The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1868-03-12
A THRILLING ADVENTURE.

D
remarkable for the neatuesS and comfort
of its houses, for the activity and enter
prise of its people, and for the wealth and
we'll being of all who choose to be indus
trious and incline to lay up worldly
goods. The intercourse with Halifax,
the capital of the province, was, at the
period of which we speak, chiefly kept up
by smart and dashing little craft, called
the Liverpool Packet commanded by Cap
tain Bass, which piled weekly between
the two places throughout the spring and
summer months, laying up during the
severity Of the winter, when the commu-
nication with Halifax was, Cor the most
part, limited to a weekly post by land.
About the year 1915 or 1916, as the
season for navigation was drawing to a
close, great number of passengers went
20 Halifax. as was the custom, 10 replen-
ish their stores for the winter, while
many heads of families proceeded thither
to purchase clothing, groceries, &c, tor
their private winter stock ; and as this
was TO be the last trip Of the season, the
little barUue was crowded with some forty
or fifty passengers, chiefly fathers and
mothers of large families who were left at
home
The voyage to Halifax was prosperous.
The voyagers made their purchases, and
in due time the Liverpool Packet was
ready to return. All the passengers en-
barked in good spirits and the barque
sailed cheerily down the harbor, and
proceeded for her destination.
A few hours after her departure there
sprang up one of those terrific northwest
ers, SO we'll known on the coast of Nova
Scotia, and blowing with the utmost fury
for several days, attended with intense
frost. 1t was clear that no vessel could
keep the coast she must either put herself
before ten wind and run out to sea, or all
perish miserably by wreck and the rigor
of an atmosphere twenty or thirty degrees
below zero. A change of weather so
sudden, so severe, and SO unexpected,
gave rise to great fears for the safety of
the little packet and the next post by land
was anxiously waited for by friends and
relatives al both towns.
The post at length arrived, but brought
no tidings of the Liverpool Packet;
another post and another came in, and
yet no news of the missing vessel. Search
was then made along the shore to see if
the wreck could be found, but not a yes
tige could be discovered. The bold began
to doubt, and the timld TO despair, and
the opinion was at last arrived at that the
vessel had been blown off the coast, or
sunk in gale. Ii the latter, she and her
passengers were, of course, irretrievabIy
gone, as no person c, Nd live in boats in
such weather; if the former, there was
still hope that the next arrival from Ber-
muda would bring some intelligence
We will not attempt to describe the
deplorable state of mind OF the people in
the once happy little town, for nearly all
had relative on board, either father,
mother, brother or sister. Prayers were
put up in the churches, and a gloom
mantled over the countenances of every
one,
Advices were in due time received from
Bermuda, but nothing was heard from the
little packet and her passengers. Ac-
counts were also received from several of
the West India Islands, but still without
intelligence of the missing vessel.
Three months at length passed away,
and the packet was given up for lost.
Those who had friends on board went
into mourning, and prayers were even
offered up for the repose of the souls of
the departed and so connected were the
different families with each other through
out the town that the Sunday on which all
who had friends put on black, put nearly
the entire population in the habiliments of
woe,
-Four months had now passed away;
the mourners, notwithstanding their ire
parable loss, were becoming reconciled to
their bereavement; for there is philoso-
ply in the human heart which teaches
us to bear with fortitudc great losses,
when those of less severity are met with
impatience. All hope had now fed the
vessel had, without doubt, foundered and
gone to the bottom, with all on board
but when, or In what part of the vast
ocean, was to remain yelled in the secrets
of the deep until the sea should give up
Its dead.
Sixteen weeks had now elapsed, when
one fine morning in the spring some sea-
faring people down in the Fort deserted
strange brig approaching the harbor. She
attracted attention from the circumstance
that, although stranger, she was navi-
gated by one who well knew the entrance
of the harbor, for she came in without
pilot or shortening sail. The quick eye
and watchful habits of seamen could not
lightly pass over such circumstance, and
the report of stranger vessel coming in
soon spread through the little town, and
many persons assembled. The best tele-
scopes were !put in requisition, but none
could make out who or what the stranger
was. AS she drew nearer to the anxious
group, her deck was discovered to be
crowded with male and female passen~
gers.
"Ahi' exclaimed one who had certain
indelinable hope, as that hope sank within
him, San emigrant ship, after all, and q