Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1866-03-02

which they stood. There was a promise
oil life for some hours, perhaps for som'
days more. They could hear the wave,
as they struck the wreck, and they knew
by the sound that the bottom was above
the water. They were confident, also, tina,
the winds had subsidized /; and the thought
came to them of the possibility of cutting
through the bottom, when, in case OF sue
cess, some passing vessel might discover
and take them off. They had struck upor
nails and bolts in cutting through the bulk
head, still it could be used TO some advan
tage, and they resolved TO make the at
tempt. This was on Tuesday, the 24th
sometime in the forenoon, and they set Il
work at once. The inside planks were o
bard wood, three inches in thickness, an,
the outside planking four inches. They
had now to strike up overhead, and ther,
was much the same difficulty in standing
as when working in the cabin but, with
their blunted and broken hatchet they be.
gan the unpromising and almost desperate
task. The Captain, Cyrus Morse and
Anderson had the work to do, as the Gu,
received by Small was found to be even
worse than at first supposed. Each work.
ed in his turn, until exhausted, and then
one Of the others relieved him and so the
inside planks were slowly hacked, or rath.
er worn away. To reach and cut away
The others was more difficult and tedious
work, and the men gave over, saying il
was OF no use; they should never accom-.
plish such task, and had rather die a:
they were Than labor on thus hopelessly
and then perish as they were sure to do
But the captain repeated the old adaee
"while there is life there is hope," and
kept to his task. His example gave in,
spiration and courage to the others, aod
they Joined him to cut out place about
two and one-half feet square.
All the afternoon and all the night the,
worked; and on Wednesday could see th.
light through some parts of the planl
where they were brushing away the wood
Their hatchet, had become SO badly blunt
ed that it no longer cut. and their progress
was very slow. But they were hopeful al
they saw how much had been accomplish.
ed, and with redoubled force the hatche,
was piled again.
Alas their zeal came well nigh running
them. They struck through the plank in
one place, and SO great was the pressure oI
the vessel on the air 10 the hold that il
escaped through the aperture with some-
thing like the noise of steam-whisile.
The schooner began to settle again.
when the Captain tore off portion of his
shirt and with a Ratchet drove it into the
hole, an stopped the rapid escape of the air.
lie then charged the others to work away
in other places until the light could be seen
through the thin wood left all around the
planks they were intending to remove
This was soon after accomplished and they
then prepared to make their escape to the
outside. Two important matters were then
to be considered. First, how to break out
the planks. Second, how to secure them
selves from being swept off from the bot
tom when they should emerge and subject
themselves to the waves, still at times
breaking over them. They had one coil
OF small rope, the only one that did not 60
out when the hatch came off. and as Prov
idence directed, the only one that could
have answered the purpose for which it
was usee.
This, they secured, and cutting off
piece, of sufficient length, they lashed to-
gether several joists, and made of them
small battering ram. Then they fastened
lines 10 something permanent 10 the hold
and the other ends of The same to their
own bodies. so as TO hold by them when
the seas should go over the bottom. They
also prepared to take out with them one
end of the remaining coil, TO use for any
purpose found needful.
All things being thus made ready they
all gathered under the proposed opening,
and taking hold of the jois's, they drove
them against the planks with all thA. po ~ or
they possessed.
The pressure of the atmosphere aided
them aud the blow was successful. The
planks went out, and the Captain, who
stood directly under them, was carried
through the opening, and landed on tho
fiat bottom of the schooner, without an eff
fort on his part. This was done by rush
of the compressed air, which shot him out
like arrow.
Instantly he helped the others to escape
for, as had been anticipated, as soon as the
air could rush out, the ater rose rapidly
in the hold.
When they finished cutting, there was
scarcely more than three feet of air re-