Kenosha tribune & telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1856-1859, 1857-10-29
THE CAPITAL MS STORY.

II was early in the, Spring of eighteen hun
dred and fifty-two that / took passage on board
| the ship Resolution, then lying at anchor in TIL
Mersey, and bound for New York. GB it' q
ID had been travelling on the continent of En-
rope during the winter, and being somewha
anxious to return to the United States, had OF
my arrival at Liverpool, engaged nv room a
once on the first vessel that was to sail for home
As the sequel win show, IL might have travel
ed farther, and Jared worse"
~ The ship, as they say in bills Of lading, wa.
1 tight, staunch and strong, and her commander
was every inch a sailor He was at times, it is
| true, somewhat sh in his manners wher
giving his orders to the officers and crew, bu
when addressiu. his passengers, his language
and department were invariably kind and cour
teous. ..-..t..-.. In. 4 $3.50 -
On the morning after my arrival at Liver.
pool, the ship being all ready for sea, having
hauled out of dock the day previous. / embark.
ed on board, and we We're all clear Of the Mersey
The wind blowing fresh from the southwark, we
ran up the Irish Channel, rounded the northern
coast of Ireland, and stood away to the west
ward on our course over the wild andstormy AT.
lantic. .sttl r4 sa
The cabin passengers, most of whom were old
travellers, with the exception of few Of the Ia
dies, appeared disposed to enjoy themselves, and
no one seemed TO be more delighted at the pros
pect OF speedy passage than our vigIlant and
warm hearted captain 7a'f7
1t was somew here about the first of April, 1--WE
were then but ten days out, that the captain in
formed us we were approaching the Grand
Banks of Newfoundland. So far our voyage
had been attended with favorable winds, and
with the exception of an occasional squall moth
ing had transpired to mar the general harmony
tn at prevailed on board But now a Change
seemed to come over the spirit of our Dreams
The sky had assumed dead, lead-eOlored hue.
The wind which had been slowly backing
round from the Southwest. had finally settled
down at East, and though still blowing moder-
atey, could occasionally be heard vibrating
throug h the rigging with a low moaning sound.
The sailors, too, could be seen conversing to-
gether in groups, and betting fabulous amounts
of tobacco, that the "old hooker, would be un-
der close reefed topsails before the middle watch
AS night approached, light, misty rain set in
without, however, an increase i'll the breeze
and to my establishment, the captain ordered all
hands on deck, and commenced taking in sail
All the upper sails were securely fured, the top.
sail close reefed and then hauled "snug up
one watch was then allowed to go below. but
with strict orders to be ready to Jump on deck
in an instant.
AS l had good appetite at dinner, and did
net annoy the captain with frivolous Questions
two of the greatest gifts which a passenger, in
the estimation OF a captain, can possess-l had
become quite a favori:e with him, and we had
walked the quarter deck together almost every
night since leaving port. Eight bells had been
| struck, and was standing near the mizzen rig
xing, as supposed, alone. The other passen
gers were all below, out of the damp, drizzy
weather, amusing themselves according to theii
fancy The Captain had offered me tarpauir
hat and oil-cloth overcoat, of which awaited my
self as | was anxious to see what could have in
duced him to take IN nearly all the sail AS
turned around to avoid the fine rain that as
beating against my face, encountered the
steady gaze of the Captain, who was standing
near the helmsman.
"Come, Mr.. Foster," said he, in his clear
manly tone. "shali tell you what you have
been thinking about 2"
MY dear sir said 1.
Come, come, - he replied, no apologies
You are gentleman, and what is Of more con.
sequence now, you are more than half sailor
you never bother ME with useless questions, and
l will tell you why We are jogging along undel
short canvass, with fair wand, when we might
I carry all the light Kites aloit. 1t l am correct
in my Judgment, u violent storm, perhaps hur
ricane. hes either passed along here, or is about
| to commence. II it is one OF those circular
storms, which we call hurricane, j, has passed
TO the southwark, and we may yet have its oppo
| site down upon us with irresistible fury from
the westward. It is true, that the gales of thi:
description seldom prevail at this eason, bu
should we get caught in one with all sail on, M
! human power could save US, and in all matter.
relating to my profession l have acted, since
boy, Oh the principal that an ounce of proven
ton is worth pound Of cure. 1t is dull music,
he continued, waiting here for q change tina
may not, after all our precaution. take place.
| But first let ME see that every man deck il a
/ his station and that the braces are laid down oil
the deck-the running rigg lng All clear, and theI
! 4 will tell you short story thai will show vol
why believe, religiousy in my tavorite max
im.''
Having issued his orders, and again walked
all round the ship to see, foI himself, ''t that CIV
lerythiDg was all right, rs he expressed it, b,
took up his station near the compass, and com
menced as follows:
You recoliect, many years ago. hearing o
the loss of the packet ship Abton, on the Irsl
coast, don't you ~ Certainly" replied "ant
the shock 1t gave the community has never beef
| equalled by any of the more recent marine dis
asters" Weli,' he continued, :" the loss o
that ship, together with over four hundred souls
was caused by negIecting the use ot a few SINAI
settings, not larger than a whip cord l vii
lteil GU how it happened. While III the dock a
Liverpool, the fore rigging had been set up taui
and SO lar all was right-but owing 10 the hurr
OF getting out IN the Mersey, as the tide was up
the lanyards were not seized of, and were ont
Temporarily secured The next morning tn
ship was got under way, and during the day tn
T mates were busy berthing the passengers thi
together with the noise and confusion which ne
cessarily attends a hurried departure, cause
them to overlook The temporary racks on tn
rigging, or if they were seen 1t was suppose
that they were quite sufficient, as the ship wa
still in the channel. That night, however,
came ON to blow great guns from the southwest
and il was necessary to carry taur rag on III
ship TO clear the Irish Coast.
. About three bells in the middle watch,
young lad, the son of The Captain, was sent alo
E on tie tore tops il yard, TO look out for igh
J 1t was fearful night. and flashes of lighrnin
: would now and then hight up the heavens, an
then again the darkness would be so intense III;
it seemed as though it could be felt. The shi
was struggling along under close reefed topsaiI
and occasionally siheavy boiling sea, which Il
eddying currents drove ali in heaps would brea
over the ship, deluging her decks with waite
Still, if every thing held on there was no DANCE
AT length, as the ship raised her head after PIN
ging in a heavy sea, there was q noise like Il
d report of q cannon, followed by cry from 70
. ward that one Of the fore topmast backstays hs
|. parted some of the rackings, strained throue
the others and that the fore-rigging was all STAG
! and we had nothing to depend on but sing
!. backstay. Every moment we expected TO 81
. the foremost go by the board. and it was in va