The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1876-08-02
A NARROW ESCAPE.

g first went to sea, said old Captain
| Sharp one day, in response to n numer
Gus demand from the company assem-
bled in the neaty-sanded parlor of the
old Sailors Head, 'as an apprentice boy
on board the brig Albatross, Of London,
Captain John Collier, as thorough a sea
man as ever passed the More Light. He
had Instructions to proceed from Leith
to Rio Janeiro with a mixed cargo. Hay
ing shipped his crew, obtained the usual
| clearance from Her Majesty's customs,
and his bill of health from the Brazilian
vice consul, we dropped down the Firth
of Forth with a fair wind, and put to
sea; but we were barely clear Of the
river when the breeze became light, or
what we sailors call a soldiers wind"
"What sort Of wind is that, Mr..
Sharp" asked one of the auditory; "for,
being a soldier, should like to know?"
Why, sir, it means that it is blow
ing SO that the craft might lie with her
head any way"
This was not very lucid explanation,
but the company were forced to be con
tent Herewith.
" After time the breeze freshened,
and we ran along the coast Of England to
reach the Channel but ere long it in
creased to a gale, and we had to beat
hard to windward to keep off the rocks
near marlborough Castle. That night
we were involved in regular hurricane,
and everything was taken of the brig but
the topsails, and they were closely reefed,
with the yards well down on the cap
Something had gone wrong with the
cfo
the coast than we thought. All around
US was pitchy blackness, utter obscurity,
and gloom. Not a star was visible in
the zenith, and shipping sea after sea in
succession rs the waves broke over her.
the Albatross labored sorely, being heayi- |
ly laden.
" Suddenly there was a shout from the
forecastle-a shout that was heard above |
even the believing Of the wind and the
hiss Of the sharp salt spray.
Breakers on the lee bowl
f'Hard up with the helm = cried |
Captain Collier, through his trumpet. |
Keep her off little-steady
He came rushing forward. | in !
stinctively followed after him, and saw
to my terror, amid the darkness around |
us, the blacker outline Of the land loom
ing high and vast, and all along its base |
a long white line of foam-the breakers. |
We were close in shore, but where |
we knew not exactly, for by this time we |
should have seen the lights Of Lowestoft; ]
but not the faintest ~. ,,os ,,ieiIJa I
and ere the Albatross could be put about, |
or even thrown for moment III the |
wind, she went on the rocks, her masts |
went crash by the board, and before we
had time to think of it, she was totally |
wrecked 4
Z" As the masts had fallen on the land
side, not a moment was to be lost III using
them as bridges whereby to reach the
shore, which was so close that one might
have tossed a biscuit on it, and while we
could hear the tearing and rendmg OF
the ships timbers as the wild sea, now
penetrating into the hold like demon
of destruction, burst her asunder, we
made our way along the wreckage OF the
masts, yards, and tophampcr. six men
pgrished amid the surf; but Captain
Collier, eight others, and myself though
mere boy-reached the rocks Just as
day was breaking.
a. The coast where We landed was "a
perpendicular cliff, about seventy feet u
height. and then our most terrible DIS
aster was vet to come. The elm rose
from base of sand and clay, which Is
continually washed by the sea during
high tides, thus many cavities are formed
of considerable depth, from which the
soil has been sucked out by the backwash
of the waves, and into one Of them we
scrambled for shelter from the bitter cold
and fierce inclemency Of the weather,
and penetrating for about twenty yards
! from the shore we all sat huddled close
together for warmth.
q For some time there was no appear
ance of the tempest abating and we could
see. as the dawn frightened, the stormy
! send Ayinp past. and white foam dancing
where the brig had gone utterly to pieces
and where the boxes and bales, and bar
rels that had been her cargo, were tossed
wildly about among the hotsam and jet
sam of the sea.
"Poor Captain Collier, who had wife
and several children in Greenwich, hav-
ing lost nearly his all in the brig, was
overwhelmed by his misfortune, and sat
modify with his head between his hands,
staring seward, as the day drew on.
Suddenly a half-stihed cry escaped
US all. There was dull crashing sound,
and all were involved in utter darkness.
The sea, the daylight, the sound of the
waves were all gone, as if curtain had
fallen between US and them. And such
indeed was the case. A mass of rock
from above, that had long been imPend-
ing, had slipped suddenly down and IN
closed us ali in a dreadful trap-in one
common grave.
ave could touch but not sec eachOth'