Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1875-02-24

''Great Heaven what did it all
mean? Had they forgotten me? Were
they to leave me there at the bottom,
of the sea with that awful crew? 1 no
sooner realized my helplessness than
an uncomfortable terror took possession
of me, while horrible doubts and fears
came crowding into my brain. Surely
they would not desert me surely they
at the cord once more, and glancing up
perceived that there was something
steadily resisting my efforts from the
masthead above.
'Was it some monster who was play
ing with my rope ?-some great fish
who was holding it in his jaws? In my
desperation 1 threw my whole weight
on it, and-it gave way, and fell slowly,
silently on the deck at my feet The
ragged, frayed ends, which had become
entangled in the rigging, were In my
hands, and the upper half of the ropes
had floated far away with the tide.
81 was alone at the bottom of the
sea, with no means of signaling my dis
tress The India rubber tube, which
was my only means of breathing, was
yet left to me but as soon as they
should begin to wind in the ropes and
tube, on some supposed signal from
me, it would snap in two, and the waters
would come in upon me.
'T need not tell you of the wild terror
which took possession ofme /; you couid
not appreciate it. ] knew the men were
close to me-only thirty yards above
yet 1 must die because l could not
reach them / raved like a madman,
and tried to tear my armor from me,
but its iron rivets held me fast. l
shouted piteously, uselessly, through
the silent waters, my cry going no
further than the wall of my helmet 1
was beside myself in my awful terror.
1 tried to pray, but 1 could not control
my maddened brain.
81 fell upon the deck at last, ex-
hausted-in an ominous stupor-a
sullen despair-and sank into uncon-
sciousness. When recovered, l was
calm-prayer came to my lips, and with
it peace and resignation to my heart.
81 closed my eyes quietly, and waited
for the death / was powerless to defer.
Waited for it with my head laid on my
arms as 1 used to sleep in the dear old
days at home. Waiting quietly for its
coming, praying God that it might come
upon me gently. and asking that L
might fall into Inconsistencies when
it was close at hand.
"JVhdt I crazedf Was / mad, or
was this q new torture for me in my
last moments ? / had laid quiet but
moment, when I started up in terror,
uttering a cry-a weak, miserable cry,
which died on my lips as 1 sank again
on the deck and closed my eyes to
terrible sight before me.
81 had left the cabin door open, and
freed the imprisoned dead men. One
of the dead sailors had foated up to the
deck, and, by some horrible chance,
the tide bore him directly toward me.
Was 1 to die surrounded once more by
those ghastly sentinels as a death
watch?
"He was borne slowly along on the
current, his eyes wide open in an awful
stare, his arms outstretched, as though
to embrace me, welcoming me to the
unknown world. / fell PROSTATE on
the ueck III my teIIoI, uue NC hoo'cu on
slowly, the tide casting him up against
me, when he fell at my side.
81 caught him, in my desperation,
to fling him from me. but his arms
closed tight about me in an iron en-
brace, and his face was close to mine
the face of old Lott, the diver, who had
come down through the waters to save
me, and in whose stout arms was
borne up, and carried insensible to the
boats above.
1--WE saw what was wrong right away,
dear boy he said to me afterward,
when the ragged ends of your ropes
fioated to the surface. There was only
one way of reaching you, old fellow,
and can tell you We few around lively.
We had no "bell" to go down to you
in, 80 we Just fastened some weights to
nv feet, and ropes to my arms. took
q rubber mouth piece between my teeth,
and dropped overheard. The water
oppressed me fearfully, and 1 couldn't
have stood it more than few minutes.
In that few minutes 1 found you, old
fellow, caught you in my arms, and
signaled them to haul us up mighty