The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-12-13

PRovINCEToWN, Mass, Dec. g.
The hardy crews of the Pamet river life
saving station did not get out of their
clothes and sea boots for brief moment
all day today. A binding snow-storm on
the wings of an east-southeast gale drove
about their little cabins.
The wind whistled and whined and the
lone patrolman pulled his heavy south
western down over his face and turned
his back to the shrieking blast that pene-
trated to his very heart The mighty
pillows, hurled on by the gale. dashed to
his feet and retreated with the roar of
an avalanche out into the misty storm.
Now and then he braced himself for a
gaze TO windward and shielded his eyes
from the piercing darts of the storm.
He knew it was a day for shipwrecks.
and 1t was his duty to discover any UNI
fortunate that lost himself in the De-
cember gale.
Suddenly dark outline sprang up be-
fore him seward. 1t was without form
at first, but through the lull he saw a
tossing ship. She was near those sand
hills She ought to have been miles fur
Their to windward. But worse than all,
the patrolman saw her sails in tatters.
He knew what that meant. Hours of
hard wearing, beating off lea shore, had
been too much, for her canvas had at
last succumbed. He saw men in the
ship working apparently with the ships
sails or remnants thereof, and after that
other sails were loosened. She was
struggling with all the resolute persist
ence of a bird to dive in the gale and
save herself from destruction.
Glimpse of the Ship.
Then the binding sheet Of sleet drove
into his face again and he started for
the station as fast as the fury Of the
wind allowed He burst in the little
door of the hut where his companions
were huddled and shouted with all the
power of his lungs:
There is a ship out there. boys. and
she is in a bad way Her sails are in
ribbons. She is trying to beat off. but
1 guess it's all up with her"
Every man stood up straight and
looked at his comrade, faces even
blanched hardy seamen as they were.
They knew what 1t was to be on a lea
shore on a gale like that 1t meant de-
struction to the ship, death to her sailors.
No ship could live there. She could not
stand the strain and would not answer
her helm and crawl to windward
They stood but a moment and they
were in action. The big wagon upon
which the life-saving lines are shot to
vessels was run out to the furious storm
and all hands failing on to the long
drag they started down the beach 1t
WAS like working in the dark. They
strained their very bodies in the attempt
to pierce the gathering gloom. but It was
a useless effort. They settled down and
shivered.
Night Came On.
And night settled down thus, the huge
pillows roaring like sea demons on the
sands and an inl1y chaos all about. Now
and then they uttered cry in the teeth
Of the gale. 1t might have been the
piercing wall of a dozen seamen or only
the shrieks of the frightened birds; still
they waited and as the midnight hour
approached a broken spar was hurled at
their feet. Then another and another
splintered fragment came in on the
snowy crest of the mighty pillows and
the men looked at each other in silence.
1t was as they feared. The ship had
given up her gallant fight for life. She
had fought a noble battle with the ele-
ments and the elements had conquered.
The men held a hurried consultation. 1t
was useless to think of launching boat
in that wild storm. Death awaited the
crew, who dared to challenge. Besides.
it would be a miracle if a boat, suppos-
ing 1t would find the wrecked ship,
could return. Then the life boat crew
from Highland light and Cahoon shoal
came racing down the beach. They had