Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1870-11-05

however bulky, invisible at distance OF about
five hundred feet. 1t was now Impossible
utterly soto 20 aloft to furl the sail which
the force of the gale had started adrft by rea-
son of its parting the port maintopsail sheet;
nor could the sail be clewed down in sufficient
time to prevent it from being literally blown
TO ribbons. 1t was obliged TO be so LETT, nut
tering and betokening distress, and cracking
in the wind as tlexibly as a coachmans wmp'
At twenty minutes past six the mizZen storm
staysail tack (the only sails carried now were
the fore and nizzen storm staysals) parted
with a startling snap, but the,sall was fortuh-
ately hauled down and secured before any one
was hurt with the flying block. len minutes
afterward with a frighttul crash the main top
gallant mast was carried away, but owing to
The strength of the rigging it hung swinging
violently inboard and cupboard with the mo-
ton of the vessel, forming a fearful and peril
ous spectacle. Ii was utterly out OF the ques-
lion to secure the wreck for the reason before
given namely. the impossibiiity of going aloit;
so that the additional danger OF the encum-
brance (for such it had now become) cutting
through the standing rigging was presented.
At seven o'clock the glass had fallen to - ;O''
and the cyclone had reached fury and vio-
lence without parallel IN the remembrance
OF any individual on board.
AT eight o'clock SO violent was the motion
and so high was the sea that the steam launch,
secured at the davits Just forward OF the main
mast on the starboard side was wrenched
violently inboard end the davits themselves
twisted like wire, although they were hve
inches in diameter, forged in solid iron. The
heavy iron cradles in which the launch rested
when in stu were snapped like glass. Adj
munished by this of the instability OF what fad
hitherto been considered sufficiently secure,
extra lashings were placed on the guns anu
other heavy moyables. The larger yards had
been provided with preyenter braces and
jumpers some hours before. The rigging now
began to display a dangerous laxty. and hung
| loosely sageing in towards the mast, becom-
inr A trihe taut. only on the more elevated
side as the ship rolled. Lashngs were
stretched across the starboard to the port
lover standing rigging, with the view to pre-
vent the inevitah chate and weakening
which must cnsue on such continued notion.
At ten o'clock the cry came from the for
ward part Of the vessel, acquaintlng the FAINT
! heart, d and almost dc pairing mOrtals with the
intelligence that the flying jibboom had been
carried away. As it tell So it had to remain.
II being toolhardy to even think of securing
the wreck At haif-past ten the toretop- gal
liant mast snapped Oft short at the cap, hike The
sliveling OF gigantic icicle, and the wreck
hung silshing backwards and forward with
laundering cla;ter, adding more calamity to
that already Threatening the vessel. Ateleven
o'clock the excess of the rolling and the height
of the sea tore from lis tastenings at the davits
the ,cond launch, which went down by the
run in the water alorgside. by wonderful
! effort on the p TT of those in charge the tackle
was manned the boat hoisted on board and
| dashed on deck.
Everything that could be done to insure any
hope Of safety had been done Lashings had
been placed around about every com atable
| object likely to fetch away or get adriit, so
that now in this helpless condition compare
lively there was nothing to do but to await the
issue rs calmly and philosophically as one
might
At eight o'clock the joyful tidings were cir
culuted that the glass was rising, although the
hurricane continued with trghtfu force and
undated violence the whole evening and the
early hours of the next day. Sail the glass
CONTINUED to rise, and this inspired hope
The value of the ascension was practically IL
Illustrated about four O'Clock on the morning of
the 18th by slight moderation OF the gale
circumstance noted by all with emotions
composed Of hope and fear-hope slightly
predominant. The improvement OF affairs
from this point was gradual, but twas steady;
but there still remained a dreadfully high sea
running. In the trough of which it was feared
the low masts would roll out of the ship. Sew
eral times she tell off into it, but providential-
", escaped, and by skilful maneuyring she
was guarded against similar disaster. The
pitching at these times was so great that the
sea was more than once seen by the officer on
the quarterback over the foreyard; and the
logical result of such motion was unavoidably
illustrated by the tearing adrift, through the
filling with water of the dingee, which boat
hung in fanced security close up to the after
davits.
The poopdeck for this short space of time
was actually submerged, and the heavy, surg
ing, turbulent seas resembled in their outlines
gigantic human sihouettes, on the angry, up
turned countenances of which the vessel was
heaved, as if she had grounded on the face OF
some amphibious Titan.
The gale gradually subsidized, taking about
forty hit hours so to do, and it was then that
many items of damage of minor note were
discovered, and va, ious personal inconven-
fences revealed themselves in the shape of
saturated bedding and wearing apparel; but
the 10Y at our deiverance was too universal
to allow such trihes to fret for one moment.
AT half-past three O'clock on the morning of
the 18th there drifted rapidly past us, about
two hundred yards to leeward, the helpless,
tossing, tumbling wreck of a vessel, suppos
ably ship, having visible the stump of one
mast. The hull could not be distinguished, be
causc the sea was running too high, and the only
light was that derived from the moon. OF
course no life could be observed on board, nor
could assistance have been rendered had
it been otherwise. That wreck was doubtless
but one of the victims sacrificed to appeaSe
the names of the angry Cyclone, an,i the
names of those unfortunates who persisted i'll
her will but serve TO swell the already mourn
fu catalogue of those whose sad simple and
touching obituary must be, Lost at sea-