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

phere was gone, and a GOODNESS
which came in little puffs, had sue
ceeded. 1t seemed as though some
one were standing by me puffinf
into my face.
As the sun sank into the vapoi
which rested upon the western
horizon, it had a strange look,
seeming like huge lantern OF blue
glass but i did not gaze long up
on it, for my attention was called
the other way. The heavens to
the south'rd and east'rd had grown
black as night, save long line OF
livid light that rested directly up
on the water. The puffs Of COO
air which / had felt now ceased
aud our ship lay in q dead calm
rising and falling like a lifeless
monster upon the long heavy
swells. l Immediately ordered the
ship to be stripped of her can
vas. The top-gallant masts had
already been sent on deck, thus re-
lieving the ship of all her lofty
spars. asked my mate if he
thought there would be any use OF
leaving any sail set.
NO." he said, 81 should say not.
If the blow comes, as l think 1t
will, sail would be of no more use
than a shirt"
That was my mind, too; and my
orders for furling all sail was obey
ed. Then l had life-lines rove,
and after this we waited for the
storm. But we had not to wait
long.
"Do you see that9" whispered
Hunter, at the same time pointing
off to the south'rd and east'rd.
had seen it, and it was long
line of white foam. In a
moment more came rumbling
sound, like the distant revilbera-
tons of a cannon. Our ship lay
nearly astern-to, and / awaited the
coming of the gale with almost
breathless anxiety.
And it came! 1t roared like
thunder over the foaming waves,
and the spray was rained upon us
in torrents. The ship gave one
plunge, and for a few moments |
thought she would 60 under; but
she finally struggled up, and throw
ing off her load of water, she start
ed on before the wind. / examin-
ed the compass, and found the
wind to come from a point about
southeast-by-east. l had one
source of comfort, and that was,
that / had plenty of sea-room. l
threw the log after the ship got full
Roadway, but it was impossible to
make any thing from it, for the
mad sea that had leaped up before
the gale drought the log home,'
so that the reel would hardly turn,
save by fits and starts.
All night long the gale continued
with undated fury, and toward
morning it became evident that we
must either throw over most of our
cargo, or else set some of our sail,
for the seas were now very high,
and they were beginning to run
faster than the ship went, and l
saw that should we be overtaken
by some of the immense mountains
Of water they would surely
swamp Us. / ordered the fore
sail to he set, it having been
already double-reefed before it was
furled. BY care in easing away
the bunting and clew-garnets, and
in hauling down the sheet, we got
the sail safely set; but this would
not answer long. The seas were now
so high that they took the wind
from the sail all of half the time
and il soon became evident that we
must set one of the topsails. 1 fel,
sure the ship would scud the easiest
under the fore-topsail, and accord.
ingly, ] had that set.
1t was now morning, and the
wind had lost not a whit of il.
fury. ] tried many times to hesvt
the log, but it would "come home
with the seas. Once, however,
managed to run off six knots, ani
| knew we we're going faster thar
that-we were going ten at least
Noon came, and the gale was still
mp in all its power. began tc
have some fears that we should no
weather 1t, for the fore-topsail hat
more strain upon it than liked
I feared it would give way.