New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-12-17

INTO Is Ss5sees. The lgssfsss vs(s e.
= eoenah1ec1011Mn l1uooos0osSes
dieucs, and peeelntly the deefn were moes
,a3ek TIE vile kept her psSe beneath tn
b39g@ ohe NAs warmly eleeAe4q I'D -.
snseemed g ths weather.; 20 vsem yait
nov up, ana beiIis6 out in tls 1scss Aind
- ready u AZ from tt telt4., &owly
the ship 6eeas % fan of q ths wiu&.
Another sbeam winch began % snttle, and
the bqatpvsins whistle piped shfau com
mandH ~ the chip :vang round the tre-
mendOus sea struck her with awful force.
A mcnst.cns green wall, crested yith foam.
thuaderiAg jar against tho ship. Barrels
end timber 4oated wildly about o. the
decks. and . sataract Of vstes pouped into
\ tbe sos on the other Gide. Tho wreckaee
fen into The black water, and the sailoEa
ciioEinG to their engine, were knee deep in
the Aood. Stu TIE wind pulled furiously,
and the immenee slack sail tapped ont and
shook with noise like thunder. It sud-
| ship begaa to draw slowly ahead. .
To eseaps the flying spray tho wife
| stepped back toward the wheelhouse. A
| she did 20 another wave struck amidships,
| and the scnd and spray drenohsd her in .
moment. She clung to the railing and
| looked in the window Of the wheel house.
A young man was at the wheel, calmly
watching the electric signals from the
bridge. The place seemed familiar It was
not unlike her husbsuds wheel-house. She
noted the telegraph, the compass and the
numerous oontriyapces for signaling eli
parts Of the ship.
Suddenly. an overpowering wave struck
the chip, and with laundering roar came
A J0on tho
just before the house was thrown backward,
and with s'crash one Of the windows of the
house fell IN. The stsersman put bis hand
to his forehead with haifsuppreesed cry.
A flying fragment struck him just over the
eye, and tho blood gushed do mia f..A
With ::rr-s::s sne wife entered the room.
au1 tried to take the wheel. The nan iet
go his hold before sas could reach it, and it
deN around like lightning.
"G!ve 1t to me; can steer."
Az soon as it stopped she prasped the
wheel and turned j. sSAck quickly. A loud
VIZ "Ka .Uss n down the speaking tube.
AYE, sye, sir There's an ncoidep+
Send down r.ea.n ' . =
the " -.aeat, lass. the Oh captain opened
r.vof, and stood for moment in speoch.
- Aetohieh1ent. A voice ID the tube
filled the room With hoarse command.
skou,hing By. ons, sir, /" replied the wo-
tHan, calmly, aud slowly letting the wheel
siide through her fn9ers. fe1
WHATS IN this r. cried the captain.
Nothing bad. cir" said the woman,
without taking her eyes fron the compass
who're her. "The man wss hurt and sook
The captain locked ct tho steezsmsn,
and then he quietly took the whesl from
her. ,'.
..call tia secoad olEcer and tell him to
eyes, sir."said ne msp, xiping the blood
from bic face. "The blood blinded ny eyes,
sir" ST. - -
"Can the okeer-will youi" -
II am perfectly accustomed to steering,
and saw tee mans trouble. He was quite
The captain grizzly turned the wheel snd
made NO reply The second officer, follow
cd By sailor, sppeared.
pea-jAcket for this Lady and bring her to the
Sbe quickly guessed what it meant, and
pat on tho rough coat with undisg1ised
pleasure. Then the officer meekly led the
way to the bridge.
From this llofty lookout she could see
the whole ship and look far around on the
oned for her to come behind the csnvas
screen to escape the sending clouds of
spray thrown out by the waves a.. they
struck the vessel .---..
I'VE have bfuken our shaft. Do Won think
You can take us back to New York;
Eyes, sir" che replied, simply.
"You are perfectly familiar with this
COAST" 10
Eyes, cir. was born on Long Island,
and I've sailed in New York bay these
nowf"
Zone esst Of southeast. I'm going torun
ON this tack till midnight, and then turn
back and make for the Hook by day
light"
$50 you might, sir; but this wind won't
hold. The probabilities for the Middle
States say clear winds to the west"
The captain leaned over the rail and called
to petty officer below:
CLARK. find to-dsy's paper, if you can.
Some passenger may have one"
memory Of the signal service reports proved
correct.
my plan would be to run bsforo this till
the wind shifts, and then como up the Jer-
sey Coast when it"
Just here the vessel gave fearful lurch
into tho sea, and with adeafening crash the
gait on the foressil snapped short off and
fell to the deck. A wave broke 1T tho bow
and Few in binding clouds of spray high
on the snokestack. Tho lookout ahead
clung to the mast for his life. They put |
their heads below the canvas screen that |
reached to their chins, for an instant, to |
avoid the water. When the woman looked 1
up again, she calmly continued her sen.
tence:
Changes. By the way it blows, think |
it will be ont by midnight"
The torn sail was taken in by steam
power in the midst of the fury and uproar
Of the storm; but it was hardly secured be-
fore the jib blew away with q loud report.
below. and then the captain gave orders to
let her fall of before the wind, and, under
easier sail and steadier keel, the great ship
ran before the gale down to the Jersey
coast.
Then the night fell down on the sea The
passengers crept out to see how it Jared |
with the chip. They whispered the strange
news through the saloons and cabins.
There was woman 1T the helm, and they
we're making for New York under her
oilotsge.
All the long, long night she sat, wrapped
n rubber cloak, on that swaying bridge
They leshed her 10 the railing, and gave
Ter high seat where she could look out
lpOn the night and tho sea. Toward morn
ng the sea vent down and the wind abated. |
At her suggestion they tried the lead about |
ne O'Clock, and the mon0ton0us cry of tho
ail0r ~ he read Oft the fathOms came no
o her through the darkness. Twice she
rdered the course changed to the east of ,
outh, and the lead sank into deeper water.
1t three the wind changed and came out
ue west. =
The ship was put about, and under .
God spread Of canvass ran . little. west Z
I north. Tho rain changed to . mist and