National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1867-05-03

~ III HOW tucN were going 10 get
the last boat ont, and the three 9th
ers lay off at a little distance, while
above the hoarse orders of the cap
tain there was the cracking and
roar of the flames, now leaping at a
fearful rate. And yet it was a
splendid sight, i'll sight of the hor-
ror for every now and then pieces
OF the copper wire rope used in rig,
ging regularly caught fire, and burn
ed with a most beautiful blue light,
brighter than in any firework | ever
saw while now the foremast had
taken fire, and the flames were tear
ing along the rigging till the ropes
seemed illuminated with little beads
and tongues of fire. The heat grew
awful, and every now and then
pieces of blazing rope, spars and
blocks fell red-hot and glowing into
the sea, to send up little columns OF
kissing steam. the whole of the
centre of the ship was now on fire,
and the flames rose prodi giously,
floating off and flashing amidst the
clouds of smoke while far away,
still lightly fitted and spun about
the golden, flaky snow, eddying
amongst the smoke, and darting tar
on high in the most beautiful way
Imaginable.
think / said before how the tre-
mendouS heat caused a regular
draught to settle towards the fire,
so that as You We're almost scorchcd
before, the wind came with quite a
cold rush behind but then, how it
made the flames roar again, and
burn more iiercely than ever! II
vas a sickening sight for every
LOW and then the cruel, torky
tongues seemed to keep tapping at
and Threatening us, and then dane
ing and licking everything up, as i
i'll devilish joy ut the prospect o.
soon devourlng us poor sinners.
Itwas a horrible sight, and though
| didn't show it, yet | could feel my
heart sink every time | was idle fol
few moments, when / went at it
again like a savage. [ didn't &c
down on my knees to pray ; but
don't know think | prayed earn.
estly in my heart then, and though
l would gladly have been with the
wife safe in the other boat, yet ]
couldn't feel as it was suited with a
fellows duty to leave such man as
that captain had showed himself al
i'll the lurch SO | says to myself:
BE man, too, Phil : and | di,
try to, anyhow.
All at once the flames seemed t
veer round. and began blowing to
wards us, while the position Of til,
boats was changed and l couldn'
understand it, till | saw the captair
run from helping to get tie last
boat-the one as was on the deck
close to the miZen-mast--over the
side ; and then | found it was the
man had left the steeragc wheel
/ and run up towards the boat.
Back " | heard the captain say
back, or I'll fire"
Fire away, cap said the maj
sulkily; 'one may just as well die b.
fire one way as another, and won
stand there and be burnt AM
then the captains hand-the one a
held the pistol-fell down by hi
side, and he looked regularly done
Whats upF / says. 'What can
do p and followed the captain to tn
wheel, which he turned so as to pu
the head ofthe ship right once more
and as he did it, she just change'
round again but while all this hat
been going on, the mizzen or thir'
mast took fire, and now was blazing
away liercely.
Hold on here, my man, says th'
captain, 'and keep the wheel Just al
it is. That's right; hold the spoke'
firm and if her head swings 1 Dund
call to me to come and help YOU
'All right says 'but mind,
don't understand it II Bit And nov
my troubles seemed to begin TO
though it was bad enough to b
busting about tancying that tn
ship would either go down or your
be burnt every moment, yet to stan
stock still holding on to the spoke
of that wheel was awful, and d
what l would to stop it, n regula
tremblc came all over me, and IN
knees kept on shake, shake, shak,
They got the boat over the side
and then the men rushed over on
another to get in, and it was only b
stamping about and hitting at thcl
J that the captain got the poor chap
. to take in the things they wanted
such as food, which he fetched on
of the cabin himself F.; and wate
which they did sling in, but drol
ped one little cask overheard. Blu
one way or another, he got them {
last to take in II good many thing
; such as they'd want, and n compass
and then, with three more men, Il
, he rushed down to the cabin agai
for more food-biscuit bags.--sayin
. as the other boats would want NOR
| and that we must supply then
=. And then up they came staggerir
{ aud shaking, one man with Il hit
, waterkeg, and the captain with
I side % bacon, and two men wit
e bags o. biscuit and they goes
!. the side, and | wished my job WI
| done as | saw 'em go.
All ut once one of the men Civ
u yell, throws down his bag, al
I leaps bang overheard, and the OF
|, ers, running after him. did so to