The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1859-11-09

was vain t. h Ie-till behe!d the rocks loom
ing up, black and fearful, immediately before
us the wa es lashing them terrifcally, throw
ing up their white spray, and rolling back with
crash which could be heard amid the howl
ings of the storm-and then told my friends.
Shouting the words above tie roariiigs of tie
tempest, that it was time TO commend our sou 5
to Cod; for we were about to pass the dread
portals of eternity, and enter his awful pre-
sence.
The scene that followed may only describe
as wild, fearful. terrible-oach clin9ng TO the
other in the most agonizcd distress, appealing
- God for mercy. The horrible susp ense OF
wal ing DEATH while staring it in the face was
of short duration; we seemed but as a bubble
on the cre:t of the angry waters, which now
bore us swifcr and swifter TO our doom; and
suddenly, while we all stool locked. as it were,
N each others embrace, we struck. here
was fearful crash-loud shri, ks that sec med
blended into one d"sra ring cry-and the hiss
ng waves rolled over
1--WE all went down clinging to each other
'<notted as it were toge her, and whirled abou
il the see'hine waters. till at length, as we
-ose to the surface, we seemed to be caught by
IN unusually large wave. and thrown violently
upon n:rrow shelf of the rock, where tie
huge wave Instantly retreating, we were left
:ompar lively dry. From the time of going
lnder till we were tirown upon the rock, |
had not for single. moment lost my presence
f mind. and though now half stunned and
rru;sed by the conclusion, l instantly compre-
hended all that had happened, and that, If
would save myself and friends it must be done
ere the return of such another wave as had
placed Us in our present position.
"1nstantly worked myself loose from my
aost death gripping compan ons, tr 6 sed tn m
ack as far as l could, shouted i'll their eals
he joyful news of their escap-, and ten got
''etween them and the water, so that, ill their
ewildered state they might not roll back to
their d 'struction. / had scarcely succeeded
n making them understand what had happen
ed, and they were just beginning to gather
themselves upon their teet-my brother with
as tile presence of mind us any-when [ saw
another huge wave returning, and as quick as
thought threw them down and fell PROSTATE
across their bodies. The wave came amid our
Shrieks of terror and completely submerged US,
hut not to a sufficient depth to float US from
the rock, and again retreating, left us as btf,
E'Ihis occurred at intervals of about a min
ute, and it took me several of these to axe
my friends understand that we were compare
lively safe, though in IL perilous position-to
vc tt EN-, in fact. true understanding of the
whole matter, and then the task of keeping
them where they were became less laborious
t. me, because of their assistance.
81 now for the first had little time to look
about me. which I eagerly employed in ascer-
timing what might be our chance Of escape.
But alas saw nothing to give me any hope
It was an awful scene-a scepe to excite feel
in of the llackest despair. The shelf upon
which we had been thrown was narrow. some
fifteen feet in length and about five feet above
the level of the boiling and seething surge,
rhle behind us and over us was high black,
overhancine rock. the top of which our po-
sition did not permit to There
chance of escape except by the water, and
there the wreck of our boat, in Il hundred pie
ces, was whirling about on the foam crested
waves and frothng eddies, the storm meanwhile
raging in wild fury. and the shreking Winds still
the desc, ling torrents. and the lashing waves
making horria concert for our afrighted
senses
"My son. shrieked my mother. in a voice
Of despair. there seems to be no hope for us
Tt would have been better if we had perisht
at rnce and so ended our mise'y.'
"sWhile there is life there is hope replied
in the same shrill, shrek nr tone--the only
human sound that could be heard amid the
howlings of the tempest.
"Let me not dwell upon that scene-the re-
collection of which. even now, after long
lapse of years make the blood run cold in my
veins. But=littie was said by any-ior as |
have remarked, the human voice could only
be heard when pitched on its highest key
an each was too terribly impressed with the
sense of our desolation, to give vent to the
feelings of agony which stirred the depths of
our inmost snu's.
ave clung there together for hours-in al
most silent waiting. watc hing nd trembling
and then, with unspeakable misery, saw
tie night close upon us-shutting out the hor-
rid view it is true-but leaving us as it were
only the sense of feeling that each other was
there. Oh. that long and terrible night! an
age to m of horror-the storm still unabated;
the shriekng win Is driving coldly through our
dr,nched garments. and ever and cnon large
wave cneulphing us. There was no chance for
sleep-but only for thoucht-thoueh the Wild
est. most terrible, most agonizing. If we look
ed around. our gaze encountered cnly the deep
est blacknass or here and there the phospho-
resent light of the foamng waters, which SEEM
ed to distracted fancics only a sepulchral
light to guide us to destruction.
"Somcwhere about midnight as near as I
may judge-feeling weak. faint, cold and be-
numed-through the painful position in which
had thus far elung to my friends and my con-
tinual submersion beneath the rushing and re-
firing waves-I released my hold for few
moments. in order to chafe my l;mts. But
scarcely hdu uobt So Wien was suuueHly
startled by wild shrek; snd, on feeling for
my companions. found to my horror. that my
mother and brother were gone, leaving only
my sister, my beloved Merry, and myself upon
the rock
81 need not dwell upon that night, If your
imagination cannot fill t. e picture of woe which
l have 50 imperiectly sketched. you will never
form an idea of my feelings, for language has
no rcwer to describe them.
Morning broke at last-afier that long, long
night of horror--the storm still raging as fu-
rIously as ever-but only three of us alive to
know the miseries of living. By the returning
light we once more surveyed the awful scene
around us; and there upon t; rocks below, but
at some distance from where we were. We be-
held the bodies of my mother and brother,
locked IN each others arms. the lashing waves
just sufficiently swaying them about TO give an
anreararce of life. But they wore dead =