Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1898-07-27
A LOST ISLAND.

| four bells in the first watch not q breath
| OF air was moving, and the drenched sails,
! wet by the afternoon and evening rains,
| hung heavily from the yards or tapped
! against the masts and rigging as the ship
rolled lazily on the long leaden swells of
the Pacific ocean. A number Of days had
passed without an observation Of the sun
or stars and they had to run by dead
reck oning." and were not therefore, sure
| of their latitude or longitude. They might
be nearer danger than they thought.
The captain had gone below at eight
bells; but feeling troubled about the por-
tentous appearance of the weather, was
unable to sleep and was on deck again,
walking nervously fore and aft, now look
ing on this side and then on the other
side OF the quarter deck, looking anxiously
out into the darkness, then aft, then at
the compass and then at the barometer
which hung in the cabin gsngway Round
and round went the ship, needless of her
helm, and the mercury told the same tale
it had told for hours before.
In vain did the eyes Of anxious men
peer into the darkness Only inky black
ness met their straining gaze everywhere.
Thus matters stood till six bells, when the
mercury began to fall suddenly. The
QUICK JtIhlHS NOISc u tLe captain W hs
then heard.
Mr.. Smalley, you may take in the
light sails"
Aye, aye, sir" and, stepping to the
mainmast he called out, "F For ard, there
and was Immediately answered, For
ard, sir stand by the topgallant and
the flying jib halyards"
In moment he heard the report,
Ready, sir .
Let so the halyaris and clew down.
Let go the sheets and clew up. That Il do.
Bolay all. Now jump up and furl them.
BE lively, lads !"
While this was going on the captain took
another look at the barometer and found
the mercury still going down fast Thor
oughly aroused now, he caught his speak
ing trumpet from the beckets and sung
out:
Hold on, therel Down from aloft, ev-
cry man of youl Call all handsl" Down
came the men again.
"All hands ahoy!'' was called with great
strength of voice at both the cabin and
forecastle gangways and then followed
one of those scenes which defes such de
scription as would make 1t inteuigible to
a landsman, but which any sailor readily
understands The topsails were close
reefed, a reef taken In the mainsail, the
glib and flying glib and all the light sails
were furled, and the ship made ready for
the expected gale But yet no breath Of
air had been felt moving, while an IN
natural stiffness and heaviness Of the at
mosphere was observed by all Several of
the seamen saw dim, purple streak sud
denly appear right ahead of the ship and
called out, Here it comes, sirl'
Where?" said the captain
Right ahead, sir. u
Hard a port your helmi"
Hard port it is, siri
Brace round the yards!"
Aye, aye, sir!
The yards were braced around, and the
ship was got ready to receive the expected
blast on the larboard tack. That dreadful
streak of cloud grew almost crimson, and
there was ard what they thought was
the heavy roar Of the coming gale and ev-
cry man seemed 10 hold his breath await
! ing the shock Good men and courageous
sailors We're on that ships deck, but they
shrank from the terrible onslaught like
frightened children. When God speaks in
those fearful storms, his voice is awful to
the ear and many strong man has quail
ed before it And the storm itself is
scarcely more trying L. ones nerves than
the moment before it strikes, while men
wait in dreadful suspense.
Thus those men waited till the minutes
heightened into hours and the only change
perceptible was In the deepening color of
that lowering cloud of crimson light. AT
length eight bells told that clock had
arrived, and daylight was looked for as
those men i'll the ship with Paul looked
for it when they wished for day" But
the struggling light of the day seemed only
to reveal the thickness Of the darkness To
the wondering vision.
Just at daylight their ears were stunned
with successive quick reports, louder than
! whole broadsides from a hundred gun ship.
! The whole heavens were lighted up with a
! fiery red light. The ocean was stirred
from her profound depths. Great waves,
/ without any visible cause ran in the most
awful commotion, now striking together
and throwing the white foam and spray
/ high in air, then parting, TO meet again in
fearful embrace as before. A school OF
] sperm whales ran athwart the ships bows,
making every exertion to escape from the
strangely troubled water. Within a few
cable lengths of the ship an immense col
umn of water was thrown masthead high
and fell back again with q roar like Mag
ara. a deep, mournful noise, like the
echo of thunder among mountain caverns,
was Instantly heard, and none could tell
whence it came. The noble ship was tossed
and shaken like plaything.
Great God, have mercy upon usi'' cried
officers and men. What is this? What is
coming next? Is 1t the day of judgments"
The royal psalmist described them accu-
rately-"They reel to and fro and stagger
like drunken man and are at their wit 6
end"
Soon the mystery was solved, when RICH,
before their eyes, about one league from
them, there arose the rough sides Of a
mountain out Of the yielding water and
reared its head high In air; then from ite
summit flames burst forth and melted Laws
ran like a river down the declivity anC
fell like a cascade of flame into the seeth
ing ocean. 1t was birth throe Of nature
and an island was born which was mile,