Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-03-24
WATERBURY DEMOCRAT SATURDAY. MARCH 1888

ebort twenty seconds stood in a horrible fury and smother of frothing water. hearing nothing. seeing nothing, with every faculty in me so numbed and dulled by the wet. cold. and horror of our situation, that know not whether in that space of time I was in the least degree sensible or what had happened or what might befau
 The water leaving the deck, I rallied. thou~h half drowned, and staggered aft and fo.,nd the helm deserted, nor could sec anv signs of my companions. l rushed to the tiller. and putting my whole weight and force to it. drove it up to windward and secured it by turn of it's own roap; for ice or no ice and for the moment was so blinded by the wet that 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 "Oh GodW
 A figure came out of tho blackness on the lee side of the deck.
 "Who is thata" said he Itwas Capt. Rosy
 I answered.
 "What, Rodneyl-aliveg' cried he. s'I think have been struck insensible"
 : Two more figures came crawling aft; then two more They were the carpenter and three seamen.
 I cried out, ssWho was at the helm when that sea was shipped?"
 A man answered, 'sMe, Thomas Jobling.n
 "Where's your mate." I asked; and it seemed to me that was the only man who had his senses full just then.
 sHe was washed forward along with me" ," he replied.
 Now a fifth man joined us; but before I could question him as to the others, the cap tain, with a scream like an epileptic's cry, shrieked, sIt's all over with us! 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 confounded 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 of one-tenth that happens.
 I confess that. for my part, I was very nearly paralyzed by the nearness of the ice berg, and by the cry of the captain, and by the perception that there was nothing to be done. That which best recollect is the ap pearance of the mass of ice lying soidly, like little island, upon the seas which roared i1 creaming waters about it. All other features were swallowed up ir the agony of the time One monstrous swing the brig gave, like to some doomed creature. last delirious struggle; the bowsprit caught the ice and snapped with the noise of great tree cracking in fire. could hear the mast breaking overhead-the crash and blows o spars and yards torn down and striking tn. hull; above all, the grating of the vessel, tha was now head on to the sea and swept by thu pillows, broadside on, along the sharp ane murderous projections. Two monster sea tumbled over the bows, foated me off my legs, and dashed me against the tiller, t. which clung. I heard no cries. Iregainet my feet, clinging with death grip to th tiller, and, seeing no one near me, tried t. holloa, to know if any man were living, bu could not make my voice sound.