The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-05-30
BY HoRsLEY BROS. & FIGUERs.


| CARDS the dollars.
"Both ships were finally ready for
| sea, and hauled out from the wharves
to be taken in tow by the tugs. A great
many people assembled to see us of,
and when we were fairly on our way
out of the harbor, both ships were
| greeted by cheers and steam-whistles.
| The tugs cast us off when off the Faral-
| lones, and under a cloud of canvas,
with fair wind, we started ON our long
race. We parted company the first
night out, and you may be sure there
wasn't much rest for officers or men on
board either ship, at all events, there
wasn't ON board the White Swallow
Capt. Adams carried sail very hard,
night and day, and spent most of his
time on deck not that he was afraid
| the mate or myself would shorten sail
| before it was necessary, for if we were
not so much interested in beating the
Sea Horse as he was, we wanted to do
it for the honor of the ship and flag.
Sc / used to stand on deck and watch
the little ship dive into the seas, and
hold my breath as the drenching show
ers of spray came flying over the
weather-rail then, as soon as the salt
water was out of my eyes, cast an
anxious look aloft to see if anything
| had started. It was fun to hear the
crockery go tumbling about the stew
ards pantry, and Captain Adams CHEEKY
There goes another hole in my five
hundred dollars, as some grand smash
occurred.
" We went tearing along with strong
breezes and fair, never needing such
small accidents as a split sail or a
sprung yard or two only as they delayed
us in replacing them. 1 never saw a
crew in better spirits than ours; no
amount of work in their watch on deck
or below made them gfowl, and at the
first call to make or reduce sail they
would come tumbling out of the fo'cas-
tie, laughing, and making such remarks
as THE Sea Horse" may be goer,
but she can't fly, like the "White Swal-
low"
Zone morning, when we were in lat
itude about &c. degrees south, I had the
morning watch. The night had been
fine, with strong breeze, and we were
going free under a main royal and top
mast stun'-sail but after had been on
deck about half an hour l noticed the
wind got puffy, and each succeeding
puff stronger. I hand q hand by the
main royal halyards, and made up my
mind that, if didn't take that sail off
her, it would take itself off Along
came another puff, and I sung out, Let
go main-royal halyards, and started for
the weather-brace just as the captain
came on deck.
"'Good morning, Mr.. Blue Jacket;
getting puffy, is it?'
''' Yes, sir; going to have more than
we want, I reckon. Shall / furl that
royal, sir ?
"' Yes, I think you'd better.
Jump up there, two of you boys,
and furl that main royal
Away aloft went the two apprentice
boys belonging to my watch, and I
noticed that, after getting ON the yard,
one looked to windward and then seem
ed to say something to the other, then
they grabbed up the sail, passed the
yard-arm gaskets, the other chap stood
up on the yard, with one arm around
the mast, looking to windward pre-
sently he sung out, Sail no ?
Where away?'
On the weather quarter, sir.
"' Can you make her out p
Just then Captain Adams called
out, Point to it, my lad The moment
the boy reported a sail, the captain,
thinking it was the Sea Horse, had
gone below to his room for his glass. !
After the boy had pointed in the direc-
tion of the stranger, he swung himself
on to the main-royal backstay and came
on deck by the run, rushed up to me
with a frightened look, and in hoarse
whisper said, It's wreck, sir, with
signal OF distress flying
81 turned to report what the boy
said to the captain, and found him
steadying his glass against the mizzen-
topmast backstay without taking his
eye from the glass, he said, Call all
hands, Mr.. Blue Jacket in stun sail,
mizzen-to' gallant-sail, and fying-jib,
and single reef the topsails we1l beat
up to those poor fellows
"Out tumbled the watch below, and
as soon as they heard there was a wreck
to windward, I think each man did
three mems work. When it was first
discovered, we were going IL knots, and
must have run two or three miles before
we got sail off the ship and hauled our
wind. I went aloft with a glass, and
when [ got on the main-topsail yard
saw to windward, about eight miles dis
tant, q large ship, dismasted, and ap-
parently water-logged. On a spar of
some kind was a signal flying, that had
the appearance of being part of some
light sail; and on the poop could be
seen what 1 took for a group of people,
huddled about the stump of the miz-
zen-mast. As soon as we hauled on the
wind we got the full force of the breeze,
which had increased to half gale, but,
if we carried sail before, you may be
certain we didn't take in any now that
we though stood the least chance of
hanging on. As the ship careened to
the breeze she trembled like frighten-
ed thing, but went flying through the
water, deluging her decks, and throw
ing spray as high as the weather-leech
of her topsails. The wreck was coming
towards us with every heave of the sea,
and, when we had made two tacks, we
could make out six people on top of her
cabin, who didn't seem to notice us par
ticularly.
''After working to the windward of
the hulk, we lay to, while one of our
quarter-boats was lowered, and myself |
and a crew of six men pulled off to the |
wreck. When quite close to the dis |
mantled ship l noticed her name,
Cherub of Boston, as her stern rose |
on sea- On SeGIlng alOnSSlde, We |
found her main deck nearly level with |
the sea, the only dry spot being the top
of the cabin, where the people were
assembled.
81 walked aft, and found five men
and a woman near the stump of the |
mizzen-mast, and all so exhausted as to
be entirely helpless. never saw such
an expression of thankfu1ness in any
beings eyes as came into those of that
poor, weak woman as lifted her in nv
rms and carried her to our boat, where
a laid her in the stern sheets, and COW
cred her with q coat. Then, taking
four of my boats crew, we went back
for the five men, and got them into the
boat. After that we went into the
cabin of the 'Cherub' to try and find
some of the lady's clothes, for we had
nothing on board the White Swallow
to dress her in but mans rig. In
state-room on the port side of the cabin
we found large trunk containing wo-
mems wearing apparel, and from the
captains room we took the chronome-
ter, barometer, charts, and a quantity
of clothing. These were placed in the