The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1886-12-03

i struck Us; the white surface OF the sea,
c3eanly lined like the surf upon beach.
was plainly seen by as, even when the
water all around was still unruffled;
and then. with a prolonged and peal
| ing yell, the gale and the spray it was
flashing out of the sea were upon us. In
q moment our decks were soaking
the masts creaked. and every shroud
and stay sung to the sudden. mighty
J strain; the vessel staggered and reeled
stopped, as a heavy swell rolled un-
der her bows and threw her all aslant
against the hurricane, which scrceched
and howied through the rigging, and
.hen fled forward under the yards,
! which had squared themselves as the
!. starboard braces were slackened.
1t was lucky for the Grosvenor that
the gale struck her astern. So great
was its fury that. had it taken her
aback, l doubt if she would have
righted.
The wind was blowing true from the
south. and we were bowling before it
due north. losing as much ground every
five minutes as had taken US an hour to
get during the day.
| The sea now began to rise, and it
was strange to watch it. First it
boiled in short waves, which the wind
shattered and blew flat. But other
waves rose, too solid for the wind to
level; they increased in bulk as they
ran. and broke in coils of spray, while
fresh and larger waves succeeded, and
the ship began to pitch quickly in the
young sea-
The wonderful violence of the wind
could not well be appreciated by us
| who were running before it; but when
the crew manned the braces and the
helm was put to starboard, it seemed
| as if the wind would blow the ship out
of the water. She came to slowly,
laying her main-deck level with the
sea, and the screeching of the wind
was diabolical and absolutely terrify-
| ing to listen to. With the weather.
| leeches just lifting, she was still well
| away from her course, and her prog
ress under all three tOp-sa:ls was all
leeway.
But soon saw that she could not
| carry two of the three top-sails, owing
to the tremendous sudden pressure put
upon the masts by her lurches to wind
ward; and, sure enough Duckling.
(who had turned out along with all
hands when the gale had first struck
the ship roared through a speaking
trumpet to clew up and furl the fore
and mizzen tOp-sails.
1t took all hands to deal with each
sail separately. and 1 helped to stow
the foretop-sail.
The ship was now as snug as we
could make her, hove to under close
reefed maintop-sail and foretop- mast
staysail. riding tolerably well. though,
to be sure, the wind had not yet had
time to raise much of a sea. The crew
were tagged by their heavy work, and
the captain ordered the steward to
serve out lot OF grog apiece to them,
more out of policy than pity, l think,
as he would remember what was in
their minds respecting their provisions,
and how the ships safety depended on
their obedience.
CHAPTER VII
All that night it blew terribly hard,
and raised as wild and raging sea as
ever l remember hearing or seeing
described. During my watch-that is.
from midnight until four 'clock-the
wind veered a couple of points, but
had gone back again only to blow
harder, just as though it had stepped
out of its way trifle to catch extra
breath.
Twas quite worn out by the time my
turn came to go below, and though
the vessel was grooming like live
creature in its death-agonies. and the
seas humping against her wit. such
shocks rs kept me thinking that she
was striking hard ground. fell asleep
IS soon as my head touched the pill
low, and never moved until routad out
by Duckling four hours afterward.
All this time the gale had not abated
in the least. The main deck was fairly
afioat. but / ascertained from Duck
ling that the well had been sounded
and the ship found dry; and therefore
since we were tight below it mattcred
little what water was shipped above,
| as the matches were securely battened
| down fore and aft But still she la
bored under serious disadvantage from
being SO heavily overloaded.
Partly out of curiosity and part
ly with wish to Learten the men l
| looked into the forcastle. The dark
ness here was made visible by an oil
lamp resembling a coffee-pot with a
wick in the spout which burned black
and SMOKEY.
The whole of tile crew were below.
Some Of the men lay smoking in their
bunks, Others in their hammocks with
their boots over the edge; one was
patching a coat, another sreasing his
| boots. others were seated in group
talking. while under the lamp were a
couple of men playing at cards upon a
chest, three or four watching. and
holding on by the hammocks, over their
heads.
A man. lying in his bunk with his
face toward me, started up and sent
his legs, incased in blanket trousers
and brown wooden stockings, flying
out.
Here's Mr. Royle, matesr" he called
out ''Lct's ask him the name of the
port the captain means to touch at TO,
proper food, for we aren't goin' to wait
much longer"
Don't ask me any questions of that
kind, my lads" replied. promptly,
seeing a general movement of heads in
the hunks and hammocks. "Fd give
you proper victuals if had the order.
ing Of them; and have spoken to Cap
tain Coxon about you. and l am sure
he will see this matter put to rights. "
"Who thinks" said a voice from 9
hammock. '.that we're going to lei
ourselves be grinded as we was las,
night. without proper whites to sup.