Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1888-03-22


what southing do you allow our drift
will be giving us, captainr asked, MUNICH
Ing piece Of beef.
IAN Of four mile an hour, y be answered. "If
this goes on l shall look to make some discov-
erica The antarctic circle won't bs far on
presently, and since you're . scholar, Rod
ney, III leave you to describe what's inside
of it--though boil me II don't have tho
naming the tallest land; for, dye see, I've
o mind 10 be known after I'm dead, and
there's nothing like your signature on .
mountain TO be remembered by"
At this instant we were startled by wild
and fearful shout on deck. Il sounded high
above the sweeping and scething Of the wind
and the Kissing Of the lashed waters, and It
penetrated the planks with note that gave
1t an inexpressible character of anguish.
"a man washed overboardl' bawled tho
carpenter, springing to his feet
Nor cried I, for my younger and shrewder
ear had caught q note in the cry that per-
suadcd me it was not as the carpenter said !;
and IN an instant the three Of us jumped up
the ladder and gained tho deck.
The moment was in the gallo the same
affrighted cry rang down along tho wind
from some man forward: "For Gods sake,
tumble up before we are upon i'll"
"What do you seer roared, sending my
voice, trumpet fashion, through my hands /;
for as to my own and the sight Of Capt Rosy
and tho carpenter, why, it was like being
struck blind to come on q sudden out Of the
lighted cabin into tho black night.
Any reply that might have been attempted
was choked out by the dive Of the briggs
head into the sea, which furiously flooded
her forecastle, and came washing aft like
IL In, Ia, q
knees.
"See there!r suddenly roared the carpenter.
"Where, man&wheref' bawled the captain.
But in this brief time my sight had grown
used to tho night, and saw tho object before
the carpenter could answer. It lay on our
lee beam, but how far of no man could have
told in that black thickness. 1t stood against
the darkness and hung out dim complexion
Of light, or rather Of pallidness, that was not
light-not DO described by the pen. 1t
was like Ii small hill Of snow, and looked as
snow does, or the foam Of the sea IN darkness,
and 1t came and went with our soaring and
sinking.
"Icel" shouted to the captain.
81 see II, he answered. 1--WE must drive
her clear at all risks"
There was no need to call the men. To the
second cry that had been raised by one
among them, who had come out Of the fore
castle and seen the berg, they had tumbled
up as sailors will when they jump for their
lives; and now they came staggering, splash
ing, crawling aft to us, for the lamp in tho
cabin made sheen in tho companion hatch,
and they could SEQ us as we stood there.
"Men," cried Capt. Rosy, "yonder's q
gravestone for our carcasses il we are not
livelyl Cast the helm adrift!" I'VE steered
by tiller). "Two hands stand by it. For
ward, some of ye, and loose the forestaysail,
and show the head of itl'
The fellows hung in the wind. could not
wonder. The bowsprit had been sprung when
the jibboom was wrenched from the cap by
the fall Of the topgallantmast; it still had
to bear the weight Of the heavy spritsail
yard and the drag Of tho staysail might
carry the spar overheard with the men upon
1t. Yet it was our best chance; the one sail
most speedily released and hoisted-the one
that would pay the briggs head Off quickest,
and tho only fragment that promised to stand.
"Jumpr roared the captain, in a passion
of hurry. "Great thunder! It's close aboardl
You'll leave mo no sea room for veering If
you delay an instant"
"Follow mo who will" cried out; "and
others stand by ready to hoist away"
Thus speaking-for there seemed to my
mind a surer promise of death in hesitation
at this supreme moment, than in twenty
such risks as laying out on the bowsprit sig
nified--I made for the lee Of the weather
bulwarks and blindly hauled myself forward
by such pins and gear as came to my hands.
A man might spend his life on the ocean and
never have to deal with such q passage as
this.
got on to the bowsprit, nearly stifled by
the showering Of the seas, holding an open
knife between my teeth, half dazed by the
prodigious motion Of the light brig, which at
this extreme end of her was to be felt to tho
full height of its extravaganza. At every
plunge I expected to be buried, and every
moment was prepared to be torn from my
hold.
Commenting myself to God, for was now
to let 60 with my hands, pulled the knife
from my teeth, and, feeling for the gaskets
or lines which bound the sail to the spar,
cut and hacked as fast as could ply my
arms In flash the gale, whipping into a
liberated fold of the canvas, blew the whole
sail out; tho bowsprit reeled and quivered
under me; danced OFF it with incredible
dispatch, shouting to the men to hoist away.
The head of the staysail mounted in thunder
and the Stating of its folds and the thrashine
of its sheet was like the rafting Of heavy
field pieces whisked at full gallop oveS {
stony road.
"High enoughr' bawled, guessing enough
was shown, for l could not see. "Get dral
upon the sheet, lads, and then aft with yol
| for your lives!"
Scarce had let forth my breath In thi
cry when heard the blast as Of gun, an
knew by that the sail was gone; an instan
after wash came q mountainous sea shee
over the weather bulwarks fair betwixt til
fore and main rigging; but happily, standin
near the fore shrouds, l was holding on wit
both hands to the topsail halyards while cal
ing to the men, SO that, being under the raj
l which broke the blow Of the sea. and boldin
on too, no mischief befel me-only that fc
nbout twenty seconds stood in a horribl
fury and smother of frothing water, bearin
nothing, seeing nothing, with every facult
in me SO numbed and dulled by the wet, colo
and horror OF our situation, that know nc
whether in that space Of time was In til
least degree sensible Of what had happene
or what might befall.
The water leaving the deck, l rallieS
though half drowned, and staggered aft, an
found the helm deserted, ner ecGld sea ',u
/ VI W ~
tiller, and putting my whole weight and fort
to it, drove it up to windward and secured
by turn of its own roap; for ice or no ice
and for the moment was SO blinded by Il
wet that could not see the berg-my ma'
ness now was to get the brig before the 81
and out of tho trough, advised by every il
stinct in me that such another surge as thi
which had rolled over her must send her
the bottom in less time than it would take
man to cry "Oh Godni
A figure came out Of the blackness on Il
lee side of the deck.
"Who is that" said he. II was Capt. Ros
answered.
"What, Rodneyl-aliveT' cried he,
think have been struck insensible.n
Two more figures came crawling aft; thu