The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1860-09-21
! Steamship Arabia, II a. M,
Friday, Aug. Sd, 1860.

} OteaHShlp ATaOla, IL d. ILL.,,
Friday, Aug. 3d. 1860.
In the midst of life we are in death. Just
half an hour ago while standing on the bows,
the ship running IA knots an hour under the
steam and sails in thick fog, l heard the
shout ..land ahead" turned towards the
captain Or rather had my eye on him at that
moment. His face could not have expressed
more horror if he had seen hell's gates open
ed. He sprung to the engine bell, at the
same time shouting, "hard port your helm.
A counter order of "starboard" was given
The captain leaped from his footing, shout
ing so that his voice was heard above the es-
Gaping steam "hard port, in Gods name"
His order was obeyed. Then turning for
ward among hubbub of voicos shouting.
"we are lost" "God have mercy on US" &C.,
saw the rocks not twenty feet from the ships
bows. On their top was a light house. AS
We swung around it seemed as if We should
every moment feel the shock Of striking
The huge swell Of theAtantic was reverbera-
ting and the spray flying all around US. The
sails took aback heeling US over so that the
deck stood up like the roof of a house. Wo-
men were screaming, seamen running to and
fro, and above all the captain and lieutenants
shouting so as to lie heard above the shrill
escaping steam, "hard port hard, tard.'-
"Brace around the foreyard." LET fly the
halyards and sheets, fore and aft" step
ned abaft the foremast to be out of the way
of its fall and waited for the shock. But
..There's sweet little cherub who sits up aloft
And looks after the life of poor Jack"
We approached, as all agree, within ten
feet of the rock, and then began to recede.-
Just realize that there was only ten feet be-
tween US and eternity. 1t is the opinion OF
sea-faring men on board that the ship, had
she struck, would have sunk in five minutes,
for it is a sharp ledge of rocks six or seven
miles from any shore, and water all around.
The boats could not have been got ready ,and
if they could they never could have lived in
the heavy surf. No-if she had gone ten
feet further We should have been almost lm'
media,ely precipitated into raging sea
where six or seven miles from land, IN
dense fog few of US would have escaped
We should have all perished as hliserably as
did those in the Hungarian. Three seconds
more would have tolled the death knell OF
most if not all of US, for We were so envelop
ed in fog, and far from land, and also no boa
at the lighthouse, that if We had seized trag
ments of the wreck they would have beer
torn from our grasp by the sea boiling as II
cauldron over the sunken reefs, hours be
7 fore our fate could have been known.
knew there was no time to run below tor llt
preservers- which we're hung up by eacl
BERTRAND SO coctented myself with JUS
strineins up my nerves for buffet with tn
waves. For three minutes, can assure maj
showed what he is when expecting the "kln'
), of lerrors." Two or three ladies took it he
roically and seemed to draw strength tron
s the scene around them. 1t was lerrbl
moment for the captain-Capt. Stone. OF tn
royal navy-for as We swung around the SAL
/. taking aback and hee,ing us over, everybod
o expected to feel the grinding crash beneat
our feet. l felt for him, for all his great rasf
ness. and gladly say that to his decision
! the hour of need We owe our lives. In
= rock is called Fasnet rock, and upon it is tn
Cape Clear lighthouse. A subscription
G now being taken up among the passenger
= for the seaman who first shouted "breakel
ahead" l shall never forget to my dyn
N N day the face Of the captain when Ne near l
'e tbst Wild shout. have seen distress an
= main in all their forms, but never face lls
that, that SO full of horror, perfect agony an an
lie crushing crust responsibility: The cry "breake
= ahead" the stopping Of the engines, the e
cane Of the steam, and the shifting the hel1 II
ali occurred in one second. 1t seemed at II II
instant as if it was utterly impossible TO St! So
the ships way in time to save US; Sd 0It ,ho us
s, rules. He put forth His hand anu anu 'ne ,,a. tI
~ sci trembling as if with mortal leaf :xn 't =,
to her powerful engines receoeu 'oA VI
1ock, and we were saved.