WAS tho incredulOus reply, captain Bass and the
Liverpool Packet at the bottom of the sea,
and will there remain till the day of resurrection.
Not daunted by their incredulity, he said,
sGve me the trumpet, will speak the brig in
"a few moments she will be near enough
'What brig is that?' The response was given.
sAre you Captain Ba>s2' sYes,' was the reply.
few words >uffccd to reveal that the vessel
had been blown off and for many days went be-
fore the wind with great rapdity. As the gale
abated, Captain Bass found he could better
reach the West Indies than he could get back
with so small end so crowded a vessel. Using
their provisions econom cally and stacking their
thirst with cider and the barrel of apples that
were on board they. reached Barbados. There
the Captain sold his sloop, bought the brig, and
came back safe Nth all his passengers!!!
The joyful news spread through the town with
the i,npctuositv Of lightning, and ere the vessel
could be brought TO the wharf the entire popula-
tion of the place had assembled to meet and to
embrace their friends. 1t woulI be in vain to
describe such scene--all were in mourning
yet all with smile of Joy beaming in their coun.
tenances. As the long, ong lost friends and rel
ativcs leaped on shore, fathers, mothers and
brothers were locked in each others arms, and
then the smiles became tears of JOY. 20 ~.
But how was such scene to end, how could
it. or how ought it to end with moral and chris
tian people9 There is in the depths Of the foun-
tans of the human heart an ever living spring,
from which, flows its purest and most sacred
emotions. There arises the principle of religion
the sense of unaccountablity to Tod and love