Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1873-01-23

tween wave breaking on the shore, ant
a wave in the open sea, that there is be
tween a Gagged lion and lion in tn
desert. 1t is great thing in these MI ad
nairsri days to be able to feel awe, and
experienced that sensation. Nature seem
ed to vast, so irresistible; man, so puny
and weak 1 had read many descrip
tions, both in prose and verse, of storm
at sea, but had never caught an idea o
the truth from them, so that despair o
being able to express what felt. 1t We
so absurd that I had ever reckoned tn,
little lives and histories of my kind 81
highly. I caught a glimpse of the fac
that we men, who give ourselves sucl
airs, are but as mites in a cheese. Doubt
less, there may be good mites and bad
wise mites and foolish, but when they art
mashed up together with a lump of but
ter, at the point of knife, they arr
merged in equal insignificance.
As an individual mite, however. be
gan to feel cold, wet, and uncomfortable
and commenced a series of acrobatic per
formances having for their object the at
tainment, first of the cabin stairs, ant
then of mo berth In time all this. wal
accomplished, though not without som'
bruises; then, perched on my shelf, sue
ceeded in getting rid of my wet QUITE
garments, and, rolling myself up in ,
blanket, was soon rocked to sleep.
1 was awakened by violent concus
sion. Have you ever, when going up
stairs in the dark, expected another steE
when you were on the level, and got ,
jerk which tried every nerve in you
body? Well, that was the effect. Wheth
er was thrown out of my berth, o.
jumped down in panic, don't know.
remember trampling on something, which
must have been the diamond merchant
stumbling into the saloon, catching 8
glimpse of three wild eyed passengers
PROSTATE hitherto with sea-sickness, bu
now cured by fear; struggling up the
cabin stairs against torrent of watel
which came pouring down them: and a.
last reaching the deck.
The day was breaking. The wind hai
gone down somewhat. A low line oi
steamer was aground, heeling over on hel
port side, and the waves were buffetine
her to pieces. / managed to climb to the
starboard side of the funnel, the base OF
which prevented me from slipping along
the steep deck, while the bulwark and
paddle box behind formed a barrier
But this latter advantage did not last
long; plank by plank, paddle box and
bulwarks were torn to pieces, and the
loose splinters were q fresh source OF
danger. A sailor, clinging to the sky.
light over the engines, not far from my
station, had his arms broken by a mass
of wood and iron which was hurled
against him and then the waves, which
now washed the deck without opposi
ton, had him at their mercy. They
rolled him back, away from me, then
threw him back, almost to my feet, SO
that I could see his pitiful, appealing
eyes but before 1 could clutch him, they
snatched him away again. So they wor.
ried him to death, and then sported with
his corpse.
There were two boats; the captain and
crew attempted to get one adoat, but the
gear was out of order, or they were
clumsy, or the situation was unfavorable.
Any way, the boat was capsized, and
some of those who were trying to launch
it were, I think, crushed, judging by the
cry heard. The other boat, which was
near me, had a side stove in, but among
the ruins of it I saw the yellow rim of
a ]ife-buoy, which I determined to have
1t was task of peril and difficulty to reach
the place, but effected it, and there, in
side the boat, clinging to the thwarts,
found my old man, the diamond mer-
chant.
t'Mine! mine!" he cried, when I had
the life-buoy, and passed
one of my arms through it. He could not
have meant that it was his private prop
erty, because the name of the steamer
was painted upon it; I suppose he had
formed the intention to appropriate it be-
fore came, and his strength had failed
him. The boat proved better protection
than it had looked. When the large
waves struck the stranded vessel, they
rose up and enveloped her, flooding the
1ecks with water, which poured off them
again in cataracts. I found on each oc-
,asion that the boat was lifted at the same
ime that it was flooded, and this of course
brought relief when the refiux came.
aad not, as before, to cling hard to- pre-
vent being dragged away, the gioe of the
boat as it f1oated and subsidized easing the
strain.
The vessel was settling down in the
sands, burying herself as she swayed,
)urrowing like mudfish; it was plain
hat no living thing subject to drowning
could remain with her long. 1t had been
broad daylight now for hours; we were
n the mouth of some river, for land could
De seen on both sides. But no vessel com.
ng to our assistance was visible. 1t was
! mere question of time, however; the
wind had gone down, and the sea was not
90 rough for good boat; we were sure
20 be seen. With the aid of the life buoy,
/ man might well float till he was picked
Up, and its value was evidently immense.
"Minem reiterated the old man, clutch
ng at it as the boat was foated for long
.r time than it had been yet. And when
he water receded, and we were once more
stranded on the deck, he felt In his breast,
1rew out leather case, and cried: GA
fortune for it! fortune for it!"
l looked at the nearest bank; but it
seemed quite possible for strong swim
ner to reach it, and 1 was a very strong
swimmer. Not probable, perhaps, but
possible. Money was not worth steady
industry, self-denial, butit was well worth
striking one blow for.
"On your word as dying man." said,
do you believe that if I survive, I shall
get ten thousand for the seventy-five
ewels p
Double, on my oath-doublel"
took my arm out of the life buoy, and
put it over his shoulder, at the same time
receiving the leather case
l had run up on deck in my shirt and
lrawers, and was pocketIess; so / took
,tf handkerchief had round my head,
led the jewels up in that, and then Sc
cured it about my waist.
had hardly done this before the boat
n which We were was washed clear of
he deck, and as, though broken and full
If water she proved too shallow and buoy
mt to 60 down, still clung to her for a
minute or so; but the waves washed so
ligh over her gunwale, that I had to let
70, and swim to loose oar which was
loating near. The old man was kept well
nut of the water by the buoy; / saw him
couple of waves off with his shoulders
veil above it. There was no spray now
o drown him, for the wind had sunk to
whisper, and, if his strength lasted, he
eemed safe. He had made q good pur-
;hase. As for my own prospects, my
hort trip from the boat to the support to
which 1 now clung was sufficient to show
ne that l had not enough left in me to
win ashore; no, nor half the way, nor
tar <>ff rht o1i