The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1897-11-25

part OF the sand-bank.
Tell you what" said Fred. "ihere'
a rum one coming on, or else oil
Snodger would never be letting dow
| the flag staff, for he doesn't do tha
for a capful of wind. It's odd, tot
you were saying you would like t
see one of cur storms, and here it j
coming the very night before yo
| leave; for come it will, that's certain
Ii old Snodger says storms brew
ing, you may depend upon seeing th
yeast come flying over the sine hills
By Jove! what a puff he CONTINUES
as sudden gust nearly took his ca
off.
Well, l should really like to Sc
| one of the storms you describe" sal,
L; mot a shipwreck, mind, and bodie
washing ashore for days after, but
storm without injury TO life or prop
erty; for indeed there is somethin,
majestic in the warning of the ele
ments s-the rushing winds, the send
ding clouds, the metal tube like roal
of the heavenly artillery, and the vivit
flashing of the arrowy lightning
There is something to my mind in
intensely poetical in the majestic
fury of a tempest
Eyes, very" said my companion
dryly; "very poetical, no doubt; but
as in this case, intensely damp; and i
you'll take my advice, you will come
with me from among these patterins
drops, and try to find a little more
poetry indoors"
"Bravo, Fredw 1 exclaimed; "that's
the most sensible speech I've heard
you make lately. I believe you are
turning into the right road again, and
are going to give manly tone to the
bent of your feelings"
"Ah, we'll, said the poor fellow
signing, lit was about time; for Tve
made fool of myself, or been made
one of, quite long enough"
1t was no time for further conver
sation without doors, for the rain was
beginning to stream down, and the
wind bowling in fitful gusts over the
''wat'ry waste" l hurried home, and
after my customary chocolate and ci-
gar, retired to my bedroom. Upon
opening the easement, l could tell
that the storm had much increased
but the darkness and rain proved
themselves insuperable obstacles to
my leaving the house to go storm
gazing; besides VIII ich the wind was
not sufficiently high to create the
mountain high" waves that would
satisfy the desire 1 felt to see storm
on the sea coast.
Sleep fell soft tly on my eyelids-
of the great blessings of the sea air
that may be commended to the sleep
less. The wind rushing by the house
lnlled me to my rest, and l was soon
in the land Of dreams, or rather iu
that deep, sound repose whose waking
banishes the sleeping workings of the
brain. l must have slept for some
time when sudden noise, that seem
ed to my waking senses like thunder,
reused me with a start. and I listen
ed anxiously for a repetition of the
sound. looked toward my window,
but everything seemed of pitchy
and for time the startled
pulsation Of my heart, with it's heavy
throb, throb. was all that 1 could hear
beyond the furious wind, which was
now raging fearfully, making the
house rock to its very foundat1ons
Ever and anon there would be lull,
as when [ first awoke, and then again
the easement would rattle and the
blast shrek by. Suddenly flash il
lumined ny room for an instant, there
was pause of second or two. and
then the loud boom, as of gun, re-
verberated round the house. At first l
took it for thunder, but my collecting
thoughts told me it was a distress sig
nal. | turned out of bed and hastily
dressed, and Oh going to the window
l could see that there was a fire on
the shore. Directly after vivid blue
light shone out seaward, and by its
glare l could discern some thick black
mass in the distance. 1t was now
plain enough to me that vessel was
on the sands. for they bore but an i'll
report, and | had heard more than
one tale of their fata lity.
On descending the stairs l found
my landlady up, and comforting her
self with cup of coffee, and from
her l learned that the whole village
was on the shore, for large vessel
had come on the sands. Resisting
the old lady's persuasions to have a
cup with her, ran down to the beach,
and on passing the opening in the
bank was for time dazzled by a
large fire upon the sands, which was
blazing up and roaring beneath the
violence of the wind, and lighting up
the assembled crowd. Where the
vessel lay all was intensely black, for
the light did not pierce so far; but
the foaming waves, as they rolled
over and tumbled with fearful vic
lence npon the beach, seemed to re-
fleet the fiery beams in vivid flashes
People were running to and fro,
eNcitedly giving oruers which DO one
executed; tho mortar had been tried
again and again, but the men could
not get any communication with their
rope to the vessel, and if they could
have done so, the advantage would
have been very doubtful, as the sea
had risen to fearful height Anoth
er fash and report from the vessel
sent thrill through the breasts OF
those who burned to render aid, but
were helpless; and a chill struck to
my heart as thought of the dire
straits of my fellow creatures. Ar
excited crowd on my left then tool
my attention, and l reached the spo,
to find that the life boat bad beer
brought down in its truck, but could
not be manned. Most men shranl
from encountering such a sea, and
those who would have dared it were
dragged back by wives and nothers
half frantic with fear. 1t was a neve,
to be forgotten scene; the roar of the
cruel waves was deafening; here and
there they threw up a cask, a spar, OF
plank, only, as it were, to pounct
upon it and drag it back within theil
-. IL