Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1878-05-22


and maintopsailmen to go aloft and
loose the maintopsail. 1t was al
ready close reefed. Every move
ment was carefully performed. 1
had the helm put TO starboard as
far as would answer, and then the
lee sheet was hauled home. Next
the whether clew came down, and
we got the yard hoisted clear of
the cap in safety. The storm-miz-
zensail was set, and soon found
that the fore-stay-sail would be of
benefit II it would hold. The mate
said l was mad. / pointed to the
rocks and asked him if he would
like to run in there. / acknow-
lodged that my present course
would be madness If there was any
other plan within the bounds of
possibility.
The ship was now heading due
west, and she was going through
the water fast. Every hatch was
battened, and we were in for it. l
prayed then, and saw others pray,
for there was need of it. / had
four stout men lashed to the wheel,
for they could not have stood with
out. l stood by the mizzen mast
and hung on upon the pin-rack.
Six times did | see the main yard
arm dip into the water, and yet the
ship did not go over. We were
literally under water two-thirds of
the time, and yet we did not found
err. The masts groaned in their
steppings and checks the sheets
strained and vibrated like the
strings of a viol; the canvass
swelled out till each particular
thread seemed ready to snap, and
the old ship beeled over until her
yards almost lay in the water. OF
course the men could no longer
work at the pumps; they could
only hang on upon whatever came
in their way, and there wait and
pray. Had it now been necessary
to pull rope it could not have
been done, for had any man let go
his hold, he would surely have
gone overheard.
On we dashed-on-on; and yet
the ship was upon her keel. At
length the point we would clear
was under our lee bow. 1t was
surely not cables length distant.
There might be other rocks in the
sea-rocks of which l knew moth
ing; bnt l cared not for them then
/ thought only of the point in sight.
"Merciful heavens !" gasped the
mate, "we are gone"
A sea struck us at that moment,
sweeping its crest high above our
tops, and the next instant we were
truly gone; ] felt the cold flood all
about me; / experienced the sense
of a downward motion, and / felt
the dull gurgle of waters above me
yet held on. 1t may have been
neutrality-suspicious. only few sec
onds-but it seemed a great while
to me, for surely thought of a
thousand things the wbile-and
then l found daylight again. The
old ship had struggled up from the
grasp of the ocean grave, and my
first glance was for my men. They
were all safe-every one. But the
sails were gone. Nothing but the
fore staysail was left-all the rest
had been torn from the bolt-ropes
in the struggle. Then / gave one
timid, trembling look upon the
shore, and--we were safe. The
point of rocks was under our star
board quarter; we were again be-
fore the wind, and ahead of US the
sea for many miles was clear. The
sun rose, and the gale lost it's pow
er, and by nine o'clock it was calm
and pleasant, though the sea ran
high and strong. Three days after
we ran into st. Michael, where we
easily repaired our slight damages,
and then we once more set sail on
! our VOYAGE.