The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1881-03-08
THE TIMES, NEW BLOOMFIELD, PA, MARCH 8, 1881.

prevent the water rising in the hold,
and 1t was evident TO the officers that II
the storm continued the water would
reach the fires.
In view of that fact, hurried consul
tatlon was held, and 1t was resolved to
stick to the ship as long as possible, In
hope that some outward bound vessel
would come to their aid. The day slow
ly moved away, and all hopes of rescue
vanished. The sun at last sunk In
dark, gloomy-looking cloud that lay
along the western horizon. The wind
had shifted into the northwestern fact
was going around the compass; as 1t
always does in o hurricane--and the
sinking steamer, about in the vortex,
was fast breaking up. Great broad bill
lows were surging past the doomed ship,
and all around, as far as the eye could
reach lay spread out tossing wilder
ness of water.
AT last the firemen were driven from
their posts, and the'fires went out and
the engine at last stopped. Some of
them tried to lay her to with storm
trysail, but 1t was blown out of the bolt
ropes, with report like a cannon.
Then the first and second officers
made preparations to escape. On the
gallows, just over the quarter deck, were
secured two fine metallic lifeboats. The
first officer cleared one of them away,
and succeeded in swinging it over to
leeward. Sending two seamen into 1t
TO keep it from being dashed against the
ships side, he turned to the crowd of
panic.stricken passengers, and, taking
Mrs. Berry, deposited her in the bottom
of the lifeboat safely. AS Mrs. Berry
fell into the boat, the steamer rolled
heavily to port, when she rolled back
again Mrs. Berry's daughter was drop
ped into her lap. Just forward of the
lifeboat the third officer was lowering
large launch, and as the mate dropped
Mrs. Berry's child, the ship swung
heavily to port, and at the same time
pitched violently forward.
The heavy launch swung backwards
and came in contact with the lifeboat,
and the shock tumbled the two seamen
overheard. In confusion laundering
lubber on deck cast off the line that
held the lifeboat, and the next passing
wave swept Mrs. Berry eight fathoms to
leeward.
AS the boat rose on the crest of mon
| tar eta ~
with disheveled hair and out stretched
arms, wildly appealing for aid. But,
alas she was beyond all but her Heav :
enly Fathers aid.
For few moments the slender woman
in the boat was prey to the widest
emotions, but in those few moments
the boat had drifted from under the
shelter of the steamer, and when it was
again borne up on the crest of a tower
ing wave the fierce blast of the hurricane
flung the boat broadside on, and almost
filled it with water. Her little girl clung
to her feet with convulsive energy, and
looked up at her with white face and
eyes open wide with horror, and then
the boat slid down, down into the black
abyss that seemed peopled with the hor.
rors of the grave.
Before the boat mounted another
wave, the sight of the child's despair.
ing features fired the brain of the moth.
er, and she instinctively grasped the
rudder and turned the boats head
around.
Hour after hour the boat drove before
the huge pillows that raved and hissed
behind it, and during that time who
can judge the horrors of her situation
Around her broad expanse of tossing
water, and above her the black threaten
ing sky, where the binding lightning
played and the deep thunder crashed
and yet, with bated breath and horror
stricken face, she sat at the rudder and
guided the boat over the foam.heckeG
pillows.
Mrs. Berry had acquired In the society
of her husband sufficient knowledge
of nautical matters to know what to dc
now, and in her feeble way she did the
best she could have done. She kept the
boat before the wind and sea, expecting
every moment to be swallowed up by
the waves.
will now change the scene to tn,
eastern edge of the Gulf, and on boart
trim British frigate that was snugly
/ Ioino IN onI xyo;fino for ,,oJora .,