The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1880-02-06
A HARD SWIM.

There are few things more delightful
than to be at sea on a fine summer day,
with a bright blue sky above and bright
blue sea below, while the fresh breeze
fills your sails, and the great smooth
waves toss you lightly along, and spatter
you at times with their glitting spray
like frolicsome giants. But it is very
different thing to be out in the teeth Of
a real equiuoctial- gale, With the whole
sky black as ink. and the whole sea one
sheet of boiling foam, and huge wave
coming laundering over the deck every
other minute, sweeping everything be-
fore it. and making the whole vessel
tremble from stem to stern.
So, doubtless, thought Olaf Petersen,
captain and owner of the Norwegian
schooner Ihyrd, of Bergen, when just
such storm caught him half way across
the North Sea. 1t did seem rather hard,
after escaping all the storms of blusteF-
ing March, that fresh, genial April
should serve him such trick but so it
was, and instead of having a short and
easy run nOTtheastwaTd to Bergen, as
he expected he found himself flying
away 10 the west, driven by a gale which
seemed strong enough to blow him right
round the world, if il did not happen TO
sink him by the way
Ali the sails had long since been taken
in and the little craft was scuddiug un-
der bare poles, no one being on deck but
the two men at the wheel (who had quite
enough to do keeping her head straight)
and the captain himself A fine picture
/ Olaf Petersen would have made as he
stood there with the spray rafting like
hail upon his drenched tarpauling, and
his clear bright eye looking keenly out
| through the wet hair that was piastered
over his face. 1t might have been seen
| by the firm set of his mouth that he
meant 70 fight it out while q plank would
swim; but he looked grave and anxious
nevertheless.
And web he might. This time it was
nos only bis vessel and the lives of him
self and his crew that were in danger !;
his young wife was on board, after whom
the Thyra had been named, and it was
now too late to blame himself for hav-
| ing granted her entreaty to be allowed
1 to sail along with him, instead of being
left at home by herself forso many weary,
weary weeks, without knowing whether
! he was alive or dead.
Still it blew harder, and harder yet.
/ Had not the Thyra been as good sea-
/ boat as ever swan, it would have been
all over with her. Even as it was, she
could barely hold her own against the
mountains of water that scame plunging
! over her deck with force that seemed
sufficient to rend rock More than
once the captains stiffehed fingers were
almost torn from their hold upon the
weather rigging, while the men at the
wheel We're under water again and again.
Vainly did Olaf strain his eyes to wind
! ward in the hope of seeing a break in
the inky sky. An was grim and gloomy,
and amid the binding spray and the
II.dierpentl1g darkness it was hard to tell
where the sea ended and the sky began.
Ali that night and all the next morn
ing they we're driven hlindly onward. not
knowing where they were; for the sun
j rad not been seen for two whole days
and no observation could be taken
But Captain Petersen, who had those
seas by heart, began to fear that they
! were being driven in among the Orkney
Isles. and he knew only too well what
chance the stoutest three-decker would
have against those tremendous rocks
with such Il sea running.
Toward afternoon the wind fell sud-
denly, though the sea still ran high; but
now came something worse than all
one of those terrible Northern fOgs
| which turn day into night, and make
| the Oldest sailor as helpless as 4 child.
Tire lanterns were lit and hoisted, the
ships bell was kept constantly toiling,
and the captain ordered up two ''look-
Eonfs'' beside himself; bus the fog grew
thicker and thicker, till those on the
foreeastleeonld barely make out the fore
/ mast
Hz zF11&k was that huge dim shadow
ttl3;< led out suddenly just ahead like
<ening giant Could it be a
s Part ssoar helm f--pert - roared the
Z ce1z<<in, At the fun pitch of his voice.
Bfft It was too late. The next mo-
ffHent there cams a deafening crash. a
i shock thai ffrew them alI ctr flteif feet
and the vee<e With her bows stove in,
was saving azz1 <finding upon The sharr
rocks haf had lerced her through and
through, wiz <he water rushing into
The ned fev minutes were like ths
confusion 81 q troubled dream "A shad
owy vision of a huge dark mass ever
head, a short fierce struggle amid wbirl
] ing foam and brokEn tiFnbsfs and thss