Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1889-03-22

sail OUT the bowsprit recled and quivered
under me; / danced off it with incredible
dispatch, shouting TO the men to hoist away.
The head of the stnysail mounted in thunder,
and the Stating Of its folds and the thrashing
of its sheet was like the rafting of heavy
field pieces whisked at full gallop over a
stony road.
"High enough" bawled guessing enough
was shown, for l could not see. Get a drag
upon the sheet, lads, and then aft with you
for your livesW
Scarce had l let forth my breath in this
cry when l heard the blast as of n gun, and
knew by that the sail was gone; an instant
after wash came a mountainous sea sheer
over the weather bulwarks fair betwixt the
fore and main rigging; but happily, standing
near the fore shrouds, was hOldieg on with
boGh bands to the topsail halyards wtile call.
ing to the men, so that, being under the rail,
which broke the blow of the sea- and holding
TOO no mischief befel me-onlY that foi
about twenty seconds stood in horrible
fury and smother of frothng water, hearing
nothing seeing nothing, with every faculty
in me so numbed and dulled by the wet, cold,
and horror of our situation that l know not
whether IL that space of time / was in tho
least degree sensible of what had happened
or wha. might befall.
The water leaving the deck, l rallied,
though half drowned, and staggered aft, and
found the helm deserted, nor could / see any
signs of my companions l rushed to the
tiller, AID putting my whole weight and force
to it, drove it up to windward and secured it
by a turn of its 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 mo 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 ooh God"
A figure came out of the blackness on the
lee side of the deck.
"IVho is thatp said he. 1t was Capt. Rosy.
| answered.
'What, Rodneyl--alivem cried he. 81
think have been struck insensiblen
Two more figures came crawling aft; then
two more. They were the carpenter and
three seamen.
cried out, "Who was at the helm when
that sea was shippedF'
A man answered, me Thomas Jobling"
"Where's your mate" l asked and it
seemed TO me that was the only man who
had his senses full just then.
"He was washed forward along with me, n
he replied.
Now fifth man joined us; but before
could question him as to the others, the cap
tain, with a scream like an epileptic's cry,
| shrieked, cts all over with us! We are
upon i'll"
| looked and perceived the iceberg to be
within musiot 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 q time like this
at sea events throng so fast they come in a
heap, and even Il the intelligence were not
COMPOUNDED 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.
/ confess that. for my part, l was very
nearly paralyzcd 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 recolect is the ap
pearance Of the mass of ice lying soldly, like
a little island, upon the seas which roared il
Dreaming waters about it.
All other features were swallowed up il
the agony of tho time, One monstrous swing
the brig gave, like 20 some doomed creatures
last delirious struggle; the bowsprit caught
the ice and snapped with the noise of great
tree cracking in fro. i could hear the mast!
breaking overhead-the crash and blows o.
spars and yards torn down and striking thC
hull; above all, the grating Of tho vessel, tina
was now head on to the sea and swept by tn,
pillows, broadsido on, along the sharp anC
murdorous projections. Two monster sea-
tumbled over the bows, Goatod mo OFF my
legs, and dashed me against the tiller, t.
which | chung Ihcard no cries. regaineC
my feet, clinging with q death grip to tn,
tiller, and, scoing no one near me, tried tt
holloa, to know if any man were living, bu
could not mako my voice sound.