Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1896-06-25
CHAPTER VI.
ssEI, NORTE ~

Another moment and ell Norte had
come in strength. First a sudden gush
OF wind struck the vessel, causing her
to shiver, and with a sharp report rend-
ing from it's fastenings the jib, which
had never been furled. This gust went
bowling by, and after it came the
storm.
Before and since that day, I have
made many voyages across the Gulf of
Mexico in all weathers, but never have
l met with such an experience as that
watch followed. The ship plunged and
strained and rocked, lifting now her
bow and now her stern high above the
waters. till it seemed as though she
m,ls: fall to pieces, while water in tons
rushed aboard of her at every dip,
which, as she righted herself, streamed
through the broken bulwarks.
Now, from time to time the moon
shone out between riffs in the clouds,
revealing dreadful scene. Fragments
Of the little bridge still remained, and
TO it was dashed the large body of the
captain IN an upright position, though
As he neither spoke nor stirred we
never learned whether he was only
paralyzed by terror or had been killed
by blow from the funnel as it fell.
He had ordered the passengers to be
Sattened down. and there in the cabin
they remained, twenty or more of
them, until the hatchways were stove
u. Then, with the exception of one or
swo, who were drowned by the water
that poured down upon them, they
rushed to the companionway, men and
womed together, and, shrielxing, pray
ing and disappearing, chung to frag-
ments of the bulwarks. shrouds Of the
mast. or anything they thought could
give them protection against the pitt
less waves.
Awful were the walls of the women,
who. clad only in their night dresses,
now quilted their hunks for the first
time since they entered them in the
harbor of Vera Cruz. Overcome by
fear, and having no knowledge of the
dangers of the sea, these poor creatures
flung themselves at full length upon
the deck, striving to keep hold of the
slippery boards, whence one by one
they rolled into the ocean as the vessel
lurchcd, or were carried away by the
seas that popped her.
Some of the men followed them to
their watery grave, others more self
possessed crept forward, attempting to
escape the waves that broke over the
stern. but none made any effort to save
tacIn, and indeed it would have been
impossible SO to do.
Among those who came forward to
where we and some of the Indian sail
ors were clinging to the rope that was
eoiled round the stump of the broken
foremost was Don Jose Moreno Even
IN his terror, which was deep, this man
could still be ferocious, for recognizing
the senior he yelled:
''Ah! Maldonado - evil gifted one,
you called down the norther upon US.
| Well, at least you shall die with the
rest" and, suddenly drawing his long
knife, he rose to his knees and, holding
TO the rope with one hand, attempted
to drive it into the senor's body with
che other. Doubtless he would have
succeeded in his Hickedness had not an
Indian boatswain, who was near, bent
! forward quickly and struck him so
sharply on the forearm with his
clenched fist that the knife few from
his hand, and in trying to recover 1t
Don Jose fell face forward on the deck,
where he lay, making no further effort
ut aggression.
For few minutes there was a tur-
mcil that cannot be described; then,
although the wind still shrieked over
head. we felt that we were in water
which seemed almost calm to us. The
| ship 10 longer pitched and rolled; she
oplv rocked as she settled before sink
jnx, while the moon, shining out be
| tween the clouds, showed that what
! I'D been her bulwarks were not mors