The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1889-12-05

that the screw, which three times since leav-
ing Liverpool had already stopped. might
not stop now Oh! how anxiousiy wo
listened for the regular thump of the ina.
chinery, upon which our lives seemed
to depend. After while some one
said: Tho screw is stopped" No;
its sound had only been Overpowered
by the uproar of the tempest, and we
breathed easier again when we heard the re.
gular pulsations of the overtasked machinery
going thunp, thump, thump. At o'clock
in the morning the water covered tho Shi.i
from PROV to stern. and the skylights gave
way! The deluge rushed in, and we felt that
one or two more waves like that must swamp
us forever. As the water rolled back and for
ward in the cabins, and dashed against the
wall, it sprang half way up to the ceiling.
Rushing through the skkylights as it
came in with such terrific roar, there
went up from the cabin a shripk of horror
which pray God | may never hear again.
l have dreamed the whole scene over again,
but God has mercifully kept me from hear
ing that one cry. Into it seemed TO be COM
pressed the agony of expected sh;pwreck.
It seemed to say: II shall never get homo
again! Ny children shall be orphaned, and
my wife shall be widowed! am launching
now into eternity! In two minutes shall
meet my God"
There were about five hundred and fifty
passengers in the steeragc. and rs the water
rushed in and touched the furnaces, and b"-
gan violently to hiss, the poor creatures in
the steerage imagined that the boilers were
giving way. Those passengers writhcd III tho
water and in the mud, some praying, som,
crying, all terrified. They mado II rush for
the deck An officer stood on deck and beat
thcm back with blow after blow. 1t was
necessary. They could not have stood an
instant on the deck. Oh! how they
begged TO get out OF the hold Of the
ship. One woman, with child in her arms,
rushed up and caught hold of one of th3
help YOU Do let me out! / cannot dio
here" Some got down and prayed to tho
Virgin Mary, saying 30 blessed mother!
keep us, Have mercy on US" Some stood
with white lips and fixed gaze, silent in their
terror. Some wrung their hands and cried
out: 20 God, what shall I do? What shall
l do!" The time came when the crew
could nc longer stay on the deck,
and the cry of the officers was; -SSSow! all
hands below" Our brave athletic
cease to speak while Ii had been swept
by the hurricane from his ~ dge, and had es-
clpa,t very n71ro"':s " H; lie. The cv-
clone seemed 10 stand ahc deck, waving its
wing, cryin;: This X is mine! I have
captured it; lIa ha Is will command it!
If God will permit, will sink it here and
now, By a thousand shipwrecks, l swear
tho doom OF this vessel" There was n
lull in III, storm: but only that it
might gain additional fury Crash. went
the Iiieboat on one side. Crash. went the
lfe3oat OH the other side Tho great booms
got loose and. rs with the heft of thunder
bolt. pounded the deck and beat the mast
the ltb boom, stu'lding sail boom. and square
sail boom, with their strong arms beating
time to the awful march and music of the
hurricane.
Meanwhile the ocean became phosphores
cent. The whole scene looked like fire. The
water dripping from the rigging. there were
ropes OF fire, and there were mastS of fire:
and there was deck of fire A ship Of fire,
sailing on 4 sea of fire. through q night of
lire. May never sec anything like it again!
Everybody prayed. A lad of twelve
years of age rot down and prayed for
his mother. If ! should give up" he
said, Il do not know what would be-
como of mother" There were men who.
think. had not prayed for thirty years.
WHO then got down on their knees When
nau who has neglected God all his life
feels that he has come to his Jast time it
makes q very busy night, All of our
sins and shortcomings passed through our
minds. My own life seemed utterly un-
satisfactory: lcondonly say. Here. Lord,
take Inc as l am, | cannot mend matters
now. Lord Jesus, Thou ditlst die for the
chief of sinners. That's me! 1t seems,
Lord, as if my work is DONE and poorly
done, and upon Thy infinite mercy cast
myself, and IN this hour Of shipwrcck and
darkness commit myself and her whom I
hold By the hand TO Thee, q Lord Jesus!