The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1857-11-14

and that the fore-rigging was all slack and w
had nothing to depend upon but single back
; stay. Every moment We expected to see the
foremast go by the board, and it was in tai,
that his shipmates shouted to the boy alofj
to come down. True to his orders from the
chief mate, he sat on the yard, holding on to
the tie, awaiting the commands of the officer
who sent him there.
"Ihat officer, however. was now too busily
engaged in preparations to wear the shil,
round on the tack, to think of the poor lad
whose life, as well as those of all on board,
was now in peril, in consequence of his care
lcssness, to give him even a thought. The
captain, who, like prompt and efficient sea
man. had at once adopted the only means to
save the ship, had just given the order to hard
up the helm, and stand by to square in the
after yards. when the ship again made heavy
plunge. and away went the remaining back
stay, followed almost instantly by the fore
mast, which broke off a few feet above the
deck. Fully alive to the danger. and fearful
that the wrecked spars might stave hole in
the ship. the captain. axe in hand. rushed for
ward and set all hands at work to clear the
wreck.
Long and cnergetically they worked in that
dark tempcstuous night. and when the captain
was told that his son went over with the mast
his only reply was that is but one life, nv
men. here are hundreds. God only knows
how his heart must have been wrung. for he
was Kind and loving father. But the blows
from the axe he welded still fell as fast as
ever on the wet and massive cordasc that con-
N f1n l,,n al
wreck began to drift slowly astcrn. and the
last rope had been severed. BY this time
the ship had drifted so near the coast, that its
high, bold frowning outlines could lie plainly
seen whenever a flash of lightning lit up the
horizon.
"As the floating mass drifted under the
counter of the ship. some of the smaller ropes
became entangled i'll the heel of the rudder,
and as the ship settled down aft, she struck
heavily on the wreck of the fore-mast, which
caused her to spring leak The pumps
were manned, and though the men pumped with
untirng zeal and energy, and were assisted
by the passengers. the water continued to gain
on them
Here the captain stopped for moment.
and appeared to be listening attentively, then
turning to me said:
ibid vou notice that short sea that struck
us under the bow, with dead, .thugsish'
sound? ~ and then added: Il don't like tit
must have come from the westward. But |
will cut my yarn short. sir. as think YOU
had better 60 below, out of this weather. and
turn in.
well" he resumed. "thc water continued
to gain on them: the rigging and spars that
were still held fast by the heel of the rudder.
caused the ship to pay off before the gale.
and at the same instant she was born aloft bv
a heavy sea. and then with an awful crash.
was dashed headlong between the rocks on
the irOn-bound coast of Ireland. Of some
four hundred and fifty souls. including officers
and crew, only nine survived the horrors of
that fearful MI ght."
but the captain" exclaimed, what be-
came of him ~
What became of him 2" he repeated. with
sudden energy, as he dashed his hand across
his eyes
"lle died as every man should die under
such circumstances. His lifcless body was
washed high and dry on the rocks. with his
arms locked around the ninth passenger.
whose life he had attempted to save"
And this poor boy?' l again asked
both father and son-thc victims of a care
less officer
stop he said. laying his heavy hand on
my arm. had the boy been lost. the Rcsolu-
ton would had some other master, and
should not have been here to give YOU the
details of the causes which led to that awful
shipwreck."
"Gracious heavens" exclaimed, '.surely
YOU are not that
But. before | could finish the sentence. his
voice rang over the ship, as he shouted in
tones like thunder:
"l.ct 90 all the braces fore and aft-call all
hands-haul in the starboard head-braces,-
These orders were barely executed ere the
storm burst on us with all the fury of hur-
ricane; but thanks to the nautical skill of
our vigilant commander. we were prepared
for it. and he now proved himself equal to
any emergency. The ships head had swung
round Just far enough to let the full blast of
the gale strike us little abaft the beam: but
as it was. our ship was thrown almost over
on her broadside.an it was almost impossible
to see or hear amid the binding spray and
roaring elements that III an instant, ncarlv
overwhelmed lis. One shake sent our main
mizzcn topsails clear from the Yards, but the
fOretopsail, being full, stood the strain long
enough to get the ship before the wind. when |
she righted. and in less than five minutes
from the time the hurricane struck us, we
were scudding before the wind and sea, and
l received the joyful assurance from the
captain that We were all safe.
The following day the storm abated, and
We were enabled to rescue three hundred and |
slxty-three passengers from the ship "Rhode- |
Island" This ship had been caught aback |
while under sail. and after getting a stern
board on, that had delugcd her deck with |
water, and washed every soul overheard that
was on deck, her masts went BY the board, |
and she was left hopeless wreck, floating on
the waters at the mercy of the winds and
waves. In an hour after We rescued the last |
man on board the wreck she sank far down
into the fathomlcss ocean.
If the detail of these well known disasters,
which have here truthfully stated. shall have
the effect Of making one careless ship or
steamer captain adopt the mixim of nv old
friend Captain -, whose modesy will not
allow me to use his name though have nv
own, and make him more vigilant in looking
after details, usually trusted to his subordin-
ates, the object of the writer will in part be
in part attained
Rum SELLING BRINGS SORROw.-A tavern
keeper in Rensselaer, county had abandonded
the traffic in Alcohol after having been several
years engaged in it. Whenever the subject