The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1871-03-24

aged the storm as yet far down be
low the horizon. The calm was un-
natural, and we felt that its opposite
extreme might burst over US within
an hour. The huge hull of our yes
sci swayed and rocked upen the new
er ceasing swells of the Indian
Ocean, and because we were only in
ballast we had urgent cause to fear
anything like hurricane. The roy
ais had been taken in before we were
called, also the flying iib. And now
was heard the Captain's voice, in
high, quick tones, delivering his or
ders to as thorough a crew of sea-
men as ever shipped to hand, reef or
steer.
"Furl top gallants and aft! Stand
by the topsail, hallars, reef tackles
and clew linesP'
Then out on that black night, whose
siekly, sitting air trembled with the
burden of the nearing storm wraiths,
swept the soundof fhurrying feet and
answering voices Of the busy crew.
Denser and blaeker seemed the
clouds; the great eoneave above US
had concealed from our view every
star and streak oflight, except where
the lurid flashes shot up their appal-
ing forms and leaped from cloud to
horizon, from horizon to zenith. In
the far distance the unified thunder
rolled out its angry challenge along
the sky. Up to this hour the winds
seemed harnesed to a weighty load;
we we're rapidly getting all things
snug for the worst when again the
voice of command hailed those aloft.
"Topsall yards therep'
"Aye, aye, sir"
'tPut in close reefs, and furl the
coursers as you come down."
Thirty-five good hands-alof5 made
quick work with the tapping sheets,
/ hut none too soon for the storm.
The clouds in the Northeast showed
a wicked looking rift, through which
we could catch glimpses Of the
bright stars that looked down upor
the embattled clouds armed witt
terrors and destruction for puny man
A shrill, kissing sound, a moan from
the disturbed waters as they felt thu
breath of the gale; an unlashing o
the powers of air in the encum
bered space above, and the ship fair
lily quaked as she fell away from tht
burst of that angy blast and fed a.
if thing of animate life from it
dangers. The storm was upon US
and so furiously did il beat our shiI
as she scudded and plunged befor'
it, that before morning lit up tn
Eastern sky our foretop gallantmas
and flying jibboom cracked and werl
carried away. The mizen mast, an'
then the main topgsllant and mail
top mast, went next.
/ Matters began to look serious, es
pecially to those acquainted with th
rotary movements of the atmospher
in the region of hurricanes or ty
phoons. Ofthose three well know
regions, the Indian Ocean, West In
dies and Chinese Sea, the former
! by no means the worst to be caugh
! in during one of those whirlin
storms, but, as we remarked befor
we were in ballast and could not SAT
/ llv "heave tor indeed few ships wi
Ianswer their helm and swing up
I safety to the teeth of the storm. Tt
experiment is understood by naut
cal persons to be frsught wit
danger.
3 Round us roared and tumbled th
, swelling pillows, while from the
white crests boiled down in furiou
rage the floods of terrible powe
+ Such storms will travel from thirty
i've to forty miles an hour, lashin
the ocean into a scene at once aWfI
and indescribable. AS the win
moves in circles, a ship well lade
could by sailing "on the Tind,'
heading well up to it is terme'
creep out of the danger soon, but
we were situated nothing was left q
but the hope that we might keep on
of the reach OF the hungry loOkin
waves chasing us, and also be sWeI
away from the treacherous cors
reefs in those Eastern seas. Abou
; Inoon we swept past an East Indi
, Imam shove to- and before night
man of war was seen battling wit
the elements. But that night! ma
! heaven forbid a second edition of il
terrors.
When midnight came the larboar
watch went as was customary to th
pumps, and the starboard watc
having relieved them could not fre
1.-THE ship from water until two A. n
The carpenter was called. 1t w'
his sixth voyage in that ship an
flnone knew as well as he what qua
ltity of water she usually made
, rough weather. He gave it as h
, conviction, that leak had eprul
somewhere amidships. AS this WI
? reported directly to the Captain, Il
frightened carpenter was ordered
say nothing about it to the me
: The Setward was orded to serve gre
leach time the hands were relieved
| the ships pumps, and an inyesag'
j ltion was commenced in the hoI
, Instead ofone leak, two were disco
. Iered, and though but one OF the
could be reached it 1essend the rus
Iof water into the creaking hold Whe
|, oakum, tar and tarpaulins were pu
, in and over the leak. When M
lTonnice came on deck st eight Del
/ flour A. NJ. } and heard from the com
, mander the alarming news, hls Whol
bearing towards the men changed
Said the Captain, 81 did not wish t
call all hands while one watch eoulC
work the pumps, as 1 know the,
! need rest; but unless the gale abate
bv sunrise, keep all hands on dec
till we" Ifailed to catch his las
, words, but somehow an uneasy fee
ing, almost sickening, came over me
wanted to know whatthOse last word
were and determined to set aside tn
barriers of his strict discipline
and as his sisters son claim the righ
to know the worst. I followed hin
to the cabin and found his finger
on a chart where he traced out tn
course our vessel had been sWep
along since the storm struck US.
r "Well Edward" said he, turnin
to me, '.you have been anxious t