Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1868-04-10


Good Heavens - he exclaimed
"she must be on the Black Reef, and
4 every soul must perish. No. Let me
see-whaG's the hour2 Ah. it is nearly
! dead low water just now, and it viii be
almost smooth inside the reef Tfthe
I people ON board her knew that they
/ may launch their boats or a raft, or even
swim on shore but they probably dc
I not, IftheY wait for the morning, ex-
cept the gale should abate as suddenly y
! as IL has commenced, which there is nc
/ prospect Of, every soul must be lost"
Thus soliIoquizing, Jack Osborne
wound his way down the steep sides Ol
/ the cliffs by a Welt-known path to the
/ beach. He 1Eere found several fisher.
E men, whose cottages were at hand, and
who had, like himself, been attracted &c
/ the spot by the erepOrt Ofthe guns, though
it is 100 be feared that some of them
/ at all events, had resOrted thither more
in expectation of the waits which the
sea might cast on shore than for the
/ purpose of rendering assistance to the
/ hap less beings on the wreck
/ "HIIIO, Tom Hansard, is that you, my
man?" exclaimed the young sailor as he
/ reached the shore, addressing stout
/ fisherman who was looking earnestly
/ seward; whereabouts is the vessel
/ that was firing just nOw?"
/ '.On The BI tck Reef, no doubt, Sir,
was the answer.
"And if the people on board her re-
main there without assistance they will
/ be lost" cried Jack Osborne, IL an ca
I ger tone.
sit is very true, Sir" answered the
/ fisherman stbut it can not be helped" +"
''But I say it can be helped, - excIaim-
ed the young man with animation.
Now, if you and three other active
hands will launch one of your boats
and accompany me, we viii carry a
hawser out tn the vessel, and get all
the people on shore over the reef o # re
the tide rises. Here are eight sOVer-
elgns in my purse, Whicn shall be
yours whether we succeed or not; and
as for the danger, there's none, if we
are quick about the work. Remember,
it's now neap tide and dead low water,
so there'l be no sea of any consequence
to hurt us"
'tWe'd 60 without the money, Mister
Osborne" said another fisherman, who
had been attracted to the spot but our
wives and little ones, and
'Well, here's the noney-Teave that
with them, but be quick about it, cried
the young officer, inpatiently- 'There
is no danger, l tell you; and you can
not be such arraut towards as TO allow
a whole ships company to perish for
fear of Wetting your jackets. If you
are, I shall go alone, though I fear
shall do little good without help. I sup
pose some of you will lend a hand to
launch a boat through the surf I6 mat
Cers little to any one if I never come
back"
t'No, no, Mister Osborne, we are not
afraid and we're not the men to let yoC
90 alone, +" answered one of the older
fishermen. "But we did not think of
the tide being as low as you say. You
are right, though, Sir, and III answer
we get safe up to the rocks. III go
with you, for one"
2 - 7
era1 others.
Jack selected those who had first spo-
ken, and launching one of the boats by
the aid of all hands, steered boldly
through the snrf, with lantern in her
bows, toward the dark rocks which they
knew were now above water, tow ng al
the same time line that was made fast
to some posts on the shore. A fierce
wind was in their teeth, cover
ing them with the thick spray, and
he night was otherwise so dark that i
was with difficulty Jack could see how
to steer indeed he seemed guide rath-
er by a seaman's instinct than as
sisted by his powers of vision. The
thnughfy t6es OF Fanny and of her a p
probation should he succeed in his en-
tPrprisP, uerved his heart and deter
mined him to risk every peril. Not
WithstandiBg his assertion that there
would be no danger, several heavy seas
broke on board the boat but, encOur-
aged by their young commander, the
fishermen, having once engaged in the
-unde dertaking, We're not deferred from
proceeding while any hope of success
existed. AS they neared the reef the wa
ter became smoother; and at langTb
they made out, by the vivid flashes of
lightning which every now and then
davted from the clouds, the bull of
large vessel driven com pletely upon the
rocks, and over the afterpart of which
the sea was breaking wildly. Ihe
masts were all gone, her bOwsprit only
remaining, and projecting, fortunately.
over a ledge of the reef which the water
did not wash. The light of several lam
terms twinkling in the fOrepart of the
ship showed that some of ner crew, at
all events, still remained alive, and at
length Jack had reason to suppose that
his boat was seen.
s'Now, my men, he exclaimed, ''Iet
us hail them together. It viii cheer
their spirits, show them that help is al
hand"
And forthwith a cheer aseended from
the fishing boat Tine cheer was directly
answered from the ship. The boat was
now so close the reef that great caution
was necessary to prevent her from be-
ing STAYED against it. As the fisher
men lay on their oars, consulting as to
he best way to carry the rope to the
ship, Jack determined to undertake the
task himself. Throwing off his Jacket,
he made a rope fast around his middle,
and getting the boat as close as was SAT
to the rocks, be plunged overheard
The next instant all was darkness, and
the fishermen anZiouslY watched fOf
another flash of lightning to see the
success of his enterprise. A moment
afterward a human form was seen
rlamberiug over the slippery weed COW
cred rocks; but it again disappeared,
and again they were compelled to waiI
IN suspense till a dark object was seen
moving toward the end of the bowsprit'
While still anxIOusly looking out a
voice from some one IN the water hailed
them, and in a second Jack Osborne
was hauled safely on board The ROPE
he carried, having been hauled on
board the ship by means of which
thick hawseT, was quickly carried to
the shore.
In the mean time Jack Osborne had
returned TO the ship for hurrying tht
departure of the people, for the tide was
now again rising, and every moment
was of consequence. 1t was, indeed
ortunate for he strangers that he did
%, for s ONE Of them were even talking
If remaining by he ship till dayligh'
before they ventured on shore. ShF
proved to be a large ship, homvward
bound from the West Indies, and car
wing valuable cargo, with ten guns
1 numerous crew, and several passen
gers. The scene was one of I he greatest
Confusion, for the masts had gone by
the board, and the decks were covered
with the wreck of the spars and rig
giug, from the falling of which many
OF the people were hurt. These latter
and the passengers were conveyed on
shore in a basket slung on to a hawser,
while most of the crew escaped by Oih
er ropes which had IN the mean time
been carried there. So long time was
hus occupied that Sc veral, among whom
was Jack Osborne, still remained
on the wreck, over which the sea had
begun TO make fearful breaches. A
last a more terrific breaker than any
came rolling toward them. Hasten,
hasten for your lives :" exclaimed tn,
gallant young officer. The sea struck
ship with an awful crash. Quiverlna
in every timber, she parted in twenty
places, and in another instant her bro
ken fragments were dashed upon the
beach. Soue few unhappy beings,
struck by the floating timbers, sank