The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-05-19

viewed through a tunnel. The moment
was one of awful suspense; no human
creature could long have endured 1t
without giving way 10 some outbreak OF
mtolerable emotion. The blood flowed
thick in the veins; the brain throbbed
confusedly; the breath came in difficult
signs. With sudden but majestic up
ward graduation, the minor roar swelled
to dcafening shrieks of noise; there was
a vision Of a white fury of waters astern;
a blast as cold as winter swept from the
taTrail to the bowsprit; the dark
ness shut down and became alb
solute. 50 that the observer seemed
plunged into impalpable pitch; and then
witha paralyzing shock the hurricane
smote the vessel, beating her down into
the sea as by the sheer weight of giant
hand. The next instant, with a shudder
and a spring. she leaped forward, stag
gered, and leaped again. Fragments OF
boiling surge hurtled along her decks,
striking what they encountered with the
of grape shot. The mizzen mast broke
of within a yard of the deck. and, lssh-
ing forward, struck the main mast and
brought it down in ruin, though the
noise Of the crash was inaudible in the
veil Of the frenzied gale. The steamer
was rushing onward at headlong speed,
vet she seemed to be standing still. so
fast did wind and sea fly past her. She
reelcd. staggered, leaped, was buried and
rose again. again 10 be overwhelmed. II
seemed another world, anchorage com
pared with the sunlight and calm of few
minutes previous. Blind whirling, wei
tcring chaos had cngulfed all things
nothing could be seen, nothing heard,
nothing done nor directed; only awful
rungings and strainings could be felt
and thunderous blows and shocks. Only
by these signs could It be known that
the vessel was still above the water, still
being swept onward. Whittier, and to
what fate. none could foretell.
The sea was at first beaten fiat by the
wind. though great pieces Of water were
stripped from the surface and dashed
through the air; by and by, however
waves began to form, but irregularly
some rolling low, some reaching aloil
and stalking gigantic. One Of these
urryingthrough the blackness, mounted
the steamers stern and traversed hel
deck to the bows, carrying with 1t the
funnel, the remaining mast and every
thing on board that offered resistance
That wavt struck the forecastle with Z
report like the bursting of siege gun
stove through the oaken planks, an'
dashed hundred tons Of water through
the opening. All therein were drowned
and crushed to pieces, and the bodies o
several were whirled out again and car
ried like rags off into the waste OF Tia
tornado. Heavily the ship rose from Tia
blow: it seemed as if she could neye
rise again. But up she came, and tn
weight of water went booming aft
breaking down partitions and deluginl
cabins and state rooms. More than tilt.
mon were killed or disabled by that sin
ele buffet, and the survivors believe
that the end Of all Of them could be nc
many minutes distant.
But il 50 happened that no catastrOph
Of equal terror followed. The shipdrov
on sometimes threatening to breach tC
vet maintaining her Storage way beyon
all cxpectation, on the. whole; and whe
some time had passed. long. no on
ever Lnew-the hurricane fell faint. an
in q breath or two, as it seemed. die
cutie away. The darkness lightene'
end straight overhead appeared pate
If elzv half yelled by wheeling shreds
mist. They were in the center Of IL
tornado; and now the waves leaped u
Uitha rebound SO breakneck and astoun'
.a. that all sense Of vertical and nor
-ental was lost, and the vessel reared an
etched liked a maddened bronco. Tn
chase of the battle between ship an
Storm babe fair to be moro dangero'
chan the opening experience; but, hoy
, ever that might be, it did not last Ion
Tie inky cloud shut down again; aga
rose the shrek Of rushing winds, comiI
aow from the opposite point OF the cor
pass. and once more the dismantled al
q Bruised hulk sprang forward on her fea
e ful race. galvanized, as it were, into pr
s ta.uatural activity by a force not b
own. Stripped bare as she was, al
p weighted by the water she had taken
, yoard, she moved more steadily than
first. Nor could the nerves Of tho
. who sill manned her continue 70 I
\ pond as before TO the call Of nc
5 rcr. The worst was past for them, ey'
4 should death itself be in store. No
..ew Il that time who were living al
d .s..o were dead; each held on to whi
4 ever support was nearest him and wait
i II darkness and uncertainty for wh
:, might come. The engine fires had be
y out out. and all the men available we
i taking turns at the wheel, in a despera
+. and unequal struggle to keep her befo
+ The wind. Some felt that it would be
e relief if the ship would founder and
n down But she swept on, outstrippi
i death itself. Suddenly one Of the p'
h senrcrs. who had been alternately pra
n ing and disappearing in the cabin, bro
:. out in a veil Of mad laughter, and rush
S. up the companion way and out on I
" deck. The hurricane caught nm al
Il hurled him forward. he was damned .
" tween the stump Of the mainmast al
a. the shaft Of one of the anchors, WIN
II had somehow been carried there; [
ts wind turned his coat over his head al
=. whipped it into ribbons in moment
% another moment he was naked 10
10 waist: then he was twisted and beat
N and dashed about until he was a shapel'
Iv mass Of bloody flesh and shattered BON
If At length a sudden pitch of the YES
w loosened the anchor, and 1t and |
i. corpse went overheard together, and
" ship swept on.
i II was perhaps an hour after this, a
Vi LONG after the most sanguine had yield
a. dumbly to despair, that the steamer II
- on a monstrous wave, which mount
m and mounted beneath her until 1t seem
Va as if it would end 10y carrying her throu
q, the sky: then, with last furious clio
he flung her forward and slipped ba
n. under her keel The great vessel "
II