The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1898-08-18
rHrsARABANps SKIPPER.

The I.st ball hour oi the steamship bar
hsua had come. All day che had isin II
piiilsss bay. erosehins nu5sr The hero'
blast Of the northeast gale. the seas sseeI
ius hsr decks. and now sll 90 bosld knes
tbs. .hs h.d bat short ,ime 10 live
sac bed bad her dsy. Boil. TO carr!
ons hundrsd snd iseniy passenger, sh'
bad once been one Of the popular eost'
soins ihroush the nsuly opened canal Il
the east, and her long, nush deck hsc
been the scene Of many gay gathering
when her passengers bad assembled nudei
the asninss 10 lsash' dirt and talk a'tei
dinner. Bat lsrser and faster boats bad
GENE aud her glory h.d departed. 20 that
.iier many vicis.itndes here chs lay. bel
passenger sccommodstlons tsten out and
the space filled with grim from the Black
Ses porte, sinkins.
Her decks we're slspiing Of az angle ol
fcrty five degrees. for the vhsst had shifi
"a, add she laid nearly on her beam ends
every movable thing had long been wash
Cd swsy, and one structure which should
have been immovabls the engine batch
had sl,o been smashed In.
That vas the immediate reason Why sbe
was going to founder; the engine room
plates we're swash snd the fires 10 the
s,okeho'e we're ont, and for the last two
hours che hsd only been kept bead TO ses
by means OF ses anchor made OF the der
ricts and spsrs. A portion OF every ses
that came on board iound its way through
the mskeshiit con,rivance Of spsrs and
tsrpauhns nailed over the gaping chssm In
deck that marked the former position oil
the engine hatch, and each found her
little lower 10 the water.
In the shelter OF the bridge deck the
only structure which bad been strong
epou Il to resist the remorssless violence
OF the seas clustered her crew. some thir
" hands, hard faced sailors aud grim
tiremen; the former quiet, spsthetio. q
% ost careless; the Others, save Tor rev.
dead white with fesr, spending their last
moments 10 cursing with foolish, meaning
less repelitions OF the ssme words. The
sbip, their luck 10 coming 10 her, and the
skipper, Tor not making use OF the two re
naming boats which hung from their dsv
i,s 1t the lee eide OF the bridge deck. and
which, from their elevated position, had
DOT gone when the other boats had been
swept away. Ga the bridge sdo' ~
skipper and the mate, bearded. elderly
men both, strsinipg their despsiring ey"
into the wall OF mist and spray which re
lentlessly rushed down upon them, In the
flint hope that some passing vessel might
appear through the gloom OF the gale.
AT length the skipper turned and sersm
bled down the slopins bridge to where
the mate crouched on the lee rail. We
shall have to try the boats. Mr., Smith,
she'll not last much longerl he shouted
the wind picking up each word as he ut
tered ii and sweeping them away to Lthe
leewsrd, as il Jealous Of the mate hesring
them.
It's very poor chance, said The mate;
but suppose it's our only one. how
long do you give herr
Hall su hour st the out'ide. Are the
boats oil readyi
They've been ready since morning. SAID
the mate, bat can we get them in the
water mashed, and won't the nremen
rush them2
don't think SO, replied the skipper,
there's time enough and room enough for
oil to get away.
But his face took . grimmer look ss be
led The way down the bridge to the chart
house. the mate following him. Inside
they could besr each other with greater
ease, and the skipper, while taking bis re
volver from . drawer, gave the mate bis
insl instructions.
Well lower the forward lifeboat first. ss
she's the biggest; you will take charge OF
her, get your crew aboard, and have every
one in his place before we start to lower,
so tbs. you can shove of IS soon " sbe
touches the water. II those patents act
you ought to be oil right. (rhe boats
we're fitted with . patent contrivsnce, by
which the tackles holding them Ne auto
usticslly released the moment the boat is
water borne, so that there is no unhook
ing OF blocks to be done while the boat is
getting Dashed to pif ces sssinst the ships
side.)
/ shall be oil right, said the mate, but
what about you' Who's going to lower
the fslIs Of the after bosif You can't msn
ace /, from the boat itself. with oil the
crowd you will have on bosrd.
III lover her from the deck, said the
skipper. II they have long painter
% sde fast to the ship they can easily pull
up saain under the counter. and Ill make
Jump for II.
Mind you don't Jump short; you'd have
. poor chance with those boots sad oil
skius ou, ssii the mate.
Oh, I'll msnsSe. replied the skipper.
Call the men up.
The men came up in 9 body. aud the
skipper came out on deck, revolver 10
hand.
The ships sinking, be said, and ! have
dssided 10 tsks 10 the bosb. There's
plenty Of time and room for sll to get away
10 safety. ii you obey my orders. You
will reusin standing where yon are till
call your names. ,ben tie mao whose nsme
\. ..liaa NJ III tAie bis place ia the boat