, 1874-01-22

its hold. with its position unchanged, q
if like thing of life and consciousness
it felt all the weight of its tremendou
responsibility. with unyielding tense
lty it clung to its post, until the sweel
was finally secured in its position; ant
then. being unwilling to release its grasl
| it had finally to be torn away, being il
| the way Of the proper.woi king Of it
! substitute. 1t seemed almost a pity Il
| part with SO faithful sservantswho has
done such an important service in Sc
trying an emergency.
| During all this tine the weather had
been most favorable, and SO continued
until Wednesday morning. when dense
fog covered, the heavens, SO that we
could see but a few yards from the ship.
All day Wednesday, Wednesday night
and Thursday, this fog continued, lift
ing once or twice for a few moments
Early Wednesday morning, or Tuesday
night we passed sail, bound for Hum :
boldt, which was hailed by Capt. Bolles,
with request that when she got into
port, she would telegraph to San Fran
cisco. making known our condition
During Wednesday. We deserted the
smoke of steamer ahead, and hoisting
signal of distress bore down upon her.
The fog lifted slightly for few mo-
ments, when the stranger discovered us,
and Immediately changed her course so
as to meet US. She proved to be the
little steamer Coquille, bound for San
Francisco. to whom we made known our
condition, her captain promisingto send
US relief should he anticipate US into
port. The fog again closed and the Co
guile was soon lost to sight. We had
all the time been feeling our way along
our course, and learned from the Co.
guile that we were then about twenty
six miles from Point Reyes. This gave
us proximate knowledge of our relative
position, which we had lost from the
fact that the fog prevented our taking an
observation. The terrible fact was con-
stantly present to our mind that we were
at sea. drifting, we knew not certainly
whittier, shut in blythe eurtained hea-
vens on every side.
Suddenly. on Thursday morning, we
We're startled at the discovery of break
ers, only few hundred yards distant,
dashing furiously against the. rocky
coast, off the port side Of the ship. 1t
was a .perilous moment, and we steamed
hastily away, as best we could, with one
frail sweep for rudder, taking west
erly course. Sometimes during the
voyage We would lay still for hours; at
Others, moving cautiously and slowly,
still heading southerly or southwesterly,
so as to give the coast as wide berth as
was thought advisable, all the time un-
certain of her position.
Between :. twelve and one o'clock
Thursday We espied the smoke of q
steamer ahead, which soon bore down
upon us, and which proved to be the
revenue cutter Wolcott, Captain Scam
mon. The news of our condition had
reached this city early on that morning,
and she and the Company's tug Pelican
had early put to sea in search of u.s.
There were thankful hearts when the
cutter run out her tow line, which was
fast to the Ajax. II saw good many
moist eyes as the moment of solicitude
and anxiety passed and relief was offer
ed. -..s
But strange to say, new perils still
awaited US, more threatening, perhaps,
than any we had yet. 1t soon became
manifest that the light and buoyant lit
tie cutter could not manage onr cumber-
some, weighty. helpless and unwielding
ship. After few efforts the hawser
snapped in two, just as we were passing
the first buoy of the headlands, and, in
spite of all our exertions, we commenced,
drifting rapidly out to sea again. The
wind was brisk, which increased our
progress. 1t was only after much delay
and extreme toll that new hawser was
attached. Still the cutter could do very
little towards towing us; for the sweep
of the wind as it struck us, bore us away
in one direction, while the cutter was
trying to pull US in an opposite course.
If the hawser was Strengthened and our
bows were pulled around, the next mo-
ment the slack of the rope came, and
the Ajax veered off again to the larboard.
This unequal contest between the two
ships was continued all the afternoon,
the cutter never tiring in her efforts nor
tagging in her zeal. We had, however,
made little progress, and had, as the
Uooh VI tiiO ONOhihS3 uPOA u.s. SOe
inside the extreme headlands. AS night
came on, We could just discern, through
the heavy mist and rain, the glimmer of
the lighthouse. Both steamers now
simply tried to keep good what was
gained, waiting for the incoming tide.
As it began to flow, it was advisable to
detach the hawser, and one engine was
set in motion, the cutter waiting to rem
der assistance in case of accident. 1t
was fearful moment, when we finally
reached the narrowest part of the Gate.
II our sweep failed in its Office, which it
performed clumsily at best, we must in
eyitably be dashed against the rocks,
which, at the moment named, were but
a few feet from US. So narrow was the
interval, and SO strongly did the AJAX
incline in that direction, thst most OF
the passengers who stood looking at the
scene, concluded that the fatal collision
was inevitable, within the next few min