The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-07-01
st1RtF1* ON THE RAFT.

oAAS NOeSSo
October, IT'S, was remembered in
that country long after the hand of
time and the industry of man had
obliterated the marks Of its fury. AS
sudden as it was tremendous, it arose
after several weeks of settled weather,
and having wrought moro havoc in a
few hours than ordinary tempests
effect in days, it subsidized with cor
responding rapidity, leaving upon
the minds of the peasants who wit
messed its terrors q singular impress
sion with regard to its origin. For
years the herdsman of that rugged
land, and the sailor of the dangerous
sea, believed that the dreadful storm,
which had swept away sheep and
shepherd amid the ruin of house and
fold, and had dashed the largest craft
upon the rocks that received the
shattered fishing boats, was caused
by o sudden exertion among the de-
mons Of the Pole, who, forbidden by
the mandate of Heaven to enter Garth
while it shall move in its appointed
orbit, are perpetually laboring to dis
turb its charmed circle, that they may
rush into havoc by land and wave.
Strange tales are still told of the
events Of that fatal day, and of the
night which ensued; and the follow
ing legend, relating to one of the
voyagers who suffered in the storm,
bears some evidence of the feeling
with which the Norwegians regarded
SO terrible visitation; feeling in
which is mingled some vague recol-
lection Of the time when Norway
itself was one of the most unfortunate
of the stakes in the game played by
the great continental powers.
The tempest was rapidly subsiding
rs dusk drew on, but the cessation Of
the violent turmoil brought no com
fort to the scanty crew of the ill-fated
ship Drontheim, which had sailed
from the port of that name on the
preceding day, and had met the
wrath of the storm in full career.
She had been bound for France, but
ut the time we speak of she was a
helpless and naked hull, drifting
whittier the caprice of the wind,
which seemed to blow from all points
OF the compass at once, chose to hur-
ry her. She was now making her
rapid but Involuntary course North
wards; but to the few human beings
who yet clung to her decks, the state
of her shattered sides, through which
the water was forcing its way at
twenty wounds, left it a matter of
hideous unconcern where they might
meet the uncertain fate which await
ed them. 1t was obvious that many
minutes could not elapse before the
vessel and all she contained should he
sucked into the troubled abyss on
which she yet foated. Her smaller
boats had long since been carried
away by q burst of the storm, which,
hurting three or four monster waves
across her deck, had swept every
movable thing from its surface, in
Guiding more than q third of the
wretched crew. In the next moment,
one of terrified madness, the survivors
had crowded the long boat, which
had scarcely touched the foamine
billows ere it was swamped, and went
down with every soul it bore. Not a
dozen men remained on the fated
vessel, when the sudden and horrible
change in motion which announces
he laundering of ship took place.
She ceased to make way; the violent
agitation which had for hours rem
dcred it noarly impossible to stand
upon her deck was exchanged for o
sullen lurch, followed by second
and third; then the hideous roar OF
the waters rushing in on every hand
told the frantic crew that all was over.
Amid the loud and agonized prayers
OF few, and the blasphemous raw