The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1866-09-06
I know my hand shook, but don't think
my voice did, though thought of life being
sweet as | said to him.

ID III very nard TO die captain
Yes, he says, I" 1 believe it is, to a
strong man and as God gave US life and
we've done our duty SO far. why we must
finish it by trying to save two more"
But how, " | says getting hold of him
s. Don't leave the wheel, F" he says ana
then again But it don't matter, SHE
makes no way. Lend hand here "
And helped him, and together, roasting
almost, we dragged three great fowl-coops
and grating to the side, and he tied them
together--lashed them, he called tin no
time; then we showed them overheard and
as the vessel slowly swung round, We were
ont O. sight O. the boats, which were about
quarter of a mile off He had a rope to
the coops so that they could not float off
and as he told me, slid down to them, and
squatted there trembling v hile he lowered
down 70 me the little water key, some rope
the bacon, and two of the biscuit bags
Then he pitched some loose pieces of wood
work and the cover of the cabin stairs, and
a hutch thing and tarpaulin into the water
by me slid down the rope and was by my
side in a few minutes with the coops
; swimming about, so | was glad to lower
myself into the water and hold on.
"Thats right, he says, opening his
knife with his teeth and cutting the rope,
and then getting the tarpaulin and bits OF
wood, and things in the centre i'll the han
diest way possIble-same as only sailor
could do. He tells me to hold on tight, and
then, lowering himself into the water, lie
pushes off from the burning ship and be-
gins swimming and guiding our bit of raft
away very slowly but still farther and far
ther off
cpl lash the coops and grating togeth
er, he says, '' as soon as we're out of dan
ger.
"Out of danger !" l says. "And when
will that be p
"Wel," he says, 81 mean when we're
ont of reach of being sucked down when she
siuks''
''Will she sirk ~ l says
Eyes" he says, land before long now y
and then he went on swimming hard, while
could do nothing but first watch the boats
and then the burning ship.
1t was grand, though awful, to see the
noble vessel standing there like pyramid
of fire, whose beat we could yet feel on our
scorched faces. From every part the flames
were now rushing, even from the cabin win
dows beneath where | had so lately been
standing, and could hardly keep from shud-
dering as | thought of the awful danger.
1t was hard work forcing the raft through
the water on account of the breeze which
set towards the ship; but we got farther
and farther away, and were some distance
OH when the mlZzen mast went over the
side; but still the captain said we were not
safe, and swan on till we could not feel the
breeze and at length, painting and exhaus-
ted, he hung on motionless and said we
must risk it now.
Then we both were silent, and watched
the boats, now farther away from us, and
the blazing ship seemed to be the centre of
glorious ring of light, on the outside of
which, like sparks, we all lay waiting for
the end we all knew was soon to come. Ev-
erything else was dark as pitch, not even
star to be seen, while the waves Just rose
and curled a little over as they washed
against our raft; excepting the dull roar
and crackle of the flames, everything was
still as death.
All at once I started, for the Captain
spoke sadly as he looked at his vessel and
out OF the silence his voice sounded wild and
strange
If I'd had crew like you, my man,
think We could have saved her y and then
he spoke no more, for just then, from being
quite still, the ship seemed to roll . little
towards us anG then to the other side slowly
and as if just bending to the breeze and
then we could almost see the water creeping
up her burning sides as clouds Of steam
arose; and with one calm, steady dip for
ward, she seemed to plunge right down be
meath the golden waters. Then there was
rising and falling of the sea, and deep,
dense darkness out Of which close by me,
came one of the bitterest heart tearing sobs
| ever heard from the breast of man aud
did not speak, for felt that it was the Cap
tain sorrowing for tie loss of his good ship.
For good piece silence was as deep as the
darkness, and then the captain was the first
to break it, In quite a cheerful voice:
Can you lay your hand on the rope ?'-
he says, and passed it to him, and then
| could hear him i'll the dark busily at work
tying and fastening; and at last he says,
Now crawl on again it will bear you bet
| ter" and faint auu weary managed to
crawl on, and lay with my legs in the water
and my head on the bag of biscuit: and di-
rectly after felt him crawl on too, and we
took hold OF hands and lay there in the deep
darkness while he said that prayer aloud in
such soft, deep voice-that prayer as we
first learnt kneeling by our mothers knee.
| When he came to deliver us from evil"
he stopped short; and soon, worn out there
IN the great ocean, Heating on few pieces
| OF wood, we felt in whose hands we were.
| and slept till the warm, bright sun shoue
| upon US and told US that another dav was
| here.
The first thing the Captain did was to
stand up and look round, and then he said
he could see only one boat; but he hoisted
up one Of the pieces of wood, and wedged it
in the coop, with handkerchief flying at
the top, after which we made hearty meal
OF biscuit raw bacon and water After this
the Captain got one of the coops on the 9TH
er, and by binding and flashing he made a
much higher and better raft, SO that we
could keep our biscuit and bacon out of the
water and sit and dry ourselves.
And SO we lay all that day till towards
evening, when We found that the boat was
coming towards US, and just at dusk it was
within hail /; and if ever felt hopeful or ioy-
full before in my life it was then. They had
no room for us, but they took US in tow, and
the weather keeping calm, we all rowed and
worked in turns, steering according to the
Captains directions for the nearest land =
| for when our turn came we two went into
the boat, and two others came out on the
raft, and SO We toiled on for days, when one
morning there was joyful cry:
| ga sail a sail -
And it was, too. within mile of us, plain
er and palmer, as that glorious sun rose 5
and then some of them laughed, some cried,
and one or two seemed half mad with Joy,
as after little while she ran down toward
US. picked US up, and proved to be British
man-of-war, homeward bound
. In another week was back in the port |
left. without clothes, without money, but
with as good and true friend in Captain
Ellis as ever walked had life. and with
1t came hope; and somehow, since then.
.hlEgs have prOsnere6 with ma in the old