The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1872-06-29

SO to protect the entrance that he was
enabled to set fire to the tar and, as
he added considerable quantity of
spirits of turpentine, the bright flame
shot up like fash the moment it came
in contact with the fire. In a few min
utes the blazing mass was removed to
the brow of the cliff, and though the
| bowling wind aud driving hail seemed
to threaten instant humiliation TO the
oil man IS signal, vet it fiared forth a
brilliant light, and Ghe reports of three
| guns, which came in quick succession
over the driven sea, plainly indicated
| that they on board the struggling yes
sci had seen it, and that they also I'M
| derstood its import.
| For fifteen minutes did old Storms
stand upon the cliff, endeavoring to
peer through the gloom to where the
devoted bark seemed to be; and at the
end of that time, he made her out. She
was brig, not more than two cables
| length from the shore and, being
| driven stern in, it was evident that she
had her anchors out ahead
The phosphorescence of the foam
crested sea, and the rejecting power of
the hail, seemed to throw considerable
| light over the scene; and the old man
was ere long enabled to make out dis
tinctly the exact situation OF the brig.
From her yards and stays were snap
ping and huttering the remnants of her
sails; but not an inch of canvass was
there left that could be set, all having
| been blown from the bolt ropes in the
vain attempt to lay the vessel to- The
starboard anchor was out, while the
dangling end of the larboard cable told
plainly thai its anchor had gone; but
the remaining one did no good, for it
had no power against the gigantic
strength of the driving wind
The beacon light had gone out and
for a short time the old man stood I'M
decided what TO do In ten minutes at
the farthest, the brig must strike the
rocks, and then-Lord have mercy on
the crew."
1.-The poor fellows shall have the
| risk OF my life at any rate" exclaimed
the hardy coastman, with sudden
energy as he darted from the rock and
made toward the house Hannah, -
he said, as he reached the doorstep.
upon which his wife and daughter were
standing, "run to the boat-house, and
| bring the new harpoon line. Quick,
now, for ID few minutes more it may
be too late -
I" But you surely are not going to
venture out 2"
Venture ~ interrupted the old
man, as his wife began to demonstrate.
while Hannah was gone after the line
''There are human beings there whose
| l,x. Il 7 I
salvation hereafter, I'll labor for their
salvation now. While | stood upon the
cliff, there seemed to come voice,
borne upon the roaring wind, that said,
''Save them -
& But your own life-do not throw it
away, urged the old woman.
Then come down and help save il, .
returned the old and determined man.
81 want both you and Hannah to follow
me quickly. Come he continued, as
his daughter arrived with the liue,
g bundle up and come along
The mother and daughter lost no
time IN obeying the old mans mandate,
Tor they had bold hearts as well as he
but it was for him they feared more
than for themselves. The sight of the
devoted brig, however, which was now
dashed by the spray that broke from the
towering rocks. took away all thought
Tor themselves, and with quickened
steps they FASTENED to The shore. There
must have been prayers there. but these
were for the ears OF one who commands
the tempest, and he never fails to hear
The brig was setting in directly up
ON a large reef, Just to the southwark
OF the cliff, and further to the south OF
which, still, there was kind Of open
ing, several rods i'll width, which made
III from the sea up to the beach. Bid
ding his wife and DAUGHTER take the end
OF the line, and be ready to haul in
Whenever they felt a strong pull upon
1t, the old man started out over the
reef. From rock to rock he clainbered.
atId, but Tor his intimate knowledge of
every crack and lut, he must have been
washed oil ere he got half way out, but
he struggled on, and ere long he was
upon the outer extremity of the reef.
On came the brig, nearer aud near
er 10 the place Of her destruction, and
at last she struck. Again and again
did her heavy stern dash against the
rocks, and at length, as she lifted upon
a dasblnG swell, she came down for The
last time With a fearful crash, her
t'mbers were rent asunder, and The i'll
lated brig had found Ter grave.
That sturdy old watcher upon the
rocks saw the struggling forms of the
crew, as they grasped the shattering
fragments Tor support, and with an
| eagle eye he watched for his opportnn-
ity to render his aid. At length it
came. Two men who were on the bows
after the brig had first struck, had Sc
| cured themselves to a piece Of bent.
which had split from the cHtwater to
the forward chain-platcs, and together
they We're struggling with the waves :;
but, alone they could not have saved
themselves, for they were being dash
ed past the point of the reef upon the
dragged rocks beyond
Now or never" shouted the old
man, as the piece of wreck WAS whirI
ing past and with fervent 'sHeaven
help mel he leapcd from the rock.
HIS feet struck the floating mass lust
as It was curling over broken wave.
and, falling quickly upon his breast.
he grasped the lashings of the two men,
and then braced himself for the issue.
The sllrglng of the wreck gave the re-
CURED pull upon the line which was
dashed around his body, and in mo-
meut mere the heroic women on shore
were pulling with all their might
Each time, as the soul frighted piece of
wreck settled into trough of the sea,
dld 1T tend nearer the oren space to.