The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1896-08-31
A NIGHT OF TERROR.

VOu hCuOUileE oIuuuuCHV, WhiNA Auy
moored in Monhegan harbor--a deep.
narrow strait between the islands Of
Monhegan and Manana. Maine. The
entrance Is from the south, and is un.
obstructed, while to the north the pas.
sage is barred by rocky islet called
Smutty Nose. This is separated from
Manana by q narrow passage on the
westerly side called Drunken Gut. The
harbor Is fairly good shelter except
when the wind is from the southwest.
At daylight on the morning after our
arrival at Monhegan there was stiff
breeze, with rain from the southwest.
and by noon it had risen to heavy
gale All day coasters. traders and fish
ing vessels ran in till about 30 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 smooth har-
Dor, but on little Monhesan. exposed to
the increasing gale, with night coming
on and the probability Of heavy sea
funuing into the strait, the prospect
looked serious. Should vessel part her
cables or drag her anchors, collision
with those to leeward Of her would be
inevitable, and the result Of collision
might he disastrous.
When darkness came, the gales fury
increased. The unobstructed sea rolled
into tho 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 O'Clock, when the gale SEEM
ed at its height, little craft that had
been anchored all day just Oh 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 topound 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 big sea, we crashed down
upon her forward deck. Her windlass
bits gave way, and of 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 s hand almost constant
ly upon either one cable or the other,
that he might detect the first vibratory
motion, indicating that the anchors were
being dragged over tho rocky bottom.
But they seemed to hold securely. Our
danger was of another sort.
Twas crouohing in the lee Of the fore
mast to shelter myself from tho wind
and spray, when I heard the captain sud
denly shout:
"Up, up with you. boys, quick!
There's q coaster adrift, coming right
for us!"
Through the driving rain, sure enough,
came big schooner stern first, wildly
swinging to and fro, now toppling on q
crest, now wallowing down in the hol-
low depths. Her gurwales almost rolled
under, and her main boom, free from it's
lashng, swayed madly from side to side.
Just as we were receding from roll
ing swell she crashed Into us and snap
ped our bowsprit. Then she hung square
across our bow.
"Quick, quicki Give me the axr'
cried the captain.
In moment he severed both cables at
the windlass, and we were drifting with
the gale. No vessel lay directly astern
of us. The captains hope was that we
might not only go clear of the coaster,
but drive upon small, sandy beach at
the end Of Smutty Nose. But the heave
of tho sea and tho slant Of the wind
drove us to one eide, and we went upon
the rocks instead,
There was a shock, grinding crash
as she struck. Then we seemed to stop,
and now the sea broke over us in fury.
"To the dory, boysl The schooner
will 60 to pieces!" shouted the captain.
Without much difficulty We got tho
dory into the water to leeward jack.
my shipmate. flung his clothesbag into
the stern Of tho boat, whilo threw a
coil Of small rope into her ere I tum-
bled in myself. There was but one pair
Of oars. These the captain took and be-
gan to pull toward Nanana.
Away from the lee Of the schooner
we were exposed to the full fury of the
gale, and the course to which We were
compelled kept us in the trough Of the
sea. Every moment 1t seemed as though
we must be swamped, and In spite of all
that we could do we were drifting
rapidly toward Drunken Gut.
Suddenly thole pin broke Before
another could DO put in the place we
were afoul CT tho standing rigging of
sunken vessel, the dory almost on her
broadside and we in imminent danger
Of being washed overheard. But cling
ing instinctively to the uppcrmost gun
vale We suc>sseded in righting the dory
and working her clear Of the wreck.
Again we viere adrift indeed, for we
had lost an oar and now had but one.
Our destr otion now was apparently
but questi OIL Of moments, for il we
escaped the reefs and boiling surf upon
one side we were almost certain to be
dashed again at the iron sides Of Mamma
upon the 9th ar.
I was in the bow, peering ahead,
when the hull of vessel suddenly
doomed up almost directly before ms
and apparently at anchor. While the
captain endeavored to keep the dory
headed for her bent one end of my coil
m line to the painter ring. Then, grasp
ing blight in my hand as the dory
grazed the sohooner's sides, I made
spring for the rail and climbed OH
board. Then l caught my line round o
oleat, checked tho drift Of the dory and
brought her alongside.
We soon found that tho schooner was
deserted. Hercrew had sought safety on
shore. We thought ourselves exceeding
ly fortunate that their vessel had been