Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1890-01-08

We found afterward that VIE had gone
upon the bar OF the village of Point Pleas
ant Our guns were heard on shore, and the
crew of men along shore came at once to our
rescue but the fog was 30 dense that we did
not see their signal lights nor, with the wind
blowing toward Shore hear the firing OF
their mortar 1t was after hours Of mortal
agony and suspense that wild yell Of de-
light broke from the ships crew; they rushed
together, graphing a light cord which had
fallen as if from the skies across the deck.
1t was line shot from the life saving
mems mortar on shore
"Gently, menl gentlyln shouted the cap
tain, hoarsely, as he himself caught the cord
and pulled on it.
BY means Of the line the crew pulled
rope from the shore to the ship. and this
rope served in turn to draw on board great
cable. The crew made the cable fast to the
hull of our vessel, and it was pulled taut
from the shore.
AT that period Of marine history, when a
cable had been stretched from the land to a
wrecked vessel it was generally supposed that
the rescuers had done all they could, and it
remained for the ships company 70 find their
way to the shore, if they could, clinging to
this rope But now, slung to the cable, there
came out to the vessel that same queer little
boat which l saw the other day at Point
Pleasant 1t is shaped ike an egg, with a
hole In the top through which the passengers
| crawl to enter the boat Over this hole a lid
screws tightly. The car will hold about
| fifteen people. When the passengers are
packed away in it and the lid has been
screwed down, it is drawn back to land
| through the breakers, turning over and over
as it goes
1t was fearful trip to make, but it was
the one chance for life to the people on the
ship
cannot fifty describe the awful scene on
that wreck; the darkness, the wet, the thun.
der Of the sea, the hundreds Of men and wo-
men standing there facing death, and fully
realizing the perils that surrounded them.
| 1t was the first time that the life car had
ever been tested by actual service, and even
the captain looked doubtfully at the strange
| looking craft that had come out to the shiI
along the cable.
"Who win go in itr' he shouted 9Th,
women have the first chance. 1t is not COCO
chance, but it is the only dne.n
The men among the emigrants began tc
push their wives and children toward Tia,
car, but the poor creatures shrieked anc
fought against entering it. | did not blame
them. 1t is bad enough TO 60 down, drowned
in the open waters, but to 90 down locked VI
in that iron coffin
''Very well,n cried the captain. "Ther,
is no time for choice. II the women viii no
60 the men shall"
At that, little Miss Muffet stepped forward
before them all, actually smiling
Come she said to the terrified women
"if 90, you surely will follow me. / an
nothing but poor little crippleln
She stepped into the dark box and lay dow
in it. Then the others crowded into it afte
her-stout English matrons and pretty Irisl
girls, children and babies. When the car wa
full its lid was screwed down tight and it wa
pulled out into the waves Upon the ship n
man shouted and no woman cried in the few
minutes that followed We could see ant
hear nothing.
But presently the car came back-empty
Then we breathed freely again, for we kneS
that the people it had carried had reached tn
land safely.
All of the other passengers were taken Z
the shore in the same manner. Over 800 live
were saved by that life car on its first nigh
OF service Do you wonder that took oil
my hat to it the other dayl
Two years after the shipwreck which
have told you Of, met Mrs Murray, am
with her plump, rosy girl who, she told me
was her daughter, the one that had know
on the Ayrshire as an invalid Now th
girls eyes shone and the red blood glowed
her cheeks.
Miss Murray said that the voyage in th
car had given her new life. But l though
that the new life had come rather with th
Weakening of courage and the spirit Of Sc
sacrifice within her. Youths Companion.