The Dickinson press., 1892-01-02
NY FIRST sH1PwRECK.
A TRUE TALE OF THE SEA.

not a captain then, but what's known
rs 6rst-class boy-that is, a lad who
can furl sky-s'l, or mizzen-royal or
steer his trick" at the wheel, when
The sea is not running too heavy.
was on board the ship Panther,
bound from Bombay to New York,
and was running down the Indian
Ocean, when weencountereda a cyclone.
The gale did not break upon US sud
denly, but grew in strength gradually.
Sail after sail was taken in and snugly
until, as darkness came on,
We were scudding before the wind un-
der the three lower top-s'l and
iore-s'l.
The sen was lifting, as landsmen
would term it, mountains high, and
a. the great waves rolled up one after
another under our stern, they threat
sned to board US, and sweep every
thing from aft forward.
Iremembe er seeing the captain stand
ing beside the two men at the wheel,
with eyes fixed on the raging waters,
watching their every roll, with an ex-
preston more of anxiety than alarm
upon his weather-beaten features.
'That mizzen-tops'l can't stand it
much longer, SIR" called the mate in
his ear, as the chief officer came aft
upon the poop-deck.
"Then let her BURST" was the reply
1--WE must keep what sails spread
that we can in order to outrun this
sea-" Then, more to himself than tc
the mate, the master continued. 81
wish we had 'hove-to' an hour ago
1t would be the next thing to suicide
to attempt it now"
He had scarcely finished speaking
when a big green fellow that was fol
lowing us lifted itself high above our
heads, broke against the stern of the
vessel, and tons upon tons of water
fell with terrific force on the deck.
For a few moments it seemed as il
we must have been run under"
was borne off my feet, carried along
the top OF the after-house, hurled
down upon the main-deck, and wash
ed beneath q spare spar that was
lashed along the starb'd bulwarks.
The vessel rolled heavily, and soon
succeeded in freeing herself OF the
greater part OF the water. With con-
siderable difficulty I dragged myself
out from my uncomfortable position
and crawled slowely ait, only to
witness terrible scene OF ruin and
death.
But one Of the men who had been
steering was at his post; the other
was stretched lifeless by the gangway
OF the cabin, the doors OF which had
been burst open.
The captain and mate had been
more fortunate, in that they had not
lost their lives, but they were horri-
bly, bruised, and unable to speak for
some time.
As the skipper saw me approaching,
he struggled to his feet, and gasped:
"John, call all hands. Tell the sec
and mate to stand by to heave the
ship to. Another sea like that will be
the end OF us ALL"
Gas repeated the captains instruc-
tions to the second officer, the old sail
or shook his head, and grumbled:
II dunno-I dunno. She's as safe
running before it as she would be
hove to- But obey orders, if you
break owners"
And with that he mustered his men
to be ready to undertake the task,
which had now become so perilous
from the height of the seas.
When every man was at his station,
the captain waited for what is termed
by seamen smooth" or a slight de-
preston in the force OF the waves and
wind.
Then thehe was put down, the
yards braced gradually int o port, and
the shipswung slowly round into the
trough h of the sea; but there she stop
ped-her bows would not come upto
the wind.
'"There's too much head sail. Jump
aloft a couple of you, and put your
knives into that fore-top-s'l. Work
lively, and look out for yourselves
when she Stats"
At this, two of the men crawled in
to the rigging, and made their way
to the top.s'l-yard. With their
sheath-knives they began to cut, and
so great WAS the strain on the canvas
that it required but a few ''cloths" to
be started when the whole sail burst
with a loud report, and went flying of
tole'ward in cloud of white threads
Eased from this, the vessles head be
gan to ''point up" but ere she was ir
a position to safely meet the sea, 6
tremendous wave caught her a little
forward of the main rigging, boarded
and as portion of itsWept under hel
keel, it "tripped" her, and the next
moment We were lying upon our bean
ends.
The two courageous men, who, with
out tlinching, had gone aloft to obey
the captains orders, were never seer
afterwards.
"Quick, quick!" called the master
''get your axes to work upon tn,
starb'd lanyards of that rigging, an6
cut away the masts."
This was the only thing that coult
be done to right the vessle and save III
from a terrible death.
So great was the strain to which tn
shrouds and backstays were subjected
that it required but few blows t,
sever the ropes, and the masts ant
spars, with all attached, went owe
the side. But, alas for us, the "main
in going broke off below the deck, an,
thus forming u powerful lever, wrench
cd US open from stem to stem.
The hull, however, frightened, but W
were n complete wreck, wallowin
helplessly, and unmanageable. q to
for the elements.
"Cast adriFt the two LONG boats"
heard the skipper call. Now, yo
must know. our two largest boats. O
what the captain meant by lion
boats" were carried dashed .on top c
the forward house, and it was almos
the worth Of a mans life to get ther
and clear them; but courage was no
lacking. can remember seeing tn
second mate draw sheath-knife frol
4ra &c tho ,,.l,o ,,o., s.