The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1874-06-18

THE HSciNEIG
TRoH eAssEil's MAGAZINE


dHys A. the heavens we're obscured no
observations could be taken, and We had
been Obliged to sail by dead reckoning
that Is, We guessed our position from the
log. Dead reckoning IL not a very salts
factory mOds Of sseeriaining vessels
I position, snd as the navigation Of this
part Of our voYagc was rather diffcult.
the poor eapiain was very anxious. lie
and the officers were continually glanc-
ing bsaveuward 20 Try TO get peep At
tbe sun; but, as have said, for days to.
gether there was nothing to be seen but
heavy masses Of clouds or banks Of foggy
drizzle. We stesmed along half-speed,
s very siIiet lookout being kept. There
was one wild rocky point which the
skipper was very anxious TO give as wide
a berth as possible, aud to make sure Of
this, as he thought, be Instructed the Off.
GERS to make q g.eat allowance In the
steering. We shonld have made land br
this time. but hitherto none had been
sighted.
/ When turned in for my watch below,
the sea was getting mp, and noticed the
captain aud chief officer on the bridge in
very earnest consultation.
There will be gale blowing shortly,
thought |, as | turned into my bunk in
order to snatch four hours sleep IL possi-
/ Bile.
/ fell into profound slumber as soon
as had put my head down, Just Ms four
bells g a. M were being struck, | was
| hurrjedly roused by the entrance of the
chief engineer His face was bIsnched
with horror, and his tongue fastened, as
he reused me up
Get up, Thompson-get up for Gods
sakel We are going ashore, man, and
there's an awful gale blowing, and the
cursed thing is that there is something
loose in the engine-something down be-
low out OF sight-and If it is not tighten
ed up at once, she will tear herself to
| bits.
Why don't you stop her then and see
what is wrong? asked bali angrily; |
have only had two hours beow-thats
four bells just gone.
Stop hell said the chief; we cau'tl-
The engine must be kept going to hold
her head TO the sea,aud keep way on her.
We are drifting on lee shore, in gale,
and II we turaed broadside to The sea, or
II the engine breaks down altogether, wen
be among the rocks aud the foam in ten
minutes.
| | now sprang out of my bunk, and has
| tily dressed. While was doing so, the
chief explained the situation more fully.
some one must 90 down aud put things
to rights, or all would perish. The difa-
culties and dangers of the task consisted
in the fact that il must be accomplished
while the engine was going, aud all the
while the ship was tumbing and kicking
about in u most desperate fashion. Then
again the engines were racing every
trw miuntes-t, G., when the propeller
WAS raised out of the water the engine
went at terrible pace, owing to the re-
sistance being removed. 1t was not
p eassnt to dive down into that hole
among frantic machinery - the ships
jumping aud tumbIing about-lnd moth.
ing TO grasp but hot, slippery, oily iron,
or steel bars nothing to tread on but
slippery iron gratings.
The chief WAS too old aud stiff TO 90
| dOwn-besides, as he remarked, he had
wife and children, etc, etc, lie also re-
marked that was not in that position.
Funher, he stated that knew well en-.
ough that the third engineer bad been i'll
for days, aud now the fourth (wFo was
new HANDY was either afraid or sea-sick--
he said the latter.
Would go down?
That was the question.
thought of the bonnie lsssie who had
put her arms teuderly round my neck aud
kissed me when said goOd.bye--l re-
called the fearful tender glance Of her
loving blue eyes, and the tone of her
sweet thrilling voice ss she said, Oh.
Willie, take good care of yourself for my
sake!
Then thought OF my being hsshed
aud msngled among the machinery be-
low.
| That girl was my heirothcd wife, aud
her father had promised to bless our uu-
ION when | was a chief engineer-but not
/ tilI then. Jennie and knew him to be
n man Of his word, aud Jennie was
dutiful aud obedleut daughter, and 50
we waited aud hoped. The chief seemed
TO guess what was passing in my mind,
for he held out bis hand and said, II you
manage this Job. Willie, IN back out
I've saved enough now-l'm tired Of go
ing to sea--and yos'll be chief engineer
the next voyage, and there is my hand
on il.
grasped his haud-l knew that was
sure Of the fret vacancy that occurred,
aud knew also that old Craigton would
keep bis promise.
braeed myself up, but siill felt chill
run through me, sud my heart throbbed
ia say throat tot minute.
nul | felt ~ II this were ms chance to
obtain possession OF Jennie. II was the
old feeling Of ehivalry-doiug 4 daring
deed for womau's sake.
stood ou deck Tor minute or Two
The screaming blast of wind aud the
heavy clouds Of spray acted Ike ,0uies. |
soon gained complete sellpossessiou, aud
descrnded to my desperate work Old