Democratic messenger., 1889-11-23
THEY HAD GIVEN rP IIOpE.

decks and wrench open the cabin doors
aud uniasten the matches.
THEY HAD GIVEN rp mopE.
thought that had seen storms on the
sea before; but all Of them together
might have come under one wing Of the
cyclone. We were only eight or nine
hundred miles from home, lind in high
expectation of seeing our friends, for
there was no one on board so poor MS not
to have friend. But II seemed as if we
were to be disappointed. The most of us
expected then and there TO die. There
were none who made light Of the peril
save two. One was an Englisliman. and
he was drunk, aud the other was an
American, and he was fool! Oh what
time II was! A night to make ones
hair turn white. We came out Of the
berths, and stood in the gangway, and
looked into the steeragc, and sat In the
cabin. While seated there, we heard over.
head something like minute guns. II
was the bursting of the sails. We held
on with both hands To keep our places
Those who attempted To cross the floor
came back bruised and gashcd. Cups and
glasses were dashed To fragments: pieces
Of the table getting loose, swung across
the saloon. II seemed as If the hurricane
took that great ship Of thousands Of ton.
and stood II on end, and said: "Slall |
sink II, or let 1t go this once:" And then
IT came down with such force that the bill.
lows trampled over il. each mounted of
fury. We felt that everything depended
on the propelling screw. lf that stopped
for ah instant we knew the vessel would
fall off into the trough Of the sea aud sink,
and so we prayed that the srcew, which
three times since leaving Liverpool had
already stopped, might not stop now. oh
how anxiously we listened for the regular
thump Of the machinery. upon which our
lives seemed to depend. Afler while
someone said: The screw is stopped "
M; its soun,l had only been ovcrpowcrcd
by the roar of the tempest. and we
brcathed easier again when we heard the
regular pulsaiions Of the ovcriaskcd ma.
chinery going tinmp, thump. ,hump. Al
3 o'clock In the morning the water cover.
cd the ship from PROV Ia stern, and the
skylighis gave way. The dclugc rushed
In, and we felt TINT one or two more
waves like that must swamp us forever.
As the water rolled back and forward In
the cabins. and dashed against the wall.
IL sprang half way up to the ceiling
Rushing through the skylights as II came
in with such terrific roar, there went
up from the cabin shrek Of horror
which pray God may never hear again.
I have dreamed the whole scene over
again, but God has mcrcifully kept me
from hearing that one cry. Into II
seemed 10 be compressed the ogony fcX-
pecicd shipwrcck. II seemed TO say II
shall never sc, home again. My childr
shall be orphaned. and my wife shp'
widowed, am launching ne
eternity. In Two minutes i
my God"
SCENE Or CoNFCs"
There were about 80
steeragc, and Ms the wa
touched the furnaces, N
to hiss, the poor creature
imagined that the boilers we.
way. Those passengers writhed
water and in the mud-sOme p
some crying. all terrified. They
rush for the deck. An officer stoo,.
deck and beat them back with blow aftc.
blow. II was necessary. They could not
have stood an instant on the deck. Oh
how they begged Ia get ont Of the hold OF
the ship, One woman. with child in
her arms. rushed up and caught hold OF
one Of the officers and cried: do let me
out! will help you Do let me ou,
I cannot die here Some got down and
prayed to the Virgin Mary, saying "O
blessed mother, keep us Have mercy on
us" Some stood with white lips and iix.
ed gaze, silent in their terror. Some wrdng
their hands and cried out 80 God! what
shall dO!" The time came when the
crew could no longer stay ON the deck
and the cry of the officers was; Below
all hands below" Our brave aud sym.
pathetic Captain Andrcws-whoSc praise
| shall not cease to speak while ] live
had been swept by the hurricane from his
bridge. and had escaped very narrowly
with his life. The cyclone seemed Ia
stand on the deck, waving lis wing, cry.
ing This ship Is mine! have caplur.
ed il. liza. liza! will command Il. II
God will permit, will sink il here and
now. by thousand shipwrecks,
swear the doom of tins ycsselr' There
was lull In the storm; hut only that II
might gain additional fury. Crash went
the lilebont on one side Crash went
the liiebOat on The other side. The great
booms got loose. and. as with the heft oi
IA thunderbolt, pounded the deck aud heat
the mast-th jib b0om. sludding sail
hoom, and square sail bnom. with their
strong arms, beating time to the awful
,, march and music of the hurricane.
4 susr oF FIRE.
Meanwhile the ocean became pnosphor.
esccnt. The whole scene looked like fire
The water dripping from the rigging,
there were ropes of fire and there were
mnsis al fire: and there was u deck oriirc.
4 ship of fire sailing ON sca nf lire,
through night Of fire. May never sec
anything like il again
Everybody prayed A lad OF IL ycar'
ofage got down and prayed for his mother
"lf should give up" he said II do not
know what would become oi my mother
There were men who. ] think, had moi
prayed for ~ years who then got down
, unon their knees. When man whO has