The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1886-08-13

n sketch OF the Work Performed on the
English Coast.

We will imagine the watch set and
all the other good Caster folk in bed.
The night wears away, until as day be-
gins to break longer look than ordi-
nary is taken through the glass and
discussion Of bearings, ETC., ensues. with
the result that vessel is deserted fast
aground on the Cross Sand with heavy
sea breaking over her.
Out dash the men on to the staging.
One lays hold of the cord attached to
the clapper of the bell and the other
PUSHES at breakneck pace down the
steps and up the gap, shouting and ham
mering at the doors as he goes Then
breaks out Babel of sounds. Men rush
from every door and side road, some of
them with their trousers on. pulling on
their shirts as they run, stumbling in the
dark, through the heavy sand, but all
making for one point. the shed. There,
hung up to the rails at the roof, are their
oilers, sou'westers. and boat stockings;
under the benches their big sea boots.
In twinkling the men have donned
their seagear, and are making Decline
across the sands for the life boat. The
surf is smashing on the beach in tons,
and the wind is bowling across the beach
and up the gap, bringing with it clouds
of sand until the air seems almost solid
with it. The red tanned lugsails are car
ried down and placed in the boat ready
for hosting, and the skids laid down
forward of the boat; the legs which kept
the boat on an even keel are taken away
and replaced by the broad backs of the
sturdy beachmen, amid shouts of ''Hold
her up;" the hauling off warp, which is
anchored out to seaward, is taken in
over the pulley in the bow. and the boat
begins to move on her porpoise-oiled
skids. AS she goes over and clears the
one at her stern it is caught up by the
side handles by two beachmen and
taken to her bows, and placed in line
ready to pick her up again as she comes
steadily on down the sand. Then the
men tumble on board and haul at the
warp. The remaining men keep her
moving over her skids until she dashes
her bows into mass of water just break
ing and laundering on the beach, and,
shipping tons of it and giving her crew
the first smother of many they will have
before they return, she moves slowly on.
Another breaker catches her ere she has
fairly gathered way and she looks al
most like coming back, but the beach,
men on shore have had the sett ready.
They ship it on to the stern and shove
her off into the smother. Up goes the
foresail with run; up goes the mizzen,
and the boat thrashes through the
broken water; overheard goes the haul
ing-Otf warp and she is clear of the
beach and fighting her way through the
heavy seas to the wreck; sea after sea
breaks over her until they can see moth
ing of that boat, only feel it undor their
feet, hang like grim death to the ridge
ropes and take breath when the sea
gives them chance.
Over the Barber they thrash, then
over the Scroby. They have to make a
long leg to fetch the wreck, and as they
rise on wave they can sometimes
make her out dimly with seas spouting
fountains over her. She is a small
schooner, and her crew-two men and
two wretched, half-starved looking boys
and an equally wretched-looking mon
grel cur-are huddled together in the
weather shrouds of the foremost; the
mizzenmast has already gone over the
side. The lifeboat fights her way to
windward, then anchors, and lowering
her Tugs vecrs down to the wreck, drops
alongside and takes in the poor half
drowned wretches and their poor dog,
hauls back to the anchor, then up sail
and away to the beach, where the rest
of the company is awaiting them. En-
0lish Illustrated Md0azine.