The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-11-11
"M1NNA sOHIFFER.o
BY HENR1ErTA J. soRIA.

BE HhHnlhAAA - ~OAsAAs
Attic dawn Of day, from 2naa Gsal yg coast
Salad "a fair a ship as the world can boast
Sailed gallant ship, with merry host.
On the beautiful blue sea- ...
Gay Summer has passed with her bright glad
Where her feet have touched, lay the fruits and
And Autumn now kisses both sea and land.
Whilst she beckons thestorm with jeweled hand.
Like sea-gull over the crested wave
The Connaught wings her way
Glad cheers rend the air from her crew SO brave.
From the thoughtless youth and the man SO
AS she boists her colors gay
Now proudly she bends to the oceans swell
With regal bow, that the sea knows veil II
aor pit IL her strength E her beauty and pride,
She carries a cargo rich and rare,
La her safe there's precious gold
On her snow white decks there are maidens fair.
There are women and men with siivered hair
=, Aye! six hundred sou5-all told
0h! little they reck OF the proud ships doom.
Fate sails with the ship-with womanly grace;
In pity she wells her changeable face.
Ten days have passed-the skies are blue.
And the sun shines bright and clear
Ais well with the ship and her gallant crew.
But the maid is coy. with her lover true,
The haven Is now so near
On deck. meath the gaze of those starry SKIES
shes been dreaming sweet dreams. with open
And her hand is pledged, when the ship heaves
Sweet story SO old. but forever new.
With the laugh the Jest and the merry cheer.
There are hearts both sad and gay
One thinks with smile OF the homo so near,
One thinks with sigh and a bitter tear
or the home so far away
But the captain and mate. with anxious eyes,
Are watching the clouds. In the azure skies
They trust not their smiles. SO bright and 50
They know the ways of the treacherous sea.
Now freshens the breeze, as the sun sinks low
The Connaught heads to the west
While the surging waves more fretful grow.
As the air gets chill and the north winds blow,
And the petrol seeks her nest
Night cometh apace-with grim, black sky,
And maddened sea-for the wind blows high
And shrieks through the masts with wall and
As the angry pillows are dashed to foam.
The steamer weathers the stormy blast
As only strong ship can
With her engines stopped. with broken mast,
70 the pumps, nOtc! every man!
She has sprung a leah! and midst prayers and
means
True, she rights at last. but fearful the. fight
Twlxt the pumps and sea. through the live-long
night
Once more more she's Drawing the Storm Kings
But rocks and reels in the sea
Till the Sabbath dawns-then. the die seems
On the e. %t5;,0nnaushts" sido-yes she gains at
But now, mark her destiny
AS hope thrills each heart. Fate throws back
Then comes wild shriek-a heartrending wall
The ship is omtfrel all efforts are rain.
She will never sail DER the seas again.
Aye! work for your lives, brave hearted band.
For your wives and children dear
Coy maiden. cling close to your lovers hand,
"a 80 near TO the grave, SO near TO the land,
Oh, God! is no rescue near
Eof eacb ae ha deen gaze GAIL
No! there's nought but a burning plank to see
Twixt six hundred souls and eternity.
Noon comes-a boat is lowered and lost
Despair holds now full sway
She beekons two sails by the tempest tossed.
And leads the perilous way
On the Connaught's deck what Joy fills each
As the sails appear-to the north and west
Then, men stand aghast-one leeds not tteb' cry
VIII the little brig from the west pass by?
NayI the Minna Schiller sl q hero bears,
He heeds not the storm-all danger he dares
He heads for the ship-her peril he shares
he And Pno the rseehng thrilling the
Death and Life. are the, ports they ply between
God smiles on the work, in triumph they flee
From the hungry jaws of the yawning sea.
Two hundred are saved, put the shadows toll
Night soon will hold day in check
And brave Wilson knows that the evening bell
Will prove, alas but the funeral knell
For those on the Connaught's deck.
Alongside We'll go!-more yet must be braved,
For the sun goes down and not half are saved!
A hawser we'll throw from the vessels side,
Not soul must be tostP the hero cried.
plaything dashed to the Connaught's side
Seems The Minna Schiller now
: But angels look down-each effort they guide.
The Eastman is sdped With what joy and pride
Homeward. the brig turns her Prov
The Wdr7'ioT-Man crowned with Eaa'USs laurel
leaves,
But halo of glory Hearen weaves
For the Hero OF Minna Schiller fame
With uncovered heads let US speak his name
New Orleans, August 10, 1877.