The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1858-07-03
Peril off Cape Horn.
ny HENRY IRON BKlDSE.

Stand by your skysai halyards fore an,
aft, yelled the skipper, as he paced th'
deck of the beautiful clipper ship Grey
| hound.
AYE, aye: sir" was the cheering res
! ponse Of The brave tars
Lower away for your lives! clew EN-
up! Clew up the royals fore an afr, was
the next order, wEich was as chcerfully
complied with.
We were soon standing to the southwark
| under bare poles. The weather was ex-
tremely cold and the ice in large quantities
had collected on the deck The rigging
was one mass of ice; indeed, SO completely
| frozen were the braces. that the cook was
compelled to keep a cauldron of water con-
tlnualiy boiling, to use in thawing the ice
that collected on them and the brace locks.
The gale continued in all its fury, and it
was evidently on the increase, but the Grey
hound bore on with, as it were, a stern res
olution never to say die.
The men, almost frozen, had collected in
groups around the deck, while the constant
warning cry Of the look out on the top-gal-
liant forccastle often started them from the
super INTO which they had fallen. Were it
not for the frequent calls upon them to per-
form some work about the ship, they would
no doubt have fallen into that deep sleep
from whic h one seldom if ever awakens.
=" "iceberss ahead !" yelled the look out,
" Hard down your helm"
Down ii is"
We all gaizcd eagerly into the deep dark
ness that surrounded the ship, and caught
the glimpse of a heavy white mass which
we had nj that moment passed J tr m5lei
as | dis so, for was aware that if tn ship
nFi it4d pf
destruction for all of rs.
Two of you go up and relieve the look
outi' WAS the next order
| jumTei TO obey hrrn. in company with
an old " aleman, for / imagined that wero
my eyes looking out for my own safety,
tley would have a second sight II re my
companion and myself paced to and fro,
many nutes, without daring TO break the
silence that was only rnlryed by the whist
ling Of the wind through the naked rigging.
At length | ventured u remark:
- \ stormy night this, Dick :"
Yes, but were we ten degrees TO the
nor,hward 1t might blow, >" replied ne, Z" but
here, with the cold and ice, We stan1
chance o running foul"
' You have 10 fears OF danger, have you:"
| mex: asked.
There's more danger than YOU have any
iiea Of, boy. But what's that:' he sx-
claimed, peering into the mist before u.s.
ba-d d.Irrt 'iI, - ~
n.nded nnon -. -; -:
ahead In an ins,.r, -. ca.,,.;-. ,r.. =,
our side.
"Wher. is she, Dick"
Dead algad, sir, she vas, but now right
of our Zee bow"
,,;,s-t !, f,r,. sbc tr,.;,,, go 49, c-oss ON,
Lorss" '''7
.r5 ,,., ,,,,,:..s .,..,,s s;,,. =. ., ro,'f.,3
n
ISL t,-...- ,,..-., Re-. -,,-
and cc, ~, ir,,,,,.,, 81 III NJ -,
.,r. the rapiI or,j.rs that cane from the
skinner as h. i,mnri ,3,,,n ON de-
= Hdw d,ns n - ei >"
"Soa'west " SOU, half sou, sir, cried
the hemsman.
lie, her of point
AVE, aye, siri'
+" " here's the stranger now, Dick'' said
captain, coming up 10 the tarrcsstie.
Same po-,ioa-sumnu; n.arer.' was
Dick = brief reply.
BY the gods she viii run Us down.,
so she will. sjr,"
Tb.strsnce- now ,nnro,cb.d no,rer and
nearer. uu,ii we we're abe TO nerc.iys tba,
she was clipper oe much greater SIZE than
the Greyhound. Her lockout, ifiany she
had. evidently did not keep a good eve to
the yirdward, for her course. which would
brn- h.r across cur bows A collision
seemed inevitable, for at this moment | cs-
pied an iceberg sn our weather bow. The
only course OF action for u. to 2ur ue, was
to endeayGr 10 pass the point VIC should
meet before she caIae down upon Ms. Our
skipper saw this, for he Immediately order
ed the malntopsan to be unturled; The
sailors, with the second mate ran up the rig
g'ns, and ay OUT oh tue yard Al this mo-
ment, the lookout OF the other ship. cnusht
sight OF US, and her course was so altered
mat she couiu pass us, but II would prove
4 very close shave"
In a few moments, our main topsail
swung out in the breeze but at this mo
rnent the topmast cracked, and as the men
reached the the deck, with a loud clear
snap It parted from the manmast and lay
over the side.
"Cutawav the wreck" erie! the cantain
through his tlu,npe,.
MAN overheard :" yelled one Of the
men.
Let him 20 :" answered the skipper.
The second mates killed." was the
next warning crv.
The captain ran to him and lifting his in
animate body in his arms, ne hurried him
into the cabin The poor fellow was dead
a portion of the topmast struck him as it
parted from the stays, and with no warning
sent him into the presence of his Maker