Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1875-08-21
NO. 1913.
Gales and yketehes.
From the Chambers journal.
TUkN In FORIUNE--A TlPHOON AND
THE LUCK IT BROUGHT. -Fa'1j

A TURN IN FORTUNE--A TlPHOON AND
THE LUCK 1T BROUGHT. 1'a'1
CONTINUED FROM YEsrERpIY.1
"Ay, ay, sir !" answered the steersmen.
with the mechanical obedience of trained
hands; but old Jerry exclaimed, cheerily,
as he helped to set the new canvas, .sMr.
Harland's right. Nothing like sea-room,
my lads! Haul away with will, every
one of you, and get steerage-way upon
her." BY the mercy of Heaven we rounded
the headland, narrowly escaping the fatal
contact with the jagged rocks, and were
in clear water.
Once outside the harbor, I had time TO
glance around me; but on looking back to
the wreck-strewn bay, could see no
signs of the bark which had 30 lately
lett. In vain swept the horizon with my
pocket. glass. could see several vessels
bravely riding out the gale, and dimin-
ished number OF the native craft passively
drifting under the force Of the rollers and
the wind /; but of the bark. nothing. The
Saucy Maid was Comet There was scanty
time. however, to wonder or to mourn
over the fate CT those who had been on
board of her. The charge of the ship of
lounu Auy oCIi dCtluR COulu6uucT,
through so strange and sudden a catastro-
phe, was no light burden. The Henry
| Clay reeled and careened to fearful ex-
tent, as she flew along with the speed of a
race-horse cleaying her way through the
heavy sea that constantly de1uged her
decks. 1t costs US some trouble TO induce
the terrified ladies', and such of the male
passengers as age or infirmity disqualified
for exertion, to go below. or every avail
able hand that could pull a rope or tug at
the spokes of the whirling wheel we had
sore need and even then we were weak
in numbers to work SO large vessel as
the American clipper. and in weather such
as would have tested the endurance of the
strongest crew.
The remembrance of the next three
days and nights haunts my memory still
intervals like the confused details of a
ghastly dream. had divided the men
under my orders into two watches, as
usual, but for myself there Was no. rest,
since l had no officer who could share with
me the responsibility of the arduoas task
which had been, 50 to speak, fofcsd upon
me. Always on deck, through daflkness
and daylight, through wind ahdsrafri,,
worked hard to save the ship and the Hves
of those committed to my charge. III was
no slight labor. The foul weather.
on the skirts of the typhoon rough seas
and strong gales were encountered WAS
not the only enemy with which it behoOyed
US to do battle. Some sinking junk had
come violently into collision with : the
American three master, and we had scarce
ly lost sight Of the mountain SUBMITS sof
Formosa before the carpenter reportedan
undue depth of water In the well, and that
dangerous leak, beyond his powers of
plugging, had been sprung. We fought
long and patiently to keep back this insid-
iOus foe; the clank of the. chain-pumps
was incessant. and even the ladies lent
their delicate hands to the toll, as worn
out men reeled away for short repose
but more than once it seemed as though
the water would win the victory, while all
on board were spent and weary, and it
was evident that an accident, such as the
swapping of link or the choking of a
pump, would send the Henry Clay to the
bottom of the sea. And all this time we
staggered on under such sail as our i'm
provised masts would bear, over bowl.
ing wilderness OF waves. -aa ees4w
Fine weather came at last tue wind and
sea abated, and after some trouble con-
trived to get spare topsaii lowered and
secured across the leak, out in great meas
ure the influx of the green-blue water. so
that moderate amount Of labor at the
pumps suf1iced to free us from immediate
danger of sinking. was able, too. for
the first time, to take solar observation,
and after a brief calculation as to our
whereabouts, declined to bear up for
kinsu, the most southerly island Of the
japanese group, which could not, as /
judged. be above 200 miles distant Our
troubles were not quite over, for a, rick
ETY. jury mast went by the board. carrying
away with it two poor fellows who were
alOit to reduce sail, and who were washed
leeward and drowned without the posi-
blity OF rescue. However, the prayers of
those on board the Henry Clay were an.
swered, and after another 4S hours of anx-
iety, we sighted kinsu, where Japanese
pilots came off to guide us to our anchor.
age. a
How yividly it comes back to me now,
the scene of our arrival in the peaceful
bay, the shores of which were studded
with neat Japanese houses, overlooked by
the peaks Of blue inland mountains, sew
eral of various flags lying at anchor, and
Hotilla of boats containing sight-seers.
native and foreign, among whom were
japanese ladies with fluttering fans and
silken robes, lowering around the Henry
Clay, whose battered state showed how
narrow had been her escape from destruc-
ton. remember, too, that some officers
from British steam corvette at moorings
in the harbor had come on board Of us
and were shaking me by the hand and con-
graduating me. pointed out to them, as /
had been by the passengers Of the great
ship, the ladies among whom. in their
simple gratitude, insisted upon speaking
of me as their preserver. And then. on a
sudden. my eyes appeared to grow dim.
and all things swan before them, and the
sound Of friendly voices reached me only
as deep indistinct hum, like that OF
bees, and dropped down swooning on
the deck. Fatigue and anxiety had been
too much for me, and before nightfall
was passing to and fro in the delirum OF
q fever.
When 1 recovered my senses found
myself weak and i'll, indeed, but in q fair
way toward recovery, in a cot which had
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