The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1871-01-26
Il Night tn the Irish Sea.
BY CAPTAIN cRossTREE.

BY CAPTAIN CRossTREE.
We were in the English channel,
upward bound, and steering a course
for Tuskar, with the wind S. S. W.,
breezy, fitfnl, and charged with a
dense, driZZly vapOr, which, with the
heavy swell heaYing in from the At
lantic, we viewed as indicative of a
gale. Eight bells had Just struck,
summOning the first watch, when
Captain Howard Joined me on the
quarterback, saying:
"In with the light canvass, and
dOuble-reef the tOpsails before the
watch goes below, Mr.. G. This wealth
er amt to be trusted"
''That's so, was my brief response,
as turned away to issue the neces-
sary orders, which had scarce passed
my lips, when a vivid flash of light
ming Illuminated the scene for an in
stant, and was succeeded by a crash
of thunder so terrific that every soul
on board Grouched, covering, and sent
an anxious glance aloft, expecting to
witness the fall of our towering spars,
which the shock had shaken from
truck to step.
Almost a minute had elapsed ere a
soul moved from the position in which
that warning crash had arrested them,
and was on the point Of repeating
the order to "letfiy gallant sheets and
halyards," when the futtering of the
canvas announced its execution.
'Lay alOft and hand them, some of
you! Haul down the flying and outer
jibs :" I shouted, and as the ready
seamen sprang to obey the order, 1
turned to my superior, saying:
"Heavy thunder that, sir 81
Gay! Did you feel the old ship
shiver? 1 almost fancied that she
had touched the bottom, so palpable
was the shock"
"AndI. VIII yOuhave the canvas
hauled up, sir? 1 think that bolt was
but the herald of the gale"
''DU Ibtless! Yes but reef the top
sails first. Let me know when you
have her snug" and passing forward,
Captain Howard descended tine poop
ladder, seeking shelter from the driz-
zle in his own cabin.
For some fifteen minutes the task of
shortening sail progressed without in
terruptiOn, when the breeze failed
abruptly, rendering me apprehensive
of a furious and sudden attack by the
storm king from some new quarter
The tOpsail yards were on the caps at
the moment, and the men, in the act
of laying out on the main-topsail yard
to reef the sail, and eager to expedite
matters, l shouted:
"AlOft there. Be alive, my lads
Take two reefs in one"
GAY, ay, sir. Two in one il is" re-
sponded Sam Howard, our third mate
and brother to our captain, as he gain
ed the weather earring and began to
haul up the second reef; whenretreat-
ing aft a few PAGES paused beside the
pinnacle to ncte the position of the
ships head by compass.
A minute latter l was gazing in
tently at the latter, when a slight
shock in the waist, succeeded by a
heavy splash alongside and a cOnfus-
ed hubbub aloft, attracted my atten-
ton, when, with the startling cry, "a
man overheard ~ ringing in my ears,
/ sprang to the rail, but could distin-
guish nothing usual in the water.
"Who's overheard ?'' I demanded,
hailing the top, into which the crew
were tumbling in wild disorder.
"Third mate, sir" was the answer
returned by at least half a score, as
they came tumbling down rigging and
backstays, and rushed towards the
boats regardless of all orders.
"Avast, all Fall back, men, and
wait for ORDERS" shouted Captain
Howard, bounding up the poop-ladder
at an instant. "Where is he, Mr.. c.?
Can you see him ?'
''No, sir. Shall I"
"Yes, yes. Clear away a boat by
all means" he exclaimed, anticipat-
ing my demand. "The life-bOat out
with her at once" And clutching
my arm wildly as I was rushing past
him, he added in a hoarse whisper:
"Be alive for Gods sake! The gale
will be on US in less than ten min
utes.n
The solemn adjuratiOn was not lost
upon me, added to which a sincere
friendship for the perilled youth, who
had proved himself a brave and eff
cient officer on several occasions, rem
dered me dOubly anxious to effect his
rescue.
Our life-bOats-of which we had
two-were secure on the beams, one
end Of each resting on the poop deck,
to which they were secured by a LASH
ing through a deck ring-bolt, added
to which they were bottom up, rem
dering their transfer task of no small
moment. But our men worked with
a will, and in less than three minutes
accomplished the task, which on auy
ordinary occasion would have Occupi-
ed full fifteen. In five minutes the
boat was afiOat and her crew seated,
when springing over the rail I grasp
ed the main chain-plates, and dropped
into the stern-sheets, eXclaiming:
''Ship oars, and give way for your
lives, my lads"
A moment later the gallant crew of
the little nutshell" responded to the
order with a pull which urged her full
six yards from the ships side, and out
into the darkness on her errand of
mercy, while collecting my energy
for the purpose, I gave Utterance to a
loud and prolonged shout, intended as
a herald Of rescue to my perilled mess
mate.
For half a minute I listened breath
less awaiting the response 1 scarce
hoped to hear; but which came at
length, a faint cha, hOr' convincing
us that he whom we sought still lived
to reap the benefit of our endeavors.
With a prolonged and joyous cheer
which was taken up and echoed on
board the ship-we answered him,
while our light and bouyant craft fair
" few from swell to swell, under the
impulse imparted by the yigorous ef-