The daily gazette., 1876-03-17
4 STORM AT Sc,
MARK TwArN's REcoLLECrio oNs OF IT
THE POWER OF INDIVIDUAL
INFLUENCE


INFLUENCE.
For the next hour OF two there was
a constant antaugumeLtatiOn of the storm.
Nobody did anything but cling to the
bench backs under the dismal glimmcr
of the lamps There was no other light
the morning was well ad.
vanced], and listen to the deep boom
ing of the seas as they hurled them
selves against the ships distant bows.
BY half past nine o'clock hardly any
support was sufficient TO enable man
to keep his feet. At this hour one of
those sickening lulls, one of those
dread suspensions OF all motion which
tells that the ships center is pin nacled
on watery Alp, and that when she
topples over and plunges down on the
o ther side there is going to be trouble
and while every creature held his
breath, she quivered a moment, and
down she went! And with her went
everybody sprawling 10 the floor.
There was terrible crash, as If she
struck 4 e rock of Gibraltar, and in
that ins mt sea went bodily over her
breakint y skylight on the upper deck,
bedding he thick bars of an iron fence
till they curved like bows, splitting in
two and carrying away half a shsrt
board three inches thich, that was
lashed high away upon the bridge, and
passing into the ocean again from the
upper deck on the other side of the
vessel, riddled strong lifeboat to
splinters and swept it overheard along
with one Of its great iron davits! And
down on our deck it smashed in the
starboard bull-works, flooded the deck
waist deep, entered the galley. seized
the smoking hot breakfast, washed
every vestIge Of it overheard, crushed
in the saloon door and camo pouring
along the carpets, bringing with it,
with final crash. the bar stores, and
spreading ruin of. champagne and
Irish whisky bottles all around. And
in the next instant another sea came
ever the port side, bringing broad
specimen Of the bulwarks along with
1t, stove in the port door of the saloon,
and set the luggage afsat about the
rooms ON that side.
"Well" 1t was the only remark
that came lGto my mind, and it did
not appear to meet the case. either. l.
Up to that moment l had felt little or
no concern. But, judging by the
mighty era sh that had assailed our ears
l felt almost sure that the ships sides
had been crushed in, and, possibly, by
a collision with another ship; there
fore, as ours was an tron vessel, she
must go down with the prompt facili-
ty of an iron pot. l tried to make up
my mind as to what course of action
to pursue, and was getting along very
well with it considering that had
been at 1t only thirty fifth or ferti-
eth part of second when a stalwart
young man at my side exclaimed:
"We're gone o, my God!
n We're gone, we're gone"
He scared me, and SO l said to my
self, "Never mind the plan; I'll get a
life preservcr. l had seen couple ON
the floor, but they were not there now.
l went into my room, saw these had
been mine. The plunging of the ship
had thrown them through the ventila-
ter. Then l thought l would go and
borrow one of the Cardiff Giant, as we
called him; and will do myself the
credit to say that meant to get both
Of his and save some women with the
extra one. At the time it did not occur
to me that that would be little
mgenerous to the Giant;and even now
lam not sorry for it, because it was
such splendid unconscious compli-
nent to that bigEnglishman' 8 marhood
lit ignored the possibility of any
difficulty or any peril which he could
let extricate himself from his own
strength and his own courage. AS l
fought my precarious way along the
careening floor dismay sat upon almost
every face encountered, and if had
been the spirit of the storm l could not
have resisted the appealing looks that
spoke from some of those eyes, | shall
always remember the sorrowful pic
ture the dim ghostliness of the lamps
revealed at that moment. pat my
hand on the Giants door without
knocking not supposing for moment
that he was in-and just then mighty
lunge of the ship shot me clear across
his state room head first. A voice
said:
"Hallo! What's wanted?"
| looked up from the floor where l
Was hOiuiuS ot W oohiOehih6 POCiCu
through the gloom, and, as l am a
sinner, that calm, genial iceberg was
standing up on his hind legs, shaw
ingl
How he could see anything, or how
he kept his feet, never cared to in
quire. All that thought of was that
l was uDspeakably ashamed of my
errcnd. He said:
"Sorry you fell. Did you hurt
yourself? Anything wanted."
NO." said. 81 only came to bor-
row IA match"
Il believe some people would lie in
the very presence of the grave if to
tell the truth would make them blush. J
got match (had about a thousand
in my pocket, and came out thinking
to myself that it could not be much of
q storm after all. Thus one man had
scared me when the sea had failed to
do it, and new anotherhad completely
restored my tranquility, and neither
had employed more than look and a
word. What docile slaves of outside
influence men are!
And now came another specimen.
Captain Moland followed one of these