Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1892-12-15
WEEKLY REFLECTOR. ABILENE KANSAS, DECEMBER 15 1892


anxious that Tho Doatswain ana Uornuu
should recruit their strength by sleep.
for n ono or tho other OF them brok9
down, then, indeed, Cur case would be
deplorabl~
TIL forco oftho wind was stupcndous,
and yet tho maintop-sail stood
II; but not TN hour had passed since
tho two men went below when o mon
ster wave took tho chip ON tho star
board bow and threw her mp, rolling
OF tho Same time on immense body OF
water onto tho decks; her stern, where
l was crouched, sunk la tbs hollow
level with che sea, then, as tho levia-
than wavo rolled under hc= counter,
tho ships bows fell into q prodigious
trough with C sickening, whlrling
swoop. Ere she could recover, another
great sea rolled upon her, burying her
forocastlc, and rushing with tho fury
OF cataract along tao main-dco..
Another wavo Ike that and our fate
was sealed.
But happily those were exceptional
seas; smaller waves succeeded, and tho
struggling, etraining ship showed her-
self alive still.
Alive, but MANNED. That tremen-
dous swoop hid carried away tho Hb-
boom and tho foretop-gallant mast
tho one close against tho bowsprit
head, the other few inches above the
top-gallant yard. The mast, with tie
royal-yard uron II, hung all In heap
against the fore-top mast. but Fortunate
ly kept steady. owing 10 the yard-arm
having jammed itself into the fore-top
mast rigging The jib-boom " - clean
gone adrift, and was washing away TO
leeward.
This was no formidable accident,
though II gave tho ship a wrecked and
broken look. / should have boon well
pleased 10 see all tn. 20 tcp-gallnnt
inasts go over the Side, for the weight
of the yards, swaying to and fro at
great nm 'io0, was much for the
lowcr-masts, and not only strained the
,cks, bu. the p anking to which the
chain -platos W. o Dolted.
My gro. anxiety low was for tho
for top r. {, which was sustaining the
weig o. tho broken mast and yard, In
addiiioi to he .op z llan yard. still
standino. an he eavy pulling Of the
fol top-'n..lt staysail.
|
mig I low he low 4 this sal .
called n N = war; ut Tho top of my
v7ico AM Oh lis thru ting his head VI
tn companio ., | babe HI m rouse VI
=, mi h NJ tho boatswain, and senC
them on deck.
In II very sh lrt timo they both mr.
rived, and tho boa swain, on looking
forward, immedia oily comprehonde'
our posi- lon and anticipated my order
: "Tho top-mast III go" he roarcd j
my ear. "Better let go the staysail
! halyards, and mako u short job o H.
Turn 10 and do It at once" i re
, piled. Away they skurried. i los
, sight Of them when they were once OF
! tho poop, aud It seemed an eternity be
fore they showed themselves again Of
, the forecastle.
/ No wonderl They had to wade AM
/ struggle through q rough sea on tn
+ mnn-deck, which obliged them 4
Z hold on, for minutes Mt a time. Z
whatever they could put their hand
; 10.
) WANTED them to bear n hand in get
) ting rid Of tho stay-sail, for. with til
wheel hard down, he ship showed
! tende .cy to fall off But IL was I'm
Q possible for mo TO mako my voic
! heard-l uld Only wave my hand
I the boatswmn understood the gesture
and saw him motion to Cornish I
cloar of tho forecastle. He then ra
q over TO loeward and lot 90 the forctoI
Q mast staysail sheet and halyards, AM
0 this done, he could do no more bu
! take TO his heels.
' Tho hullabaloo was frightful-th
4 laundering of the sails, the snappin
0 and cracking of tho sheets.
Il Boom! | knew IT must follow.
was u choice Of two eyils-to poop tn
g ship or loso mast
:, Down came tho top-mast, splintc
Il ing and crashing with sound thl
IS roso above tho roar of the gale, and
NJ q minute was swinging against Il
snroud--an awful wreck to behold
d such scene OF raging sea and burie
{; decks.
d IL was only by the most despera
D, exertions and gallant efforts that q
r boatswain and Cornish succeeded
cutting away tho rattle that encuI
borod the decks and threatened the II
mediate destruction Of the ship. BRAY
10 and bottor work than these two m
ut performed was never seen. And '
/ only tho day before one Of these m
10 was n mutine r, blood-stained alrcad
On and prepared I new murdersl
us Strange translation from b.
CD yillainy to actions heroicali
Nv those who know sailors best "
as least doubt their capacity of gaugi
ut extremes