Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-05-26
FOUR HOURS OF MORTAL TERROR

WV AAoO4NS of MURAL TERROR
S'cept Overheard in Storm ut Night out
Of Sight of Land.
New York Sun.
The schooner Louis Walsh, from Baracoa.
made fast to the pier next south of Fulton
Ferry on Saturday evening, and the first
thing that Captain McDade did was to call
for coach. A helpless sailor was then taken
to his home. This was First-Mate O'Don-
nell, whose father owns the schooner, and
whose brother-in-law is her Captain.
The Louis Walsh sailed from Baracoa,
Cuba, on the 9th of April with a cargo of
bananas and cocoanuts. She is trim little
vessel, and rides a rough sea like a nautilus.
The weather was fine until the third day out,
but just after they had passed Castle Island
it began to blow up from the southwest
rather fresh. When Mate O'Donnell made
rather gloomy, and his old friend, Patrick
Downey, the Steward, who had been around
the world with him, asked him what was the
matter.
Something is going to happen he re-
PAASA' L AAesSA q lC1 AlO1C oIOdAL 1Clol lll3ul.
Downey tried to cheer him up but when, a
few hours later, he saw two sharks swimming
after the schooner, he remembered what
O'Donnell had said, and began himself to
feel apprehensive. The wind stifened and
became a gale, but the little schooner being
fixed for it, scudded along at twelve knots
an hour. In the early evening the wind
abated little, and there was some rain, but
ch0rf1v hafcra ;rh4 4bo
southeast caught the schooner unprepared.
Then the wind seemed to blow from all
points of the compass, the sea ran very
high, and the darkness was so intense that
it looked like black wall, illuminated now
and then by flashes of lightning. The crew
could not sleep, and made their way to the
deck, and when O'Donnell stepped on deck
for his watch at midnight, he felt so nervous,
his dream and the storm being associated in
his mind that he asked Downey to keep him
company during his watch.
At one clock the storm was at it's height.
The captain tried to jibe, SO as to get out of
the trough of the sea, but a gust of wind
whipped the main boom around, and piece
OF the tackling snapped one of the spokes of
the pllot-wheel and whistled by Captain Nc
Dade's head with the force of cannon ball.
The men could not see an arms length in
front Of them, and could hardly hear the
captain orders Another blow on the sail
belhed it out and strained the tackling.
Something had got to give or the schooner
was over, and the iron ''traveler,' an inch
and a half thick, did snap, and the main
boom was adrift.
Mate O'Donnell knew what had happened,
and, crawling along the deck with the second
mate, John Peterson, they caught some of
the main boom tackling. ODonnell threw
1t around Delaying pin near the main
throat halyards, hoping thereby to hold the
main boom. Every instant they expected to
go over.
slower sail, John,'' the mate said to Peter
son, as he tried to secure the blight to the
belaying-pin.
Peterson felt for the main throat halyards.
If he could only lower sail and ease her off
the danger would be lessened. just then
there came a gust that made the ti1nbers
creak and sounded on the sails like cannon
boom. Peterson heard sharp swapping
noise and knew that the Delaying pin to
which O'Donneu had fastened to tackling
had broken.
The cordage turned around one of O'Don-
nell's legs so tight that he was lifted clean
from his feet as the wind slapped the main
boom around and threw him against the
gunwale. He struck on the small of the
back, and was thus drawn along to the stern.
There the rope uneoiled, and he dropped into
the sea.
aCap'n, I'm overheard" Captain McDsdo
heard his brother-in-law scream. It was a
trying moment for the Captain. His wifes
brother in the sea, and his main boom whip
ping back and forth, his vessel careening.
and his control over her almost gone. If be
tried to save the mate his craft was gone
sure.
'Hes dead it's no use, Capn,' Peterson
shouted.
Captain McDade did not answer, for just
then, as the vessel lurched, the pinnacle
light went out, and an instant afterward a
flash of light shone from the cabin windows.
Steward Downey saw that fash. ''My God,' .
he cried to the captain, s'the ships afre.''
He leaped into the cabin. The three oil
lamps were on the floor and the fire was well
under way. Downey sprang through the
flame to the captains state-room. seized the
blankets from the bunk, and throwing them
on the fire stamped it out.
Meanwhile the crew had got the mainsai
lowered, and the schooner was eased. Mate
Peterson, however, had heard O'Donnel
! shout, and without waiting for orders, CROPPED
his way forward and lowered the yawl into
the water, and then Captain McDade heard
him shouting away behind in the schooner's
wake. Adrift in the boat, without an oar
and the schooner making ten knots an hour
He could not even see the schooner's torch
the waves ran so high. Suddenly he hearo
family, away off III the darkness
"Look sharpn'
It was poor O'Donnell, whom Peterson
supposed to be at the bottom of the sea. JUS
then he saw the schooner's light. She hae
tackled and was almost sweeping over him
He made fast to her as she scudded along
and shouted to the captain that he was safe
Just then they all again heard voice out il
the darkness. Downey seized the oars
jumped into the yawl, and with Peterson
rowed toward the voice.
When O'Donnell struck the water he sanl
only few feet, and on rising to the surfac.
shouted to the captain, and then tried t.
swim. BE could not use bis legs. Then h
remembered the blow that he had received
in the small of the back. He thought hi
back was broken and that he might as vel
die. He padded ittb with his hands, ant
saw that it kept him ahoat, although his Leg
| hung like lead in the water. Almost in de