Grand Rapids morning telegram., 1885-01-14

rocks that seemed prepared for her reception.
Here she rested with her decks inclined ag
an angle Of fifteen degrees. A small Spanish
brig Was carried bodily inland across the
cane-helds and landed III the kiug's high
way. The waters again FetTeafed and as
sumed such threatening appearance, that
our commander, fearing another tidal wave
which would have dashed Is against the
stone houses or the walls Of a Danish fort
Just ahead of Us gave the order, Every man
save himseiff' Ia al instant ropes we're
thrown over the sides and the crew began
sliding down them ike spiders and making
for the hills IN the rear of the town. SEEING
one OF the fore try-sail yangs / dung II over
the side, securing the part even with the deck
10 d eleat: after the few men who still re-
mained forward had descended On my rope
and had east glance seaward 10 calculate
the chances Of getting clear Of the ships
bottom before the sea struck her again.
swung To II and descended SO rapidly that
my hands paid severe penalty, the rope
cutting the flesh nearly 10 the bone.
Upon striking the ground, Immediately
cut round the corner Of the street leading 10
the nearest hill. Like Lot, / looked not
back, but MADE the best time possible, soon
oyertakIng squad of our men that had pre-
ceded him. On arriving at the first cross
street We were beset by rush of water that
had been thrown far up into the town, seek
Ia water walst-deep, cOntendIng with a
strong current as best We could. The situa-
ton was not SO critical, however, as 10 pre-
vent Us from noting some cOmical incidents.
This water bore on It's surface all manner of
debris which it had gathered from the yards
and houses IN It's cOurse-chaIrs, cradles.
bedsteads, broken fences and doors, together
with flocks of ducks and geese quacklng and
gabbling, utterly bewildered by the sudden
rise of their natural element.
We blundered and stumbled along, max
ing all haste for fear the sea would overtake
us A marine secured horse that had been
abandoned by its owner and mounting rode
to the rescue of a negro girl who was cling
ing To fence. Seating her IN front of him,
he steered his bark again for the hills with
two or three blue jackets towing astern,
hanging To the horses tail. But even this
craft was doomed 10 be shipwrecked for the
horse stumbled over some obstacle and
tossed both marine and girl far over his
head into the muddy depths. No injury re-
sulting, we all arrived safely at the foot of
the hill of refuge. Here was a scene never
to be forgotten. Whites and blacks were
collected III groups, praying, crying and
wrnging their hands; some counting their
beads, and some on their knees reading
aloud from their prayer-boOks. One old
negro, with an open family Bible in his hand
was going about prophesying, "Breddren dis
is noffin to what it will be III ~. Den you
will cry for de hills and de mountains to fall
on you and hide you," which gave courage to
many of us, as did not feel quite sure the
hills and mountains were not about to fall
ON us without a special invitation.
Many incidents of interest | might chroni-
Gle, that occurred aboard our vessel during
the interval between the shock and her final
landing on the shore. When our apparently
hopeless situation began to be realized by all
of us, it was curious to mark the manner in
which it affected different individuals. Our
chief boatswain's mate stood unmoved at his
post, whistle in hand, never forgetting to
pipe ''haul away" or Delay" when appro-
pirate, and if | remember correctly. his
whistle piped the men over the side when the
order "every man save himself was an
nounced. Some were heard to remark, 1--WE
are all lost, but we must do the best we can,"
and worked with a will. One man ran about
the decks, exclaiming in the face of the
officers, '.My God. we are all lostn' Two
prisoners in double irons hobbled on deck
from their prison below, and begged for
Gods sake, TO have their irons removed, that
they might have an equal chance for their
lives with the rest of US. The master-at-arms
was without his keys to unlock their shackles.
He had given them to the ships corporal,
who was on shore. No time was to be lost,
so | ordered their chains to be cut.
TO be Continued.