Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1880-12-18
Lost in a Storm.
TIE riNGERS WHICH THOSE
Ho GO DOWN TO SEA
~ Sr-p<

! - AL 11iitS LA III
ing We saw that the sea was very rough,
and every one said there would be
trorb'e; all the Parish was i'll church;
in the luiuuie of miss we saw a man
come in dripping wet, an old sailor,
we'll known for hi, bravery. He inn
mediateIy said that rs he came along.
shore he saw several ships. which,
driven by a fearful wind, would GER
tainly shipwreck on the coast. I'VE
must 60 TO their assistance said he,
louder, land | have come 10 say 10 all
who are willing. that we have only
just time TO put 10 sea to try TO help
them About fifty men offered them
selves. and, without speaking, followed
the old sailor. We got TO the shore bv
going down the cliff, and there We
-oon saw u terrible -ight-several YES
sells, one behind the other, driving at
a frightiul speed against the rocks.
Our men put their boats TO sea, but
they had hardly made ten strokes when
one boat filled with water and sank,
the second was overturned with the
breakers and the third thrown up or
shore. Happily no one was drowned
and all reached the shore. 1t was easy
to see that our boats would be no use
to the poor people III the ships. Mean
time the vessels came nearer and were
only a few fathonis from u black
cliffs, which were covered with cormo-
rants. The first, whose masts We're
gone, came like a great mass. Every
IL on shore saw it coming: ne II
as if death was playing with a handful
of men, whom it intended to crush
and drown. An immense wave lifted
itself like an angry mountain, and,
wrapping the vessel. brought her near,
and a still higher II threw her upon
a rock level with the water. A fright
ful cracking sound-lhe next instant
the vessel was filled with water. The
sea was covered with wreckage-planks,
masts and poor drowning creatures.
Many swan and then disappeared.
Our men threw themselves into the
water, and, with the old sailor at their
head, made tremendous efforts to save
them. Several were brought back, but
they were either drowned or broken
on the rocks. The sea threw up several
hundred, aud with them merchan Use
and food. A second ship approached.
The masts were gone. Every one was
on deck, which was fill we saw them
all on their knees, and a ma in black
seemed to bless them. A wave as big
as u cliff carried her toward us. We
thought we heard a shock like the first,
but she held staunch and did not move.
The waves beat against her, but she
did not bulge. She seemed petrified.
In an instant every one put to sea, for
it was only two gunshots from shore.
A boat was made fast alongside: our
boat was filled instantly; n Of the
boats of the ship put off, threw out
planks and boxes, and in half an hour
every one was on shore. The ship had
been saved by a rare accident; her
bowsprit and fore part had got wedged
in between two rocks. The wave
which had thrown her upon the reef
had preserved her as if by a miracle.
She was English, and the man who
blessed his companions was a bishop
They were taken to the fvillage and
500 after to Cherbourg. We all Went
back again to the shore. The third
ship was thrown on the breakers
dashed into little bits, and no one coulC
be saved. The bodies of the unhappy
crew were thrown up on the sand. 4
fourth, fifth and sixth were lost, shiI
and cargo, on the rocks. The tempes
was terrific. The wind was 50 violcn
that it was useless to try to oppose it
1t carried off the roofs and the thatch
1t whirled\so that the birds were kille(
-evtnthe tulls, which are accustomed
one would think, to storms. The nigh
was as>ed in defending the houses
Some covered the roofs with heav,
) stones. some carried ladders and pole
: and made them fast to the roofs. Til
}, trees bent to the ground and cracket
!. ami split. The fields were covered
(. with Branches and leaves. 1t was
fearful Scourge The next day, al
soul, Dag, the men returned 10 tn
shore. 1t was covered with dead iodie
and wreckaCe. They were taken II,
and placed in rows along the foot q
the cliff3. Several other vessels cam
in sight; every one was lost on gu
coast. II was a desolation like the ell,
Of the world. Not one could he saved
: The rock smashed them like glass, an,
threw them in atoms TO the cliff,
Passing a hollow place, | saw a grea
sail covering what looked like q pile {
merchandise. l lifted the corner an
saw a heap of dead bodies | was :
frightened that | ran all the way honi,
where | found mother and CRANE
mother PRAYING for the drowned mer
The third day another vessel can't. 6
this one they found ra-sIbIe To ~. Y