Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1864-05-14
BLOOMSBURY, COLUMBIA COUNTY, PENNA, SATURDAY, MA
the ship has sprung q leakl'

hesitatcd, and be added, in q more
eager tone, Make haste, l will try aud
hold it till you come back
waited to hear no more but hurried on
deck as soon as possible, and returned
with lantern and three men. l eapsd
down beside the boy, and could scarcely
believe the evidence Of my own senses
Three ot the timbers completely worm
eaten to tho very heart, and one of the
outer planks had been broken, and would
burst in any moment the BOY might leave
it, whose feet were braced sgainst the
plank before him. Half dozen little lets
of water were streaming in about him, and
he was wet to the skin. saw that the
plank must burst the moment the strain
was removed from it, so l made my men
brace themselves against it before lifted
him up. Other men were called down
with planks spikes and adzes, and, with
much care and trouble, we finally sue
cecded in stopping the leak and avcrtug
the danger. The plank which had been
stove in was six feet long By eight iocbes
wide, and would let in a ,.ream Of wafer
Oh tn. capacity. 1t would have been be.
yond our reach long before we could have
discovered it, and would have sunk us in
a very short time. knew it mus. be where
the iceberg struck it,
Jack Wilhers was taken to the cabin,
and there he managed 10 tell his story.
Shortly after | put him in the hold he
crawied forward and when he became
sed to the dim glmmer that came throug
the dead lights, he looked about for a
snug place in which to lie, foe his limbs
were very sore. He went to sleep, and
when be awoke he heard faint sound like
water streaming throgdh small hole -
He went 10 the open place in the cargo and
looked down and was sure that he saw q
small jcs Of water springing up through
the ships bottom. lie lcapci down, aud
in few moments found that the timbcr'
had given wholly away, aud that TIC
stream was increaring in size, He placed
his hard upon the plank, and found it bro
ken. and discovered that the pressure o
the water without was forcing it inward
He had sense to see that il it gained al
Inch more it must all go, and the slip b
lost, and perhaps all hands perish Ant
be saw, too, that if he could keep the bro
ken plank in its place he might stop III
incoming food, So he sat himself upol
it, and braced his feet against the caslS
and then called for help. But he was To-
far away--so low down, with such mas
, o! cargo about him, that his voice scarce
reached other ears than his own. Som
Of the men heard him. but though he VA
talking to himself, and there he sat, wit
his feet brsced, for four and twenty drear
hours, with the water spirling all ovr
, and drcncbing him to the very ksin. II
had several times thought of going to th
| hatchway and calling for help, but h
knew that the broken plank would /
t forced in if he left it, fer he could feel
heave beneath him. His limbs were racke
with pain. but he would not give up,
, asked him fho should not have given up
r l had not come to him as did. lie ar
swered that he could not have done
| while he had life in him. He said he tho
Q not of himself; he was ready to die bu
he would save the rest if he coald-and h
0 had saved US, surely saved u.s.
' The boy lay sick almost unto death ; bu
e I nursed him with my own hands-nurse
r him all through his delirium and whe
a his reason returned, and he could eit u
e and talk, bowed myself before him an
0 humbly asked his pardon for all tho wron
n | had done him. He threw his arm
around my neck and told ire if | would /
= good to him, he would never give me caus
. of ofTense and added, as he sat up agai
s Il am not a coward, l could hot be dog
J. l never forgot those words ; and fror
= that hour have never struck blow @
4 boarl my ship. l make my men feel tht
they are men, that l so regard hem, an
| that | wish to make them comfortable an
C happy as possible aud have not fole
= to gain their respect and confidence.
give no undue license but make my crew
feel that they have friend and suPeric
d in the same person. For nine years
f have sailed in three different ships, wit
the same crew, A man could not be hire
!. to leave me save for an officers BERTH
n And Jack Wthers remained with n
d thirteen years. He was my cabin boy
It one of my foremost hands, my sccon
e mate, and the last time he sailed with IN
1T he refused the command Of new BAR
4 hocansa ba Uonld nok ba soparotad fro