Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1876-02-24
The Power OF Individual Influence.

The following Recollections of
Storm at Sea" is an extract from a
chapter in book begun by Mark Twain
about three years ago, but atterward aban-
doned:
For the next hour or two there was a
constant augmentation of the storm No
body did anything but cling TO the bench
backs under the dismal glimmer of the
lamps there was no other light, although
the morning was well asyancedl, and lis
ten to the deep booming OF the seas as they
hurled themselves against the ships dis
tant bows. BY haIf.past nine hardly any
support was sufficient 10 enable man to
keep his feet. AT this hour one of those
sickening lulls, one of those dread suspen-
sions OF all motion which tells that the
ships center is pinnacled on watery
Alp, and that when she topples over and
plunges down on the other side there Is
going 10 be trouble-and while every Great
ure held his breath, she quivercd moment,
and down she went And with her went
everybody sprawling to the floor. There was
terrific crash, as II she struck the rock
of Gibraltar, and in that instant sea went
bodily over her, breaking a sky.light on
the upper deck, bending the thick bars OF
an iron fence till they curved like bows,
a short board three inches thick, that was
dashed high away upon the bridge and
passing into the ocean again from the up
per deck on the other side of the vessel,
riddled a strong life boat TO splinters and
sweptit overheard, along with one of its
great iron davitsi And down ON our deck
Il smashed in the starboard bulwarks,
flooded the deck waist deep, entered the
galley, seized the smoking hot breakfast,
washed every yestige of IL overheard,
crushed in the saloon door and came pour.
ing along the carpets, bringing with 1t
with final crash) the bar stores, and
spreading a ruin of champagne and Irish
whisky bottles all aroundl And in the next
instant another sea came over the port
side, bringing IA broad specimen of the
bulwarks along with 1t, stove in the port
door of the saloon, and set the luggage
afloat in all the state rooms on that side.
Wellr fit was the only remark that
came into my mind, and IL did not appear
TO meet the case, either. Up TO that mo-
ment had felt little or no concern, But,
Judging by the mighty crash that had
assaulted our ears, felt almost sure that the
ships sides had been crushed in, and,
possibly, by collision with another ship /;
and, therefore, as ours was an iron vessel,
she must 90 down with the prompt facility
OF an iron pot. | tried 10 make up my
mind as TO what plan of action TO pursue,
and was getting along very well with il
| considering that had been at 1t only a
| thirty fifth or iortieth part of a second),
when a stalwart young man at my side ex.
claimed:
Were gone. -. 81. O., my God!
We're gone, we're gone!"
He scared M, and so said to myself,
never mind the plan, Pn get life pre-
server. had seen a couple on the fioor,
| but they were not there now. / went into
my room, saw though these had been
mine-the plunging OF the ship had
| thrown them out through the ventilator.
Then ! thought would go and borrow
one of the Cardiff Giant las we called
him) and soR do myself the credit 10 say
that | meant to get both OF his, and save
some woman with the, extra one. AT the
time, II did not occur 10 me that that would
| be little tfngencroas 10 the Giant; and
| even now am not sorry for IL, because II
| was such splendid unconscious compli-
ment 70 that big Englishman's manhood
lit ignored the possibility Of any diff.
Guilty or any peril which he could not ex'
tricate himself from by his own strength
and his own courage. As fought my
precarious way along the careening floor,
| dismay sat upon almost every face en-.
| countered and If had been the spirit of
| the storm, Icould not have resisted the up.
pealing looks that spoke from some OF
| those eyes shall always remember the
sorrowful picture the dim ghosfliness OF
the lamps revealed at that moment. | put
my hand ON the Giants door without
\ nn,k n, euns.nssy.y far .narnapt
| that he was inland Just then mighty
lunge OF the ship shot me clear across his
staieroom, head first A voice said:
/" Hallo--what's wantedf"
/ looked up from the floor, where was
| holding on TO somelhing--I pccred
through the gloom, and, as | am sinner,
| that calm, genial iceberg Was standingup
on his hind legs shaping fn. nj
How he could see anything, or how he
kept his feet never cared 10 inquire. All
| that i thought Of Was that was nnspeak.
| ably ashamed Of my Grand. He said:
!" Sorry you fell Did you hurt your
| self; Anything wantingt"
| NO" l said only came to borrow
! IA match"
| ri believe some people will lie even in
| the very presence OF the grave, III TO tell
| the truth would make them blush
Il
| got match (had about thousand In
| my pocket, and came out thinking TO
myself that il could not be much OF a
storm after all. Thus, one man had
scared me, when the sea failed To do it,
and now another had completely restored
my tranqnility-and neither had EN-.
ployed more than look and word.
What docle slaves of outside influence
| men arel
And now came another specimen: Capt.
Moland had followed one Of those seas in,
that smashed the saloon doors, and with q
bright, CHEEKY glance, and breezy word
or two had swept their tcrrors away al.
most as completely as IL he had brought
sunshine IN bis face, and summer zephyrs
| In his breath. And yet, al that moment,
the ship was in the greatest danger. When
| Che Giant came out, wherever he went,
his brave, tranquil face wrought It's mira.
Gle. The reinforcemenis OF the courage
I that saves wavering armies, and wins bat
! ties. IL drawn from the commanding OF.