Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1890-03-27
FROM THE JAWS OF DEATH
A MAN CARRIED AWAY INTO THE
DARKNESS AND STORM.


Bowsprit of Passing schooner-The
Scared Crew Thought the Unexpected
| Visitor Was Satan Himself.
The following incident in the life of a late
admiral is told by Commander Enroll, r. N,
in The Illustrated Naval and Military Maya
zine
Although the vessel was steered from the
bridge, there was spare wheel abaft and q
raised grating for the helmsman to stand
upon; got on this and, steadying myself by
the wheel with one hand, tried to peer through
the darkness astern; but all was black as jet,
a darkness that almost might be felt.
was standing there surrounded by war
ring nature, yet full of a great sense of in
ward calm and awe, when my sailors ear
was startled by a sound that was like, yet
different from, the breaking waves. Before
/ had time to consider what it might be a
large black mass passed between me and the
red glow forward, and the next instant an
| irresistible, unseen power lifted me off my
legs, and the steamer passed away from be-
meath my feet.
With the tenacity of a drowning man
chung to the object which had torn me from
my hold and was now carrying me away
into the darkness. / found myself suspended
above the boiling waters, expecting every
moment to be engulfed therein, and thought
despairingly of my dear wife and daughter,
who would never know the mystery of my
DEATH Then it flashed across my mind that
perhaps people would say | had committed
suicide and the thought of how much pain
this would cause those SO dear to me startled
me from my daZed condition and reused me
to make an effort, a struggle for dear life,
and / began to consider if my position were
altogether hopeless.
UNCOMFORTABLE POSTPONED
l soon realized that ! was clinging to some
spar, which had struck me full across the
chest, and over which | had instinctivey
thrown my arms, My legs and feet were
hanging down into vacancy, but occasionally
they dipped in the crest of a wave; conclud-
ed therefore, was hanging to the extremity
of some vessels ,bowsprit, evidently not a
large vessel by the size of the spar, and also
by the short distance was suspended above
the sea. shouted as loud as l could in hopes
some one would hear me, but without effect;
then felt about with my feet in the direc-
ton / knew the bobstay would be; and pres
emily, to my great joy l found it, With
tolerable security, where l could sit upon the
bowsprit end and hold on by the jibstay.
| dared not attempt to climb in towards
the bows of the ship, as the spar was so wet
and slippery that should have been jerlzed
off i'll moment by the violent pitching of
the vessel whereas / knew that where I was
Twas safe enough, provided | could hold out
against the cold and wet until assistance
came to me.
The vessel, whatever she was, had no lights
burning, and was perfectly invisible in the
darkness. Evidently no one was on the look
out, the helmsman having probably dashed
the wheel for a short time whilst he went be-
low to light his pipe and none of those on
board her knew how nearly they had been
in collision with the Boulogne packet They
had escaped her by n mere hairs breadth;
the steamers stern must have fallen into the
trough of the sea at the very instant that
the vessels bowsprit passed over the taffrail,
and so neatly picked me off.
was in very perilous position, clinging
as well as / could to the end of that small
spar, buried sometimes almost to my waist,
and nearly dragged from my hold by the
water, as the vessel pitched into the heavy
seas ! was also benumbed with cold, and
my half frozen fingers could hardly feel the
wet and slippery rope. As soon as | had re,
covered my breath began to shout again,
and presently, to my great satisfaction,
heard some one reply; then the glimmer of a
lantern revealed a glimpse of the vessels
bows and an astonished face gazing into the
night. As l continued to shout the owner of
the face disappeared in search of assistance
and shortly the whole crew clustered on the
forecastle gazing at me in wonder and
amazement. Help! helpI" yelled. "Yahl
yahln was shouted in reply, followed by
something in language with which l was
unacquainted,
HORNS AND A TAIL.
Presently the little vessel fell off before the
wind as they put the helm up, and her motion
became comparatively easy and gentle; at
the same moment saw a sturdy fellow climb
out upon the bowsprit with ropes end; it
was now easy enough to get along the spar;
he soon reached the place where l was sitting,
and made the rope fast round my waist, and,
with his assistance, in another minute found
myself safe upon the deck of the little craft.
NY new friends turned out to be Dutchmen,
beating up channel for the Texel. They
treated me with every kindness, and made me
MS comfortable as the limited resources of
their little schooner admitted.
/ could not understand word of their Ian
guage, or they of mine; but by means of
signs and rough sketches | managed to ex-
plain to them how it happened that they came
to have me for passenger. drew sketch
of myself clinging on to the bowsprit, and
one of them promptly added large pair of
horns and tail to my figure, at which all
the others nodded and exclaimed "Yahl
yahl" again holding up their hands to ex-
press amazement, and giving me to under
stand that when they first discovered me they
had all taken me for the devil himself OF
course, / was most anxious to communicate
with my wife and Amy, who knew must,
by this time, be in agonies of distress and be-
wilderment at my strange disappearance;
and / explained to my hosts that / would pay
them handsomely to put me ashore in the
nearest English or French port. j had con-
siderable difficulty in getting the stolid Hol- |
landers to alter the course, but at length they |
consented.
However, owing to the thick weather and |
other causes, two days elapsed before my |
worthy friends landed me at Deal. l imme-
diately went to my brothers house in Lon
don. He welcomed me as one returned from |
the dead. He informed me that my wife and |
daughter were still at Boulogne, whence they |
had telegraphed to him on the first shock Of |
their discovery of my loss, and that Amy had
since written to tell him that they believed | |
must have fallen overheard unnoticed in the
dark and that they had no hope that should
ever be heard of again. Who can picture
my feelings as l read my dear child's letterl
In a few moments a telegram was on its way
to break the joyful news to them, and, cross
ing by the next boat, found myself on thj
morning once more in the arms Of
those | SO dearly loved