The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1890-03-08
FROM THE JAWS OF DEATH.

| OF late admlral IS tOld Dy COmmdn-
der Enroll. r. NJ. in the Illustrated
Naval and Military Magazine
Although the vessel WAS steered
from the bridge, there was spare
wheel ahaft aud raised grating for
the heimsman to stand upon. l got
on this, and. steadyIng myself by the
wheel with one hand. tried to peer
through the darkness astern; but AL
was black a. Jet, n darkness that al
most might be felt. Standing all
alone up there. amidst the swirl, l
began rather to enjoy the weirdness
of my position. / was POISED In the
midst Of the raging elements. the
gale whistIed about my ears, the wa
ter roarcd beneath my feet as the
stern of the vessel fell away under.
meath me in the trough of the fol.
lowing sea.
was standing there, surrounded
by warning nature, yet full of q great
sense Of inward calm and awe, when
my sailors ear was startled Ivy a
sound that was like, yet different
from. the breaking waves. Before l
had time to consider what ii might
he. large black mass passed between
me and the red glow forward, and
the next instant an irresistible, I'M
seen power lifted me Off legs, aud
the steamer passed away beneath nv
feet, With the tenacity of Il drown
ing man l clung to the object which
had torn me from my hold, and was
now carrying me away into the dark
ness. l found myself suspended
above the boiling waters, expecting
every moment to he eEgulfed therein,
and l thought despairinglv 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
l han committed suicide, and tine
thought ofhow much pain this would
cause those so dear to me startled me
from my tlazed condition. and reused
me to make an effort, a struggle for
dear life. and 1 began to consider if
my position were altogether hope.
less.
soon realized that I was clinglng
tn some spar. which had struck me
full across the chest, and over which
1 had instinctively throw n my arms.
My legs and feet were hargIng
down into vacancy. but occasionally
they dipped in the crest of wave.
I concluded therefore. I was hanging
to some vessels hOWsprit, evidently
not a large vessel Ey the size of the
spar, and also by the short distance
| was suspended above the sea. /
shouted AS loud as / could, in hopes
some one would hear me, but with.
out effect then felt about with my
feet in the direction | knew the bob
stay would be, and presently, to my
great joy. found it. With this aid
| managed to climb into Il place Of
tolerable security where l could sit
upon the bOwsprit end and hold on
by the jibstay. l dared not attempt
to climb in towards the bows of the
ship. as the spar was so wet and slip
perry that should have been jerked
off in a moment by the violent pitch
ing of the vessel, whereas l knew
that where / was / was safe enough
provided should hold out against
the cold and wet until some assist.
ance 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 lookout. the helms
man having probably dashed the
wheel for II short time whilst he
went below TO light his pipe or get a
glass Of grOg, and none of those on
hoard knew how nearly they had
been in collision with the BoulOgne
packet. They had escaped her ny
mere hairs breadth; the steamers
stern must have fallen into the trough
of the sea at the very moment that
the vessels bowsprit passed oyer the
taffraiI. and so neatly picked me off.
had plenty.of time out there in
the cold to reflect on what an exceed.
ingly narrow escape l had had. Had
the spar struck me when l had been
facing aft, or, indeed, in any manner
except exactly as it did. I should not
have been able to grasp it. and must
inevitably have been knocked over
hoard or killed by the blow. Then
thanked Providence for having SO
mercifuIly preserved me. and prayed
l might yet be restored to those dear
ones whose loving hearts would he
torn with anguish when. on reaching
tie land, they would discover the
bereavement that had befallen them.
/ was still in a very peril0us posi-
ton, clinginy as well as | could to