Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1881-11-24
TOUCH AND GO.


day of September, 1916, the brig Penn
sylvania, Capt. L., hoisted her jb, set
her topsails, and, wind and tide both
favorable, pointed her bowsprit down
the Delaware, bound for Matanzas.
A few hours carried her to the bay,
thence to the capes, and with fresh
breeze from the northwest, fine wealth
er, and an easy splashing in bright
drops on her deck o, breaking in soft
murmurs against the bows, the ancient
craft, with all sails fairly drawing,
dipped her time-worn nose into the
blue water and went forth right gallant
" to meet the elements she had so
long detied. The land gradually faded
into dimness, then was lost to view;
the lighthouse sank down as it were
into the sea, and when the sun rose the
next morning after leaving the city,
nothing but 1.-The blue above and the
blue below" was visible from the deck.
The skipper" like the vessel he
commanded, bore the marks of age.
The storms of life, both land and sea,
had long been butieted, and now, when
his few scattered locks had turned
white as the foam so often thrown
upon them, and when he should have
long since rested his time-worn tlmbers
in some snug harbor. securely anchor
ed until Davy Jones should call him on
deck for the last time, necessity still
compelled him to ego down to the sea-
in search of livelihood Collins the
mate, was tall, bronze-faced, brown
bearded specimen of the Yankee sail
or. Young, quick, strong, fearless, you
could tell at glance that he knew
the ropes" and how to handle them.
Four men and boy, and six passen-
gers, mace up n ships company of
thirteen souls, all told.
Some of the passengers were related
to each other; all soon became &C
quainted, for in the narrow limits of a
small briggs cabin at sea, people do not
stand on ceremony
Nothing special occurred the first
few days out to vary the monotony of a
life at sea. The wind blew fair and
steadily, and as we neared the dark,
tepid waters of the gulf stream, a
heavy sea began to tell upon such OF
the passengers as were subject to sea-
sickness.
Six days out brought us well down
toward Abaco, one OF the Bahama Is
lands, usually the first land seen by
vessels bound for ports on the north
coast of Cuba. Indications began to
show themselves Of change in the
weather, which SO far had been more
than usually favorable. The wind be-
came htful and unsteady, veering to all
parts Of the compass, and finally died
away in a calm-the sun blistering hot,
the sea smooth, without ripple. A
calm at sea is always an annoyance;
but down in these ATTITUDES, at this sea-
son of the year, is a warning to prepare
for danger. AS the day wore on, a
close, sitting atmosphere made the heat
uncomfortable, and the sun went down
into the ocean enveloped in seethlng
mist, which seemed to boil from the
water as the round, red globe disap-
peared from view Night closed around
the brig gloomy and oppressive; few
stars struggled dimly through the muir
XIV darkness and then went out, and a
feeling of coming peril caused an awe
struck silence among those on board.
The old craft creaked and groaned as
though suffering from present or APP
prehensive pain, and at times strange
meanings would come up out of the
gloom, passing through the rigging and
away again out seward, causing a mo-
mentary chill through those who
heard them; faint glimmerings of light
ming playing through the air, making
the darkness, if possible, still darker.
Every preparation was made to meet
the coming storm-sails taken in, loose
spars secured, matches examined, beats
made safe for an emergency, and then
all hands took their Stations hoping for
the best. A bright, long enduring flash,
Lighting up the gloom with purple
hue, making ship, passengers and crew
visible for an instant, and then leaving
the darkness of the night still more
hideous A deep, dull sound from
the southwark - not thunder, for
1t was continued and increasing, grow
ing louder aud swiftly coming nearer
untll, with mighty roar, it suddenly
burst upon us. Up almost to the burst
ing OF the hurricane upon the brig, no
steeraSe way could be got upon her;
BUT Slight puff Of air driven before the
gale brought her head around, SO it did
not take her all abeam. As it was, she
laid down for an instant. as though
about to 60 over; but the old vessel
was not so easily overcome. and, right
ing bravely. she shook the foam from
off her sides and blew away before it.
A delugc of rain accompanied the
wind, and so immense was the BODY oil
falling water that it threatened To
swamp the ship, and it was only by
knocking planks out Of the bulwarks
attie she was kept free.
The bowling of the wind and the