Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1892-11-04
IN A LIGHTNING FLASH.
THE BOLT REVEALED THE
TERRIBLE DANGER.
The Ship Was Bearing Down Upon Them
Before the Hurricane and 5ut for
the Lightning Would Have sent
All louis 10 Davy JJnos.

ness called me to Martinique. The
Corsica a staunch. lull-r.G eyed brig
owned by Bartol OF Baltimore was
the only vessel which offered me
means OF transit AT the time. and IN
her / took passage. She was not
meant for passenger ira c. and had
no accommodation therefor; but | had
known her commander Captain
Paine in other years and he well
coined me cord ally and made me
comfortable.
Toward the night Of the Fourth OF
July we had got into the region o.
storms and shortly Il ter . ocIoc1 on
the evening OF that day the wind
came out from the northeast and
very soon great drops OF rain came
pattering upon the deck.
There's thunder in THU" said
Paine who had donned his storm
gear.
IL was now as dark as dark could
be. Tho blackness was SO utter that
there was relief in closing ones eyes.
Not n trace OF our tall spars could
i detect ami the men who stood only
few feet OF were hidden as by an
Opaque barrier And the rain now
came down in torrents
The brig was heading upon her
course. very near south. with the
wind upon the larboarI 4uarter. 6y
and by blinding Hash a vi id Pleam.
shot out from the ebon vault and IA
broad blaze swept shrough the
heavens
1t must have been very near
another half h Dur before the gloom
was again broken by the lightning /
had gone forward AMI was leaning
over the bows watching the phos.
phorescent sparkle Of the broken
water en- sharply-uttereI
list" from the lookodt aroused
me- and as raised M head | d >
tinctly heard II strange sound iu the
distance-a sound Us OF rushing
waters.
Captain Paine was IN mo-hent by
my side did not know how lon.g
he had been there We stood by the
weather nighs- head.
is this you. captain?' asked.
yes, he answered. He spoke in
o whisper and his attention was else
where.
DO you hear that strange soundP"
said !.
He listened al instant longer and /
heard him gasp
sound he cried; lit a ship!-
sometnlug!-coming down upon u.s."
The lookout was on the point OF
crying out but the captain stopped
him
I'VE must get the men to the r
stations without alarm ng them. if
we can " he sa d. and then he leaped
aft shouting as he went:
'All hanls-all hands FOR tacking!
To the braces ever man j"
Captain Paine was again by my
side. and we peered o into the dark
ness. The dull roar was plainly heard.
but we could see nothing We could
not even zee the head OF our own
bowsprit The old sailor groaned in
agony.
III could only see. 4" he muttered.
At that moment while yet the
words quvered upon his lips the
lightning blazed forth in the heavens
and the sea was illumined far and
near.
Heaven save us" burst from
Paine lips and | echoed the pra Jer.
Upon our weather bow and but a
few cables length distant doomed up
the spectral oull mes OF the hull and
spars and the belying canvas Of a
heavy ship. She was heading direct
| ly across the line of our course and
we were dashing toward ca h other
at a fearful rate During the brief
moment OF light the captain had been
as one paralyzed bat when the dark
ness had again shut in he started into
life
Ready about" he Numbered.
And from that instant his orders
were given 30 p omplly and so plainly
that the men. who had come 10 real
lie ttnt their lives were in the bal
ance made no blund r nor m AXE
lis she coming into -tays" ground
out the captain. with his hands
clenched and his teeth set like the
jaws OF wise.
As he spoke we heard the 'oretop-
sail flap. and in moment more the
staysail had taken the wind on the
other side. The order for swing ng
the main yards had just been given
when the heavens and the sea were
again illuminated by the lightning 6
blaze and cry OF horror went up
from our deck
The ship was now upon our star
board bow. hurting the spray from
her sides upon our cathead and
verify believe that man upon our
foreyard arm might have leaped upon
her decK. bat she was not upon her
course-no no. thank heaven! She
had snuffed the danger and with heI
helm hard down. was hauling away
from US
IL was dark again-pitchy dark
: and while we watched and waited.
with hearts hushed TO a painful st H.
ness our vessel was caught as by a
mig .ty grasp. There was momen
tary beaving and straining low
grating grooming sound then followed
snap and crack and-nothinc
more Were we freeP Tho answer