San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-03-26

ing, Crawling aIJ 10 us, lot Ine lamp III Une
cabin made sheen in the companion hatch,
and they could see us as we stood there.
"Men," cried Capt Rosy, ''yonder's
gravestone for our carcasses If we are not
lively! Cast the helm adrift" 1--WE steered
by tiller). 1.-TWO hands stand by it. For
ward, some of We, and loose the forestaysail,
and show the head of it,"
The fellows hung in the wind. l 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 the staySail might
carry the spar overheard with the men upon
it, 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 the only fragment that promised to stand.
Jump reared the captain, in a passion
of hurry. ''Great thunder It's close aboard!
You'll leave me no sea room for veering if
you delay an instant"
"Follow me who will!n l cried out; land
others stand by ready to hoist away"
Thus speaking-for there seemed to my
mind a sIrer promise of death in hesitation
at this supreme moment, than in twenty
such risks as laying out on the bOwsprit sig
nifed-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 a passage as
this.
got on to the bowsprit, nearly stifed 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 the
full height of its extravaganza At every
plunge | expected to be buried, and every
moment was prepared to be torn from my
hold
Commenting myself to God, for was now
to let go with my hands, pulled the knife
from M teeth, and, feeling for the gaslletS
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
liberated fold of the canvas, blew the whole
sail out; the 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 thrashing
of its sheet was like the rafting of heavy
field pieces whisked at full gallop over a
stony road.
"Iiigh enough" bawled, guessing enough
was shown, for | could not see. Get a drag
upon the sheet, lads, and then aft with you
for your lives!'
Scarce had | let forth my breath in this
cry when heard the blast as of a gun, and
knew by that the sail was gone; an instant
after wash came a mountainous sea sheer
over the weather bulwarkS fair betwixt the
fore and main rigging; but happily, standing
near the fore shrouds | was holding ON with
both hands to the topsail halyards while call,
ing to the men, so that, being under the rail
which broke the blow of the sea, and holding
on too, no mischief befel me-only that fol
about twenty seconds I stood in a horrible
fury and smother of frOthng water, bearing
nothing, seeing nothing, with every faculty
in me so numbed and dulled by the wet, cold
and horror of our situation, that l know not
whether in that space of time | was in the
least degree sensible of what had happened
or what might befall.
The water leaving the deck, | rallied,
though half drowned, and staggered aft, and
found the helm deserted, nor could | see any
signs of my companions. | rushed to the
tiller, and putting my whole weight and force
to it, drove it up to windward and secured it
by turn of its own roap; for ice or no ice
and for the moment was so blinded by the
wet that l could not see the berg-my mad
ness now was to get the brig before the sea
and out of the trough, advised by every in
stinct in me that such another surge as that
which had rolled over her must send her to
the bottom in less time than it would take a
man to cry ooh GOdn'
A figure came out of the blackneSs on the
lee side of the deck.
'Who is thatl" said he. 1t was Capt. Rosy
answered.
'What, Rodney!-alive" cried he. 81
think have been struck inSensible."
Two more figures came crawling aft; then
two more. They were the carpenter and
three seamen.
cried out, "Who was at the helm when
that sea was shipped:'
A man answered, Me, Thomas Jobling."
~ heres your mate l asked; and it
seemed to me that was the only man who
had his senses full just then.
HE was washed forward along with me-"
he replied.
Now a fifth man joined us; but before |
could question him as to the others, the cap
tain, with a scream like an epileptics cry,
shrieked, "It's all over with u.s. We are
upon it,"
looked and perceived the iceberg to be
within musket shot, whence it was clear
that it had been closer to us when first
sighted than the blackness of the night would
suffer us to distinguish. In time like this
at sea events throng so fast they come in a
heap, and even if the intelligence were not
COMPOUNDED by the uproar and peril-if, in
deed, it were as placid as in any time of per-
feet security-it could not possibly take note