The Wyandot pioneer. (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1853-1868, 1864-10-21

tne cap WIN t'eHehhous HoiSc' anu p0'"S
made of iron, hung over with all their gear
amidst the rigging. to the great DANCE, OF
every one on deck. SWhilo this was going
on the men at the wheel stood faithful to
their duty. although one Of them had his
overcoat rent in two by lump of ice that
fell in front of him vet did not touch him
The scene on deck was now indescrba-
be. Loudly were the orders passed fore
ana aft to the hands, and as hearty obsyed
to adjust the yards and trim the ship so as
to help her to forge ahead of the iceberg
many of the passengers rendering good
service 10 this emergency. Under the
forecastlo deck were gathered groups of
men, pale silent, awestrrck. Two strong
stalwart men had hold of my hands, and
with big beads of tears rolling down their
cheeks cried for mercy. Between decks
wemeu and children were loud in their
passionate cries, and in the intermediate
was an elderly gentleman, widower,
with FIVE children, in the agony of woe,
expecting bis and their immediate destruc-
ton. Still the worst was not come; again
the ships yards crunched into the iceberg;
where stood | looked up and saw that
this mountain of ice actually overhuug the
ship standing then six hundred feet out of
water.
There were two large assures running
from the top a considerable way down, and
as the ship rolled over feared the yards
would 90 into one of these fissures. Had
they done so they would have brought down
tons of ice that would have sent us to the
bottom in moment, We were spared that
doom, hat the next instant the foretop. gal
liant mast, jibbooni, foretopsaiI yard, stud
dingsail boom, aud all their gear went at
the next crunch, tearing and splitting the
sails to ribbons. At the same time over the
forecastle deck came rolling vast torrents of
water, flooding the decks and creating a
fresh source of danger. The Royal Stand
ard was now all but helpless log, crippled
and dlsmantled; she presented tbs most
pitiabIe appearance, and with her masts,
yards, chains and ropes all hanging over
and dangling about in most dangerous
confusion, the marvel is that no one was
seriously injured, if not killed.
Still the worst had not come, and but 70,
the amazing strength Of her iron hull, ali
on board must have gone down to the bot
tom, leaving no record of their fate behind
them. Boldly the ship drfted up against
the berg, her whole side coming violently
into contract with it, and Ii quote from the
ships log, lest my account should seem the
natural exaggeratioE of a landsman's fears
the starboard Ii!sboat, carried
ava; the pumpkin, stove ii all the star
board bulwarks, stove in the sta,hoard
quarter in several places, also the captains
cabin, ard sent the chronometers f,iug
about, lifting the poop deck beams one !oot
.hus damaging all the cabins; and with
another crash split our upper, plate amid
Ihips, and did other sundry damage. A
his moment total destruction seemed in
svitabe; but as the ship slowly forged under
main and forsails, hope still remained. Al
ast the end of the berg came in view, and
We forged clear The berg appeared to be
'ntirely enveloped in dense for, and about
ix hundred feet high. We passed along
bout half mile of it, and fiom the time
# seeing it to clearing it, it was about half
10 hour"
So far the ships log. "Hslf an hour"
'et what half hour! Who can tell the
gony, the suspense, the wild and all but
rantic emotions that we're crowded into !
hat thirty minutes9 Beyond the noise of
ur ships wreck knocking about and the
riders given to the men, all was silence, I
fter the first willy cry of terror and dismay.
Pale and trembling men gazed, first at
be iceberg, then at the ship presenting
icture most desolate, and then at each {
ther; many shook hands and bade each {
ther good bye; and all stood, expecting q
ertan watery grave. For myself, l was
90 stunned and startled to feel excited; ! .
semed incapable of any feeling but that !
f dumb amazement. Not tear came to q
~ relief, not word escape my lips.
Wife and children felt I should never q
ss any more; snd SO, holding fellow pas