Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1884-03-13
GOING ASHORE.

"There she is, sir; that's she just off
the uoint there. She's acOming stem
on. am in arr an hour il she amt on
Bunk Sands m a Dutchman."
Nv companion was no native OF
dam land for there was Brlton writ
ten on every feature Of his bronze-red
face as he stood by me on Blythorpe
shore, in his canvas trousers, fishers
boots. blue Jersey shirt, and tarpaulln
hat tied on with a bit of oakum band,
while the flap behind beat about IN
the tremendous wind that was raging
in our face.
Bang" went the dull, smothered
report of a heavy gun, and in the
shade Of the coming night l just
caught sight of faint fash of light.
Where we stood the spray can rush
ing in like a heavy storm of rain,
while the whstlng Of the wind and
the laundering in Of the huge rollers
as they curled over and over upon
the sands, tearing it out from among
the clays and scraping it away by
tons, made standing in the face of
such storm extremely confusing
and yet hundreds were out upon the
shore close under thegreat nd-bank,
.drenched TO the skin with the spray,
for the news bad spreao throughout
the village that a three-master was go
ing ashore
Going ashore Simple words to a
iandsman's ears. but what do they
mean2 The noble vessel tearing and
plunging through the broken water
now then in lhe trough of the waves,
now rising like a cork upon the white
crests, and then shock as she strikes
upon the sand and seems immovable;
shudderng quiver through plank
and beam, and then crash. crash,
crash snapped ike little twigs on a
dead stem, while huge ropes part like
burned Irvine. then the rising of the
apparently immovable vessel, as she
is lifted by the waves to fall crashing
again ON the sands, parting in the
middle; rushing pillows pouring tons
upon tons of water over the deck;
wild. wild cry for help, and then the
shore strewn with fragments, casks,
bodies, as the merciless waves sport
with them, tossing them onto the
sands and then curling over to drag
them back Going ashore-not
safety from a Wild storm, but death,
All said the cid salt by my side,
shouting at me with his hand to his
mouth, did you hear that gun2'
nodded
"There goes another nc continued,
stretching out his haud and pointing
to where the flash could be seen, while
directly after came another dull,
heavyrcport "Can'ty yer see her now,
sir2'
Mine were no sea-going eyes; and
it was no easy task 10 make out dis
taut object throagh the binding storm
OF spray which beat dead in my face,
but l just managed to make out "A
dark mass rising among the boiling
waves, aud | shuddered AS | thought
of the fate of those ON bOsrd
''She must come to it, said the
man; shell come in just there, and
he pointed to spot among the waves
where they seemed the toughest.
She'll be there in less time than |
said; aud then, Lord have mercy on
'em Ameu'
AS he sand this the old man reverent-
ly took off ms tarpaulin sou'we,ter
and stood with the storm tearing
through his grizzly hair; bald, rugged,
and weather beaten. the eoarseneSs Of
his features seemed for the moment
subdued- softened by the feelings
within his breast-as he stood there
no inapt representation of the seer OF
old.
is there no chance for them }'
| shouted.
The old man shook his head and
shrugged bis shoulders Precious
little" he said, unless them chaps
come down with the lifeboat but
who'd 90 UutN
1t did look like desperate venture,
indeed, to attempt to launch a boat
with such sea on, and having no
reply, | stood shading my eyes and
gazing ont To sea.
Bang,
There was another flash, and an
nother duh, echolesS report. and as
the veil of spray seemed TO clear du-
ring lull in the Storm | could per
celve q large three .musted vessel about
500 yards from the shore; and once,
as She keeled over and showed her
deck, | could see that she was crowded
with people.
God help them" | muttered
"Amenl" SAID the old man; and
Just then, away to our left, we saw
the life boat carriage coming down at
a trot, drawn By two stout horses,
while a loud and prolonged Murray
welcomed ITS arrival As another flash
and its following heavy report seemed
to come from the doomed vessel