The Florida agriculturist., 1889-07-31

some time had passed-how long no one
ever knew-the hurricane fell faint. and
in breath or two, as it seemed. died
quite away. The darkness Iightened,
and straight overhead appeared patch
of sky half yelled by wheeling shreds of
mist. They were in the center of the
tornado; and now the waves leaped up
with rebound SO breakneck and astound-
ing that all sense Of vertical and hori-
zOntal was lost, and the vessel reared and
pitched liked maddened bronco. This
phase of the battle between ship and
storm bade fair to be more dangerous
than the opening experience but. how
ever that might be. it did not last long.
The inky cloud shut down again: agair
rose the shrek of rushing winds, coming
now from the opposite point of the CON-
pass, and once more the dismantled and
bruised hulk sprang forward on her fear
full race, galvanized, as it were. into pre-
ternatural activity by force not her
own. Stripped bare as she was. and
weighted by the water she had taken on
board. she moved more steadily than at
first. Nor could the nerves of those
who still manned her continue to re-
spond as before to the call of hor-
ror. The worst was past for them, even
should death itself be in store. None
knew at that time who were living and
who were dead; each held on to what
ever support was nearest him and waited
in darkness and uncertainty for what
might come. The engine fires had been
put out, and all the men available were
taking turns at the Wheel in desperate
and unequal struggle to keep her before
the wind. Some felt that it would be a
relief if the ship would founder and 90
down. But she swept on, outstripping
death itself Suddenly one of the pas
sengers, who had been alternately pray
ing and disappearing in the cabin broke
out in yell of mad laughter. and rushed
up the companion way and out on the
deck. The hurricane caught him and
hurled him forward. he was jammed be-
tween the stump of the mainmast and
the shaft Of one Of the anchors which
had somehow been carried there; the
wind turned his coat over his head and
whipped it into ribbons in a moment: in
another moment he was naked to the
waist; then he was twisted and beaten
and lashed about until he was a shapeless
mass of bloody flesh and shattered bones.
At length sudden pitch of the vessel
loosened the anchor, and it and the
corpse went overheard together, and the
ship swept on
It was DerhaDS an hour after this and
long after the most sanguine had yielded
dumbly to despair, that the steamer rose
on a monstrous wave, which mounted
and mounted beneath her until it seemed
as if it would end by carrying her through
the sky; then, with last furious effort,
flung her forward, and slipped back
under her keel The great vessel was
carried on by the impetus of the onset,
and fell with an appalling crash, not on
the sea again. but on the solid earth.
Her voyage was over, and she was in port
at last.
Her iron ribs were crushed by the fall,
but her frame still held together, and all
motion ceased The wind still shrieked
and the sea beloved and thundered, but
no waves struck the ship She seemed
to have been lifted beyond their reach
but where they were no one knew, nor
could have guessed within hundred
miles After an interval. the quarter
master. who had been the last man at
the wheel, crept to the companonway,
and, securing himself by a rope passed
round his waist and made fast to the