Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1863-03-28
rloughs Morning like fullsailed ship,
The 0rient's cloudy surge.
With spray of scarlet fire, before
The ruffled gold that round her dies,
She sails ahoye the slpenino shore


She sails above the sleeping shore,
Across the waving skies
During the night we had passed Cape
Henry, and now, at dawn, found ourselves
on the ocean-the land only blue line in
the distance. a few more hours and that
had vanished. No sails were visible, and
the Passaic, which we had noticed the eve
ming before, was now out of sight. The
morning and afternoon passed quietly; we
spent most of our time on deck, on account
of the confined air below, and being on a
level with the sea, with the spray dashing
over us occasionally, amused ourselves with
noting its shifting hues and forms, from the
deep green of the first long roll to the foam
crost and prismatic tints Of the falling wave.
As the afternoon advanced the treshen-
ing wind, the thickening clouds. and the
increasing roll of the sea gave those most
accustomed to ordinary ship~life some new
experience. The little vessel plunged
through the rising waves, instead of riding
them, ana as they increased in violence, lay,
as it were, under their crests which washed
over her continually, so that, even when we
considered ourselves safe, the appearances
was that of a vessel sinking.
I'd rather go to sea in a diving-bell y
said one, as the waves dashed over the pi
lot house, and the little craft seemed buried
in water.
Give me an oyster scow cried another
anything only let it he Of wood, some
thing that will float over, instead Of under
the watcrn
Still she plunged on, and about six thirty
p NJ we made Cape lluttCras, in half an
hour we had rounded the point, and many
on board expressed regret that the Monitor
had not been before the Passaic in doing
so. Our spy glasses were III constant use /;
we saw several vessels in the distance, and
about o'clock. p. NJ. discovered the Pas
sale four or five miles dsterR to the North Of
us, in tow of the steamer State of Georgia.
n general hurrah went up--'llurrah for
the first iron clad that ever rounded Cape
Hattcras lIurrah for the little boat that
is first in eyerythingn The distance be-
tween ourselves and the Passaic widcncd,
and we gradually lost sight of her
At about half past seven heavy shower
fell, lasting about twenty minutes. AT this
time the gale increased: black, and heavy
clouds covered the sky, though which the
moon cleaned fitfully, allowing us to see in
the distance Il long line of white, plunging
foam, rushing towards us-sure indication
to a sailors eye of Il stormy time.
A gloom oycrhmg everything; the banks
of cloud seemed to settle around us; the
moan Of the ocean grew louder and more
fearful Still our little beat pushed doggcdly
on: victorious through all. we thought that
here too. she would conquer though the
beating waves sent shudders through her
whole frame. Bearing still the marks of one
of all the icrccst battles Of the war, we had
grown to think her invulncrablc to any as
suit of man or element, and rs she breasted
these huge waves, plunging through one
only to meet another more mighty, we
thought, -" She is staunch she will wealth
er it,"
An hour passed; the airbeow. which had
all day been increasing in coscncss. was now
almost stirling, but our men lost no cour
age. Some sang as they worked, and the
cadence of the voices. mingling with the
roar OF the waters, sounded like a defiance
to ocean.
Some stationed themselves on top Of the
turrct, and general enthusiasm filled all
breasts, rs huge waves, twenty feet high rose
up on all sides, hung suspended for mo-
mcnt like jaws even to dcyour and breaking
gnashcd over in foam from side to side
Those of us new to sea had not anticipated
our peril. hurrahcd for the largest wave
Int the Captain and one or two Others, old
sailors, knowing its power, grew momentar-
riIy more and more anxious feeling with
Il dread distinctive to the sailor that, in case
Of extremity, no wreck yet known to ocean
could be so hopeless as this. Solid iron
from kcclson to turrct top, clinging to
ANYTHING for safety, if the Monitor should
80 down, would only insure share in her
fate. No mast. no spar. no floating thing,
to meet the outstretchcd hand in the last
moment.
The sea, like the Old World giant, gath
cred force from each attack. Thick and
fast came the blows on :hc iron mail of the
Monitor, and still, the brave little vessel
held her own, until, at half past eight, the
engineer, Waters, faithful to the end re-
ported q leak. The pumps were instantly
set in motion, and we watched her progress
with an intense interest. She had seemed
to us like an old time knight in armor bat
Ting against fearful odds, but still holding
his ground. We who watched, when the
blows came which made the strong man
reel and the life blood spout, felt our hearts
faint within us; then again ground was
gained, and the fight went on, the waters
lowering somewhat under the labOrng
pumps,
From nine 10 ten it kept pace with them
From ten to eleven the sea increased in VIC,
cnce, the waves now dashing entirely the
turrct, binding the eyes and causing quick
catchings of the breath as they swept against
ms. At ten the engineer had reported the
leak as gaining on US; at half past ten, with
several pumps in constant motion, one OF
which threw out three thousand gallons a
minute, the water was rising rapidly, and
nearing the fires, When these were reach
ed the vessel doom was sealed for with
their extinction the pumps must cease and
all hope Of keeping the Monitor above wa
ter more than hour or two expire, Our
knight had received his death blow, aud lay
struggling and helpless under the power Of
stronger than lac.
A consultation was held and, not with.
out a conflict OF feeling, il WAS decided that
signals of distress should he made, Ocean
claimed our, the little vessel aud her trem
bling frame and falling lire proved she would
soon answer his call yet pang went
through us, as we thought of the first iron
clad living alone at'lhe boti0m of this stormy
sea her guns Alencod herself "a mass o
useless metal Each qulycr Of her strong
frame seemed 10 plead with us net 10 aban
| don her, Tho work she had done the wort
| she was to do. rose before ~ Might Their
not be a possibility at saving her Net he
7