The Elk advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Elk Co., Pa.) 186?-1868, 1867-07-03
9rletted Stlistellanp,
DOUBLING CAPE HORN.

All hands take in sail Jump men,
and save ship !"
Springing to our hammocks, We found |
the frigato leaning over to it so stooply !
that it was with difficulty VIC could climb |
the ladders leading to the upper deck,
Here the scene was awful. The vessel
seemed to be sailing on her side. The
main-deck guns had, several days pre-
viously, been run in and housed, and the
port>holes closed but the lee carronades
on the quarterback and the forecast!e
were plunging through the sea, which
undulatcd over them in miik.white bill
lows of foam. With every lurch to the
loeward the yard.arm ends seemed to
dip in the sea, while forward, the spray
dashed over the bows in cataracts, and
drenched the men who were on the fore
yard.
By this time the deck was alive with
the whole strength of the ships compa-
nv, five hundred men, officers and all,
mostly clinging to the weather bulwarks.
The occasional phosphorescenso Of the
yeasty sea cast glare upon their up
lifted faces, as a night-fre IL a populous
city lights up the panicstricken crowd.
In sudden gale, or when large
quantity Of sail is suddenly to be furled,
it is the custom for the first lieutenant
to take the trumpet from whoever hap
pens then to be officer of the deck. But
Mad Jack had the trumpet that watch,
nor did the first lieutenant now seek to
wrest it from his hands Every eye was
upon him as we had chosen him from
among us all to decide this battle with
the elements by single combat with the
spirit of the Capo-for Mad Jack was
the saving genius of the ship, and so
proved himself that night. owe this
right hand, that is this moment flying
over my sheet and all my present being,
to Mad Jack.
The ships bows were now butting, bat
tering, ramming, and laundering over
and upon the head seas, and with hor-
hijle walowing sound our whole hull
was rolling in the trough of the foam.
The gale came athvart, the deck, and
every sail seemed bursting with its wild
breath.-All the quarter.mastcrs, and
several Of the torecastlemon, were
swarming round the double,Nheel on
the quarter deck some ju,hping up and
down, with their hahds upon their
spokos,- for the whole helm and gal.
vanized kncel were fercely ieverish with
the life impaired to them by the temp
est.
" Hard up the helm =, shouted Cap
tain Clarct, bursting from his cabin like
a ghost in his night dress "-you "
roared Mad Jack to the quarter master,
" hard down-hard down, | say. and be
ID to you? " Contrary orders but
Mad Jacks were obeyed His object
was to throw the ship into the wind, so
as the better to admit of close-reefng
the toposails. But though the halyards
were let 20, it was impossible to clew
down the yards, owing to the enormous
horizontal strain on the canvas.
1t now blew hurricane. The spray
flew over the ship in floods. The gigan-
tic masts seemed about to snap under the
Worldwide strain Of the three entire top.
sails Clew down clew down u
shouted Mad Jack, husky with excite
mcnt, and in a frenzy, beating his trum
pet against one of the shrouds ; but ow'
ing to the slant of the ship, the thing
could not be done. 1t was obvious that
before many minutes something must &C
either sails, rigging, or sticks per
haps hull itself, aud all hands.
Presently a voice from the top ex
claimed that there was a rent in the top
sail and instantly we heard a report
like two or three muskets discharged to.
gether the vast sail was rent up and
down, like the Vail of the Temple. Thi,
saved the main mast, for the yard was
now clewed down with comparative ease
and the top men laid out to stow the
shattered canvass. Soon, the two re
naming top sails were also clcwed dowr
and close-reelcd.
Above all the roar of the tempest ant
the shonts of the crew was heard the
dismal tolling OF the ships bell (almos
as large as that of a village church)
which the violent rolling of the ship wa;
occasloning. Imagination cannot con
ceive the horror of such a sound in the
night,tcmpest at sea. " Stop tha
ghost ? rOared Mad Jack " away one
of you, aud wrench off the clappor.
But no sooner was this ghost gagged
than still more appalling sound was
heard-the rolling to and fro of the
heavy shot, which, on the gun.deck, had
broken loose from the gun-lacks, had
converted that part of the ship into an
immense bowling,alloy. Some hand,
were sent down to secure them but il
was as much as their lives were worth
Several were manned, and the midship
men who were ordered to see the dut,
performed, reported it impossible unit
the storm abatol'
The most terrific job of all was tt
furl the maa.sail, which, at the com
mencement Of the squall had beer