The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1882-04-12


ing on board valuable cargo, and, as
nearly as could be ascertained, sixty-three
persons-viz., the master and his wife, a
crew Of twenty men, and forty-one pas
sengers. She was new vessel, being
only two years old, but her boilers were,
no doubt, in culpable state of disrepair.
Previous to her leaving Hull small
leak had been discovered in them, and,
for the moment, closed up; but when off
Marlborough Head it broke out afresh
to such an extent as to put out two of the
fires. The boilers were, however, again
partially repaired, and the fires relighted |;
and In this inefficient state she proceeded
on her voyage, passing the Fairway,
between the Farne Islands and the main
land, at about six P. NJ on the 9Th At
Bay, the sea running high, with the wind
strong from the north. The leakage now
increased to such degree that the fire.
men could not keep the fires burning, and
at about ten P. NJ. she bore up for st.
Abs Head, the storm still raging with
undated fury. The engines soon after
became useless and would not work,
when the sails were hoisted fore and aft,
and the vessel tackled, in order to keep
her off the land She, however, soon
became unmanageable, and the tide set
ting strong to the south she was carried
by it in that direction
1t rained heavily during the whole
time, and the fog was too dense to enable
the position of the vessel to be ascer-
tanned
At length breakers were discovered
close to leeward, and the Farne lights
became visible, leaving no doubt as to the
imminent peril of all on board
1t was in vain attempted to avert the
catastrophe by running between the is
lands and the mainland she would not
answer her helm, and was impelled to
and fro by furious sea. Between three
and four o'clock she struck with her
bows foremost on the rock, which was
there so preciptious that person could
scarce stand erect on it.
A part of the crew now lowered one of
the quarter boats and left the ship, hav-
ing one of the passengers with them, who
had contriyed to throw himself into the
boat; but two others in making the same
attempt persisted. The scene which now
presented itself was of a most heartrend
ing description Several women were
uttering cries of anguish and despair, and
amidst them stood the bewildered master,
whose wife, clinging to him, frantically
besought the protection which he was I'M
able to afford. Very soon after the first
shock, heavy wave struck the vessel on
the quarter and raising her off the rock,
allowed her Immediately after to fall VIC
lent y upon it, when a sharp ledge strik-
ing her about amidships, she was fairly
broken into two pieces, and the after
part, containing the cabin and many
passengers, was Instantly carried off by a
rapid current through the Pifa-gut,
whilst the forepart remained on the rock
A portion of the passengers and crew
had previously betaken themselves to the
foremost part of the vessel, considering it
to be the safest place
In this dreadful situation, exposed
amidst darkness to the bufeting Of the
waves, and fearful lest each rising surge
should sweep away into the deep the
fragment Of the wreck on which they
stood, they waited in anxious expectancy
the breaking of the day. In the fore
cabin, also exposed to the intrusion of the
sea, was woman, the wife of weaver,
with her two children, who, when relief
at last came, was found yet alive, but her
two children lay stifened corpses in her
arms.
Such was their seemingly hopeless posi-
ton, when, soon after the day broke,
they were deserted from the Longstone
by the Darlings, at nearly miles dis
lance. A mist lowered over the island,
and though the wind had somewhat
abated its violence, the sea was still rag
ing fearfully, making any approach to the
rugged pinnacles and sunken rocks which
surround these islands, work of extreme
peril. Indeed, even at later period of
the day, reward of ST., offered by the
steward of scarborough Castle, could
scarcely induce party of fishermen to
venture off from the mainland.
To have braved the dangers of that
terrible passage would have done the
highest honor even to the well-tried
nerves Of the stoutest of the male sex. But
what shall be said Of the errand of mercy
being undertaken and accomplished
mainly through the strength Of female
heart and arm2
Through the dim mist, with the aid
Of glass, the figures of the sufferers were
seen clinging to the wreck. But who
could dare to tempt the raging abyss that
iptarvened in tho homo Of euooorir n,