The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1894-06-06

huu Il0 AdnSQOH4 ~ yaIlR IN En6 same
situation In which she had first hove
to, returned to the deckhouse and
sat IN the shelter of 1t.
The afternoon passed. It contin-
ued to blow hard with a mountain
GUS sea. The blacIness of the long,
howling night that stretched before
me was thing frightful to contem-
plate, alone as I was.
shall never forget the horrors of
those hours of darkness believe i
should have fallen crazy but for the
thought of the Lansdown lying near.
The main deck was so full of water
that dared not venture TO leave the
declxhouse lest should be drowned
In coming or going.
You viii suppose had no rest. 1
could not find the means to Endle a
light and sat in utter darkness listen
ing to the shrill edged thunder of the
gale in the mutilated fabric aloft and
feeling the leaps and falls of the vessel
as tlaassa swept her on high leaFiIe
her to rush giddily into the valleys
between, with blows of the seething
brine that sent shocks as from heavy
artillery through her labering frame.
The gale broke on sudden before
dawn Invent on deck at the hazard
of my life, and in the dim greenness
of daybreak in tho east spied the
black blotch of ship about four
miles distant.
Before the sun rose the wind shift
ed in brief squall, and then blew a
pleasant sailing wind out of east
northeast. The sea went down as if
by magic, though for some while a
large, troubled swell continued to
roll athwart the path of the breeze.
presently knew the distant ship
to be the Ilansdown by her making
sail and heading for the wreck,
clothed from truck to waterway.
Within an hour she ran by me to
windward.
Captain Wilkins fourished his
hand from the stern and hailed to
know if all was right with me. an
swered, Yes" The Lansdown hove
to, boat was then lowered In charge
of the chief mate and four men
pulled across to the wreck.
By this hour the decks were fast
drying. took notice that the hull,
spite the furious straining of the past
hours, continued to lift very light
and buoyant with the heave of the
swell. I made my clothes into a bun
die, and still wearing those 1 had
found in the captains cabin I en-
tered the boat and was at once pull
ed aboard the Lansdown.
Captain Wilkins, breaking through
the cold conventions of the quarter
deck, grasped me by the hand and
congratulated me with the warmth
of brother seaman on my marvel
GUS escape. He then spoke of the
wreck and was about to give orders
to trim sail and proceed on our course.
..I beg pardon, sir, said L Eyes
terday afternoon overhauled that
bark's papers. She's up to the matches
with rum. tobacco and valuable tim
Der consigned to Bristol. 1 allow
she's tight ship. She seems brand
new. 1t will be pity to leave all
that first rate stuff washing about
down hero to founder presently, if
some skipper don't carry it home. If
you should think proper, sir, and the
men we took off will work her, I'll
engage to navigate her to Bristol,
providing you'll help us with spare
foretopmast and allow the carpenter
to make certain repairs"
He pricked up his ears at this and
looked earnestly at the bark, and aft
er asking a number of questions as
to her condition he said:
Take a boat and the carpenter
along with you and let him report
the bark's condition to me-"
This was done. We sounded the
well and found but a foot and half
of water in the hold. We then tried
the pumps and found them in good
order. We opened the matches and
discovered that the cargo was as
stated in the manifest.
After thoroughly overhauling the
wreck we returned to the Lansdown,
and Captain Wilkins on receiving the
carpenter report determined on jury
rigging the craft and sending her
home under my care, himself keep
ing me company in his own ship.
He told me that, according to a
statement made by the survivors of
the crew, the captain and mate of
the Chocolate Girl had been washed
overheard during the gale. The car
penter, who acted as second mate,
and four seamen got into one of the
boats, which blew away and was lost
in the smother, and no doubt all five
of them speedily perished.
A second boat was lowered and
staved- The long boat had been
knocked to pieces. The eight re-
manning hands of the crew were
therefore helpless. Much was done
that day toward equipping the bark
for the homeward passage. The men
of the Lansdown's crew, in charge of
the bos'n and carpenter and myself,
went on board. and, the weather hav-
ing wonderfully favored us, before
sundown we had towed some spare
booms to the wreck and got them
aloft and rigged.
Four of the eight men we had res
cued offered to return to the vessel.
The others swore they would have
nothing more to do with the "hook-
er." Captain Wilkins lent me four
of his own crew, which gave me as