The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-03-03

ward. She left the port Of Amsterdam, 10
which point the Na,tiuger family had come
from Derkendorf, on the river Kline,
and got on board The ship must have
been large craft for those days, as she
sailed with six hundred and sixty six pass
engers, and, besides, numerous crew,
The faults that have been attributed to the
ship may not all haze been her own, for
her captain proved wofuly incompetent
DRIFTING ABOUT AND "LosT,"
The Atlantic ocean, which we can now
cross 10 floating palace, In five or six
days, we often contemptuously and Ia al
minutive exaggeration call pond 1t
is about three thousand miles In width,
from shore 10 shore, at its narrowest point.
But a modern steamer" make a "bee line"
It goes from a harbor 10 another opposite,
as an arrow In bow In the hands of a
skillful archer In the times when the
"Sea Cloud" was tossing about on the
North sea, all ships were propelled by the
wind, when there was any, and when there
was none they waited. OF all the powers
which man has applied to any use, wind
has the reputation of being the most ca
PRECIOUS. A sailing craft was the special
play thing of Eolus, the myth of heather
mythology. Sailing craft only can circum
vent head wind by lacking moving In
zigza line to the right and lett success
lively; sometimes sailing twenty miles 10
make two or three in direct line forward.
Under favorable circumstances II required
two or three months for sailing vessel TO
cross the Atlantic. A months trip was an
extraordinary achievement But as for
the Sea Cloud" she didn't seem In.
tended TO go anywhere. She got into the
North Sea and tackled and tackled Tor all
points of the compass, and did no. go any.
where TO speak of. Days came and nights
followed, and the passengers all read,
slept and lounged about when 1t was clear,
or huddled together like frightened sheep
when Il stormed, and still the ship rocked
to and fro, or raised and fell with the
waves, and with the sails all spread, or
closely reefed according to the state of the
weather, but did not seem to move an inch
on her journey.
A FEARFUL STORM.
Thus they drifted about on the sea day
after day, week after week, and month
after month-from April till some time In
November, and during which fearfully
long and tedious time, nearly six months,
they had been completely lost on the ocean!
At length an awful storm came on, such as
are peculiar to that wild ana turbulent sea.
The wind hOwled and shriked in mighty
fury, and the stricken vessel ran before 1t
as If a thing of life fleeing from certain
destruction On went the flying ship, and
the waves, rolling mountain high, crested
with wreaths of foam, came roaring after
with appalling speed. For hours the terror
stricken passengers helplessly watched the
fearful contest between the roaring pillows
and their fragile ship. The sea, with its
thousand chasms gaping wide to swallow
up their fleeing vessel; the brave ship,
dashing on, enshrouded in a cloud of
pray! AT length the masts, one by one,
had been cut away and swept overheard,
when, at last, as If appeaEed at these trib
utes to It's power, the Storm King drew of
his forces, and the helpless craft drif'ed
about at the caprice of the still towering
waves. In this forlorn condition they re-
NAMED for several days, when the passen
gers held council and deposed the in
competent commander, and rugged jury
mast, headed the ship in certain direc-
ton, and resolutely adhered to II, certain
that they would find land If they could
continue long enough in any one direction.
Meantime their food was running short,
and sickness and suffering appeared. After
few days horrid suspense the cheerful
cry OF Land In sight," greeted them from
watcher, and cheers filled the air In a
few hours they reached the shore, which
proved to be the large sea port of Bergen,
on the Norwegian coast More than six
months of weary sailing, and less than a
thousand miles from home and still as far
from America as when they started. Here
the estrayed emigrants had Oremain all
winter, but, as they enjoyed good health
and plenty of provisions, rather more of
fish than German diet usually includes,
they were thankful, happy and hopeful.
Through the assistance of the German
consul at Bergen and the cooperation of
the local authorities, another ship was pro,
cured, this time of "Norsker" make,
manned by failors and commanded by a
Norwegian captain. This vessel, like the
"Sea Cloud" was large and heavy ship,
made like all the sea craft of those days,
with little regard TO grace or beauty of pro
portion or with reference to speed, but de-
signed especially for great strength. When
spring came the voyagers re.embarked on
the "North STAR" or something like 1t, for
ANOTHER OCEAN VOYAGE FOR AMERICA