The National tribune., 1892-10-27
IN A LIGHTNING FLASH.
A Brig's Terrible Danger in the soutiier

5aSoo sci winch offSred me means Oh Transit
at the time. and in her took passage. She
was not meant for passenger traffic. and had no
accom- modations therefor; but | had known
her commander, Capt Paine, i'll other years,
and he welcomed me cordially and made me-
comfortable.
Toward tho night of the Fourth of July We
had got into the region of storms, and shortly
after o'clock tho evening OF that day the
wind camc ont from the northeast, and very
soon great drops OF rain came pattering upon
the deck.
There's thunder in this" said Paine, who
had donncd his storm gear.
If it was to be a thunder storm at sea
meant to be a spectator, and had come pre-
pared for such emergencies. L went below ana
donned a full OF lcloth suit, and, having pulled
my broad-happed sou'wester over my brows, L
returned to tho deck.
1t was now as dark as dark could be. The
darkness was so utter that there was relief in
closing ones eyes.
At the wheel there was a ghostly glesm from
the pinnacle lamp which, viewed from dis
tance only served to render the surrounding
gloom more paIpable. By the spectral glare of
the lamp / could see the wet spokes of the
wheel and part of the bodies of the two men
who stood at the helm. When / looked away |
looked as against black wall. Not trace Of
our tall spars could detect and the men who
stood only few feet off were hidden rs by an
OPAQUE barrier. The rain now came down in
torrents.
The brig was heading upon her course, very
near south, with tho wind upon the larboard
quarter. By-andby binding flash, vivid
gleam, shot out from the ebOn vault, and q
broad blaze swept through the heavens.
Far and near | saw the wave caps rejecting
back the startling light and as the 1nky vail
closed again the crash of the thunder came.
II was as though the clouds were great mount
aims the foundations of which had been up
heaved. For half an hour the lightning con-
tinued. streaming forth at brief intervals, and
then there was cessation, the rain meanwhile
falling heavily and the wind hauling to the
southwark.
1t must have been very near another half
hour before the gloom was again broken by
the lightning. | had gone forward and was
leauing over the bows watching the phospho-
resent sparkle Of the broken water when a
sharpIy-uttered "H-st!" from the lookout
aroused me, and as l raised my head 1 dis
tinctly heard strange sound III the distance
"a sound as Of rushing waters.
Captain Paine was in a moment by my side.
/ did not know how long he had been there.
We stood by the weather night-head.
Z" Is this you, Captain ?" asked.
Yes" he answered. He spoke in whispers
and his attention was elsewhere.
"a Do you hear that strange sound? said L.
He listened an instant longer and | heard
him gasp.
Sound J" he said; it's ship!-somethng
coming down upon u.s.!
The lookout was on the point of crying out,
but the Captain stopped him.
"We must get the men to their stations with
out alarming them, if we can," he said; and
then he leaped aft, shouting as he went:
"All hands-all hands for tacking ship!
To the braces every man !"
Tho wind had heen praduallv chauoino
and was now somewhat south of east, so that
the brig had but a few points free. l heard
the men hurrying to their stations and knew
that some of them were inclined to press for
ward to see what was the matter; but the COM
mands of the Mates, who were promptly at
their posts, restrained them
Capt Paine was again at my side, and we
peered off into the darkness. The dull roar
was plainly heard, but could see nothing
we could not even see the head of our own
bowsprit. The old sailor groaned in agony.
If could only see," he niuttered.
At that moment, while yet the words quiv-
cred upon his lips, the lightning blazed forth
in the heavens and the sea was illumined far
and near.
Heaven save US" burst from Paines lips,
and echoed the prayer,
Upon our weather bow, and but few cables
length distant, loomed up the spectral outlines
of the hull and spars and bellying canvas Of
a heavy ship. She was heading directly across
the line of our course and we were dashing
toward each other at a fearful rate. During
the brief moment of light the Captain had
been as one paralyzed, but when the darkness
had again shut in he started into life
Ready aboutw he thundered.
And from that instant his orders were give
SO promptly and so plainly that the men. who
had como to realize that their lives were in
the balance, made no blunder nor mistake.
The brig had a good full upon the start, and,
as she had no courses set to bother, she was
handled easily. SI,e obeyed her helm quekl ~,
and yet it seemed an age ere she came into the
wind.
:" Is she coming into stays!" ground out the
Captain, with his hands clenched and his teeth
set like the jaws of a wise.
AS he spoke we heard the foretopsal flap,
and in moment more the staysal had taken
the wind on the other side. Tho order for
swinging the main-yards had just been given
when tho heavens and the sea were again illu-
minated by the lightning's blaze, and a cry
of horror went up from our deck.
The men who had been rounding in on the
braces held their hands and stood aghast, the
hemsman cluug to his wheel for dear Hfe
and even the Captain, for the moment, had no
thought save of the great terror.
The ship was now upon our starboard bow
hurting the spray from her sides upon our cat
head, and l verify believe that man upon
our foreyard arm might have leaped upon her
deck. but she was not upon her course-no, no
thank heaven! She had snuffed the danger
and with her helm hard down, was hauling
away from US.
1t was dark again-pitchy dark-and while
we watched and waited, with our hearts huslied
to a painful stiffness, vessel was caught
as by mighty grasp. There moment
ary heaving and straining, a low grating.
eroauing sound, then followed a snap and a
crack and-nothing more. Were we free I?
The answer was at hand.
Another blaze of electric light revealed to us
the ship on our quarter, flying swiftly to lee
ward 1t also revealed to us that our star
board gallant backstay had been carried away.
One of the ships lower yard-arms must have
caught it.
On the following morning the storm had
passed and the soon chased away the lin
gering Clouds and l venture to assert that no
men ever entered more willingly and CRATE
fully upon the work of repairing damages at
sea than did those who were set to splice our
broken backstay.