Urbana union. [volume] (Urbana, Ohio) 1862-1872, 1870-11-23

Just over our bows, at a distance Of two
/ hundred feet, more or less, the huge
bulk of the Europa kept appearing and
! disappearing in and out of the, paddle
wheels moving back and forth to free
/ her pumps-fOF she was leaking badly
/ her boats unshipped from their davits in
/ readiness to lower to the water, and
/ bluelights flashing up and dying away
/ from her amidships. Outside Of the
/ frightened semi-nude crowd on her
] own deck, were the measured march of
/ the sailors manning ropes and hawserI
/ the shouts Of under officer to men in the
rigging, and the quick, CHEEKY reply,
/ the hOarse con yersatiOn- carried on be-
tween the two commanders from the
/ paddlwheel boxes, the noisy rush of
/ steam blowing of through the pipes,
and the unlashing and the swinging of
/ the boats over the side, and the pulleys
and TICKLE made sure to run free from
/ knots and kinks.
For more than an hour and three
! quarters We stood upon the deck with
out being able to learn one word Of the
real nature of our danger. To those who
knew. anything of seamanship, there
were orders continually given by the
captain which indicated that the good
ship must be in q sinking condition, and
yet we hoped they were provision as
they dr0ved to be, rather against con-
tingency than a certainty.
Just as impatient remarks about the
unnecessary delay in giving us infoTma-
tions as to eofstate the ship began to be
overheard, the captain descended from
the Wheelhouse and came toward US.
All eyes We're bent upon him. He was
Il man of cold temperament and few
words; but what he said was usually to
the purpose. It was unmistakably SO
now.
Passengers, the Arabia has coIlided
with the Europa. This ship is not in
iured. The Europa leaks, and will put
into St. Johns. We shall follow her.
You can go to bed.'
Can our lamps be lighted y asked a
Dassenger-fOT, by q ships rule, the
lights once out may not be relight-
ed.
Yes! Steward, light up for fifteen
minutes
Can we have the saloon for prayer
meeting% asked an active Connecticut
parsOn, who, having been busy distri-
| buting tracts with very hopeless results
during the voyage, looked upon the Op-
portunity now presented as prOYIden-
tial
Prayer meeting. exclaimed the cap
tain, using an intersection that
showed he, at least, needed to be pray
ed for; prayer meeting! why, bless
your soul, it's past two in the morning.
Better 90 to bed, and hold your prayer
meeting by daylight
The Europa put into st. Johns. The
Arabia did not; but made her way in q
disabled condition to New York, it hav-
ing been ascertained, after the steam
was got up, that her machinery was
damaged by her conclusion, and would
need the help of the Novelty Works to
fit her again for sea,
This is not the place to discuss nautic-
al rules. Nothing can be more abstruse.
No two navigatoTs ever agreo upon
their application. They are not unlike
metaphysics as defined by the Scotch
dominic: He that's listening does ma
ken what ne that's talking means, and
he that's talking does ma ken what he
means himself
you should hBve put you helm a-star-
board, and not a-port Mr.. Jones, and
then this cursed misadventure would
never have happened said the captain
of the Europa, when our boat boarded
her.
III had, replied the officer, your
bows would have struck the Arabia
anlidships, and every soul Of us gone to
! the bottom
The Cunard company was too wise to
have the question argued in the courts.
BY the admiralty rules each ship should
have puld have put her helm hard
a-starboard By the higher rule ofself-
preservation the order Hard a-port' on
the Arabia could not have been wrong,
/ since the ship and those on board were
were saved. The Cunard company
pocketed the loss and promoted the Of
ficers. f