Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1899-05-05

the discharge of a cannon, the staysail burst,
a cloud of rags blowing away to eeward
like wads from a gun. The very angle of the
vessel saved her from carrying the tons
of water that had beaten in, and as the
headsaii let so, as an animal goaded to des-
peration, the Phantom rose and, gathering
way, fled before the gale.
We tied before the gale, and like the spin
ming spoondrift picked up by the wind and
scattered broadcast without form or consist
ence so also fled my notice OF details. Of
the three terrible days during which this
storm lasted | mind me only of a few pog
nant facts standing out against back
ground of remembered misery. The second
stage of the tempest was fercer by far than
was the first, and the wind came from
quarter almost exactly opposite the point
from which it broke on the night of August
1l-namely, southeast. And with it came
rama pent-up deluge that laced the sea
and sky with parallel lines like strings of
polished steel wire. While we held the wind
astern it was endurable, but later when we
bore into the gale, ones face could not suffer
long exposure to the blast that drove the
| liquid pellets before it like volleys of buck
shot.
We had not held our way for long when
it became plain that to escape by running
was impossible, as the following seas reached
a height and speed that threatened to poop
| the schooner at any moment. 1t had finally
| came to laying to or being wrecked out of
| hand, and every opening in the vessel was
closed as tightly as possible in preparation
| for the move.
| 1t was an anxious moment,when the ma
| neuver to come about was made. Each one
| was dashed to his post, and, when gave the
order to jam down the helm, knew that
| salvation or destruction might lie in the
| coming brief minute.
| The wind with which we had been fleeing
| fell as we struck the trough OF the sea, the
| mountainous pillows making Il fair lee to the
| deck. | had closed my eyes as the wheel
| flew over, and when from an instant of COM
! parative calm the gallant vessel rose and
| l felt the solid blast in my face instead of
| on my back, | shouted a thanksgiving, and
| in the ecstasy of my relief from long nervous
| tension shook hands with the sailor by my
side as though he had been my lifelong,friend
| instead of an enemy on whose death i had
determined the night before.
| Even though we were safely hove into the
wind the gale so increased in force as to
| make it impossible to carry even double
reefed mainsail, and there were no means at
| hand for further reduction of canvas saving
to take all IN. met the ulfnculty by max
| ing sea anchor of the wreck of the top
| hamper, binding the mass together and
| heaving it overheard with line attached,
then, by stripping the vessel of its last rag,
| to this drag we rode across the fearful bill
| lows with less straining, now pointing
squarely into the winds eye.
But, though the Phantoms antics were
| reduced in violence and we existed in com
| parative comfort, the schooner was farfrom
being secure, since the whole seas thatro
and combed over the bows threatened again
| and again to swamp the craft for, erether
scuppers could relieve her of the terrible
weight of water from one wave, another
would follow and tear aft, at times driving
her bow fairly under. There was nothing
to do but knock away great sections of the
bu!warks to give free drainage to the food,
and, this done, we could but stand and wait
| for X hnt fDtp had in Store