The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1859-12-31
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THE wnEOKnR's BEACON.
DRAPER I.
puYpnE 7nn oALu.

1 NJ &
SsSpnE 1Hs GALE.
bound % CopsnhAgsn, lad entered che North Sea,
having Taft the Straits Of DOVE two days behind
The commander of the shdp wasa young man,
not over eight nd-twenty and his name Was MAu-
upon the horison ~ the eastward, ever and anon
4 raising his had above his head TO feel In there
was any wjpS Miring, and as often casting his
eye alott % see how the canvas hung. Az he stood
| thus Ma mate approached, and spoke TO him:
| what dye think of this, Capt'n2''
/ ~ think we're In Tor storm, sir the master
| replied. "ADd tell you Whist 1t ID, Grifnn," be
added, after sweeping the horizon again vita his
None of your broad Ocean puns, with nothing but
water to hatch wind from but we'll have ii right
fresh from some Of those places where they know
| how to make things blow"
~rhen you think we'll have n hard oncsss said
arifRn.
| aye" answered the captain, with almost
shudder, II feel II in my bones. -
| In the meantime, Captain Lester had been
| that the signs OF the storm were growing more
and more palpable every moment. The sun Vas
going down In thick bank, giving to the Whole
western horizon dull, purplish.red, bloody hue,
with befe and there spots of darker tinge, like
| openings, through the hsry cloud, looking upon
| fearful blackness behind.
"Do you see how strangely IL looks of theree''
| said the captain, nising his finger towards the
"Aye," returned Grimm, 81 have been watching
those dark piscos.
And others noticed the same thing, and spoke Of
| IL, too.
Seven o'clock came and went. Eight O'Clock
came, and the first watch was set.
"Dant 20 below, " said the captain, % the men
Of tho last dog watch left their stations. This
calm can 4 last great white. You hsd better bat
ten down tho bafchcs nor. while there liz nothing
else to do; for am there viii be nesd oil has-
ing them close before the coming OF another da
| The meh had had no thoughts OF going below,
| for they could see and feel; and they were not
wholly ignorant Of what coming; 20 they
went ut work and secured the ha.chss with thick
tarpaulins; and when this WAS done those who had
no particu lar station collected about the wheel.
| Another hour passed away - and another Trn
clock came, and still not breath. The ship lay
upon the water like dead thing, with the ropes,
and blocks, and s3is, rafting and tapping m shs
waa swayed TO and fro by the lazy swells of the
| sea.
What does Il mean" cried Griffin, as the boy
| struck Eve bells.
"Hsrk,' said the captain, almost inst antly.--
III guess yeal soon see- Did you feel thats-Ha
-snd thAtg"
| II was prf of wind, and light flying of spray;
or, perhaps it q spit Of rain. At oil events,
the pun was felt; and the drops Of water fell upon
| other checks than Maurice Testers; and other
ears than bis heard the dull moaning which came
the dark waters. So other ears heard the roar
which followed, and other bodies qavered beneath
| the shock OF the storm giant when he in his
light.
| Aye--the storm had come. ii came with wind
snd rain, and With angry heasing Of the sea.
IL came With darkness like Ersbus, and with the
voice of thunder. The gale continued 10 increase
In fury as the long night passed away. When the
morning came the scepe was one OF awful grandeur.
The Wind was bowling With terrible fury and the
broad sea Was dashed into huge mountains that
| foamsd, and tumbled, and leaped along over the
bosom OF the deep, seeming every moment ready to
whelm and engun the frail bark that struggled
withiH the demon grasp.
hen Captain Lester had obserxed tho signs of
the morning, be feared thar the storm would con-
tinue through the day, and so be told his men
The sky wore hue OF horror, and rain Was now
| driving down, mingling with the flashing sea. AT
| noon it Wac still worse.
/ AT length night shst in again, and not sign
ye. OF the passing away Of the STORM The fright
fui bowling OF the tempest seemed rather to have
increased than abated. The msn gathered upon the
Quarterback, for support 10 the racks and
rsiis--for the life lines swsyed 30 much that they
were sfraid Of thAm-gathersd rs near to the light
Of the bnnaole-l lamp q they could, Though even
from such feebis ba.ns .hsy might find some COM
stout. frae-hsarted msn had been swept away by
the storm. Near SCORE we're left; but how many
shall see the light ef another day'
TOOK dasn ss., i =. f.s vent bser He
sdread ii upon the table, be al dowH 70 raamias
1t. lie was thus engaged when Mr.. Griffin came
down; but he did not look up until h. had finished
/ the calculation.
"How Is is7" the mate asked, NJ he saw has
commander lay down the diyiders.
81 have been making reckoning, and find
that We have but little more sca-roon left. The
course we have riade since we wore, has been, as
near a. can calculate, northwest by-west 70 that
we must have been driving towards the coast OF
Northumberland think We have pieney Of room
TO stand on until midnight but we cannot stand
on much longer. III the gale does not abate by that
| time know not what W. shall do"
| The captain started up from his chair, and would
probably have walked across the cabin but ~ that
moment heavy sea caagbt the ship, and gave her
~ quickly ~ possible. A. soon as the Hood had
| gone from the deck, sn1 the vessel had struggled
up from the shock, be looked into his cempanion,s
face, md said, in voice MAIDS trsmuous by deeper
emotion than he had before manifested:
1afifin, have something upcn my mind more
thsn you know; and am anxious to communic ate
| IL, too must tell ii now, for have 4 strange
forboding of ccnuing Ill Something h to happen
that wall bear great calamity to some Of us am
not croakng--I am only reading what the Unseen
| has written In my soul. However you shall hear
my story. You have heard that my parents were
! both lost al seagD
| "And perhaps you knew that they we're los. in
III have heard 60, sir"
~ I. was. | was sboy then they were
Ny father commanded tho ship-she was called The
/ sCtdrd Jons.' She was named for my mother and
she was staunch, noble craft. VI. 1t school.
then, In Troy; and when knew that nv parents
we're dead was we'll nigh mad with grief fan
cied then, In my first hours Of orphanage, that nv
heart would break; and, think such would have
been the case If they had kept me 1t school. But
| some Of those who cared for me came 10 see me.
ana i was finally arranged that should 70 to sea
And pfospsred- prospered so we'll that, when /
chip A1 -
The man who owned the ship which Hrst com
nandsd Was named Tho rnton He had daughter
l namea Oasrae--one Of thu swsstsst, purost, and
bveisst oFsxtures Ahat ever gracsd ths nnor fa -
earth she WAS fosf years younger than myse Il:
4 bat even when = fnt knew heY-.and she vss M =,
then more than foastssa--shs was woman q IN
love and condolences. MI. Thorstou diA Mt M -
g my suit 20 loved her rith all N sorl. and
blessed to know that she loved ~ ~. -