The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1896-04-08
A NIGHT OF TERROR.

When / 8 years old. was one Of
crew of three that manned the little 28
ton schooner Ornament. which lay
moored in Monhegan harbor--a deep.
narrow strait between the islands of
Monhegan and Manana, Maine. The
entrance is from the south. and is I'M
INSTRUCTED, while to the north the pas
sage is barred by rocky islet called
Smutty Nose. This is separated from
Manana by narrow passage on the
westerly side called Drunken Gut. The
harbor is fairly good shelter except
when the wind is from the southwest.
7, At daylight on the morning after our
arrival at Monhegan there was stiff
breeze, with rain from the southwest,
and by noon il had risen to heavy
gale. All day coasters. traders and fish,
ing vessels ran in till about 20 sail were
In harbor when night fell.
They were anchored as near together
as they could be and yet swing clear Of
each other. This compact gathering
would be we'll enough in a smooth har-
Dor, but on little Monhegan. exposed to
the increasing gale. with night coming
ON and the probability Of a heavy sea
running into the strait, the prospect
looked serious. Should q vessel part her
cables or drag her anchors. collision
with those to leeward Of her would be
inevitable, and the result Of collision
might be disastrous.
When darkness came. the gales fury
tx,,r.aoal Tho uuobcfrnct ad COO rnlI0d
into the narrow harbor in huge pillows
that dashed against Manana or Smutty
Nose, or ragged as breakers ON the reefs
about Drunken Gut The vessels, ham
pered by their anchors and unable to
rise freely on the surges, strained at
their cables, plunging and rolling wild
ly, while nearly every wave toppled its
crest upon their decks. or swept them
from stem to stern.
About 8 o'clock, when the gale SEEM
ed at its height, little craft that had
been anchored all day just on our port
bow dragged her anchors. Her crew,
like some others. had sought safety on
shore long before night. Swinging to
our broadside, she began to pound against
us and to break into pieces.
Her bowsprit snapped. her bulwarks
crushed in fore and aft, her masts went
over her taffrail. At last, plunging from
the top of a big sea, We crashed down
upon her forward deck. Her windlass
bits gave way, and off she went. broad
side to the wind, till she was lost in the
gloom and rain.
Anxiously we crouched by the wind
lass, the captain g hand almost constant.
" upon either one cable or the other,
that. he might detect the first vibratory
motion, indicating that the anchors were
being dragged over the rocky bottom.
But they seemed to hold securely. Oul
danger was of another sort.
Twas crouching in the lee Of the fore
mast to shelter myself from the vino
and spray, when heard the captain sud
denly shout:
Cup, up with You. boys, quick
| There's a coaster adrift, coming RICH
for us
Through the driving rain. sure enough
came big schooner stern first. Wild,
swinging to and fro, now topping on
crest, now wallowing down in tho hol
low depths. Her gunwales almost rolled
| under, and her main boom, free from 1T
flashing, swayed madly from side to side
Just as we were receding from a roll
| ing swell she crashed into us and snap
| ped our bowsprit. Then she hung square
across our bow.
"Ouick, quicki Give me the sxP
cried the captain.
In a moment he severed both cables a
the windlass. and we were drifting will
the gale. No vessel lay directly asterr
of us. The captains hope was that w
might not only go clear of the coaster
but drive upon q small, sandy beach o
the end of Smutty Nose. But the heav'
| of the sea and the slant of the wine
drove Us to one side, and we went upoI
the rocks instead.
There was shock, grinding crasl
as she struck. Then we seemed to stop
and now the sea broke over us in fury.
"To the dory. boys! The schcone
will go to pieces shouted the captain
Without much difficulty we got tn
dory into the water to leeward. Jack
my shipmate, flung his clothesbag int
the stern Of the boat, while throw
coil Of small rope into her ere tum
bled in myself. There was hat ono pal
of oars. These the captain took and be
gan to pull toward Manana.
Away from the lee Of the schoone
we were exposed to the full fury of tn
gale, and tho course to which wo wer
compelled kept Us in the trough of tn
sea. Every moment it seemed as thoug
we must be swamped. and in spite Of al
that we could do we were driftin
rapidly toward Drunken Gut.
| Suddenly thole pin broke. Befor
another could be put in the place W
were afoul of the standing rigging OF
sunken vessel, the dory almost on he
broadside and we in imminent DANCE
of being washed overheard. But cling
ing instinctively to the uppermost gun
vale we succeeded in righting the dor
and working her clear Of the wrecl
Again we were adrift indeed, for "
had lost an oar and now had but one
Our destruction now was APPARENT
but a question of moments, for il W
escaped the reefs and boiling surf upo
one side we were almost certain to
dashed against the iron sides Of Manar
upon the other.
/ was i'm tho bow, peering ahead
when the hull of vessel suddenl
loomed up almost die tly before I
and apparently at anchor. While tn
captain endeavored to keep the dor
headed for her bent one end of my co
of line TO the painter ring. Then, grasI
ing blight in my hand ms the dor
| rrazed the schnoner's sides. / made