The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1859-06-11

by the action Of the water, and, in some pla-
cea, we're vegetation. We passed onw Hrd,
We elambered over a spur, which jutted from
/ the cllh, and there lay the steamer
There she 10y upright, with everything
stil standing. She had gone right down,
aud had settled IN such posnon among the
rocks, that che stood upright here, just 90
though she lay al her wharf We rushed Ca
gerly along and olambered tp her side, 49,
i IApEe Aaa a Lon moan In -lf water. which
sounded wnrHiugb IN our ears, and told ~
Of swim approaching danger What was
/ a. be- done must be done speedily, We hur-
r.ed forward. thinner rushed 10 the eablH,
/ ! went forward 10 descend into the hold,
! descended the ladder. ] walked into the
engineers room, Al was empty here, oil
was water. The waves Of the ocean had en-
tered, aud we're sporting with the works OF
man, went into the freight-room, Bud
denly was startled by nn appalling noise on
the deck heavy footsteps Of somf one, run
ming 40 though In mortal fear, oranosl dread
fol haste, sounded la my ears, Then my
heart thfobbed Wildlyi for Il was fearful
/ thing 10 hear far down In the silent depths
Of the ocean,
/ Pshaw ils only ltlmref.
huTnedlY assembled the deck by the frat
outlet that appeared, When | speak Of hur-
~, speak Of the quickest movement posi-
bic, when cumbered with no much armor
hut this movement Of mine was quitki 1
rushed upwards | sprang out on the deck.
/ II was thinner
lie stepped forward aud cluiched hiy arm.
lie pressed II with a conyulsiyc grasp, and
pointed 10 the cabin.
attempted To 60 there.
lie stamped his foot, and tried to hold me
back, lie pointed to the boat, and implorrd
ne, VIII rTaHuc RuEturrr, 10 gu-TII'
Il l.. q. - ~
soul trying to express Itself by signs, IL iS
nv FOL Go see theso signs when 40 face IN
plainly visible, and no voice IL heard. !
could not see hia face plainly, but his eyes
through his heavy mask, glowed like Goals
Of fire.
81 will goT I exclaimed. ! sprang from
him. lie elaspcd bis hands together, but
dared not folloW. ---==-
Good heavens! | thought, what fearful
thing il here? What scene can be 40 dread
I fol as to paralyzc the soul Of praeliced di-
yor ! will see for myseC
| walked forward. / came TO the cabin
door. entered the forward saloon, but saw
nothing A feeling Of contempt came to me.
thinner shall not come with me again, |
thought Yet | was awe-struok. Down IN
/ the depths Of the sea there ia only silencc--
oh, how solemn | paced the long saloon,
which had echoed with the shricks Of the
drowning passengers. All! there are
thoughts which sometimes on the soul, which
are only felt by those TO whom scenes Of su-
blimi,y are familiar Thus thinking, | walk
ed to the after cabin and entered
oh, God ~ hCavUu
Had not my hand cienchcd the door with
n grssp which mortal terror had made CON
vulsye, should have fallen TO the floor. l
stood matted Co the spot Eos there before
mo Et0hd CROW d OF people-men and Wor
men caught IN the last death struggle by
/ the ovcrV hclmihr -aters, and fastened 20
the spot each in the position in which death
found him. Each Que had sprung from his
chair at the shock Of the sinking ship, aud,
with one common emotion, oil had started
FOR the door But the waters Of the sea had
bccno To swift for them.
Lo! then-some wildly grusping the table,
others the beams, others the sides OF the ca
bin-therc they all stood. Near the door
was a crowd Of Fe6Fte, hsaPed upon eiis asi-
other-some on the floor others rushing Oy.
j or them--all seeking, madly, to gain the out
let. There was one who sought 10 Chamber
over the table. and still was there, holding
on to an iron post So strong was each CON
vulsive grasp, 10 fierce the struggle Of each
with death, that their hold had not yet been
relaxed but each one STOOD and looked fran
tcnly TO the door.
To the door-good God To me, TO me
they were looking They were gancing at
me, all those dreadful. those terrible eyes
Ewes in which the fire of life had been dis
tlrt- elti4l,4t sleaH.- sl dsaiA--ElEa
which still glntcd, like the eyes Of a maniac
with no expression. They frozc me with
their cold and icy stars. They had no mean
ing, for the soul was gone. And this made
il still more horrible thm II could have been
in life, for the appalling contortion OF their
r. -. r.. "A
whatever else the human soul may feel, con
trastng with the cold and CLASSY eyes, made
their vacancy yet more fearful
He upon the table seemed more Rendisl
than the Others for his long, black hair wat
dishevelcd, and floatcd horribly down. anc
his beard and moustache, all loosened by
the water, gave him the grimness Of de
mon. Oh, what woe and torture, what unut
ternbe agonies appeared in the despairinl
glanccs of those faces--faccs twisted intt
spasmodic contortons, while the souls thai
lighted them were writhing and struggling
for life.
: needed not tho dangerous sea which
J even when we touched the steamer, haC
slightly rolled Down in these awful depthi
/, the swell would not be very strong, unless i
should increase with ten-fod fury above
But it had been increasing. though had no
noticed il, and the motion OF the water bcRar
to be felt in these nbysses Suddenly tn,
steamer was shaken and rocked by tht
, swell
At this the hideous forms were shaken an,
fell. The heaps Of people rolled asunder
. That demon on the table seemed to make
: spring directly toward me. / fed, shriekinl
all were after me, | thought. l rushe,
out, with no purpose but to escape from
y them. Isought to throw off my weights ant
: rise.
My weights could not be loosened--
pulled at them with frantic exertion, bu
could not loosen them. The iron fastening
had grown stiff. One Of them / wrested of
in my convulsive efforts TO escape, but tn
other still Rept me down. The tube, else
= was lying down still in my passage wa
through the machine rooms. / did no
know this until had exhausted my strengt