Catoctin clarion., 1901-01-24
THURMONT Frederick County, Maryland Thursday January a. 1901.

But the vessel began reariug up like a
runaway colt, and rushed straight for
the shoals off Bakers Island
perhaps you know that's a reef, a
half circle of jagged rocks. through
which no ship could sail in thousand
years. and pounding swell that would
splinter the timber of the stoutest craft
aAoat. Well, air. we tried our best to
stand off and avoid the place, and with
any other ship could have done it, but
our vessel tore along and dashed right
through that line of rocks with crash.
ing and splintering that made us think
that our cruise had ended.
No mortal ship could live IN that
place for an hour, and we did the only
thing that gave us chance for our lives
put all hands off in the long boats.
The men cursed the doomed ship as they
went oyer her side, hut turned silent
out CT respect for my wife as she came
down into the boat. as pale as could be,
but too brave to cry out.
>By good fortune we got outside with
out striking. There we we're compare
lively safe, for the time u: least, for the
boats were staunch enough to weather
almost any kind of a storm. When she
saw that we cleared the rocks my wife
called out in clear voice that reached
the ears of the men both in boats:
Net us return thanks for our deliver.
ance.'
u wasn't a protesting man, then, but
| had seen too much of my Creator s
power on the seas to be scotfer. Az
for the men. though, don't believe
they had heard the Masters name, ex-
ce2t in curses, for half their lives. But
they bowed their heads while my wife
said short and simple prayer, ending
with this thanksgiving for our safety:
On, Lord, we thank Thee for oul
wonderful deliverance, Save US, and
if, maybe, yon good ship, and make US
one and all the instruments of Thy will
to do Thy work. Amen
As say, was never a scoffer, but
could almost have smiled as she prayed
for the rescue of the ship. There wa'
lust about one chance in million that
our ship could ever get out of the traF
into which she had run. But as We
raised our heads size still continued tt
churn around inside the reef, and hadn I
suffered any serious damage as could bs
seen.
'For fifteen minutes more, mayhap
we watched her playing Isaac and JOSH
among those rocks, and then strange
thing happened. That old ship rose W
and came straight and true as ever {
ship did with a firm hand at her helm
She came through without a scratch
where no human skipper could have
sailed her, and every man present vii
take his oath that he never laid eyes OF
such sight before or since.
VT is the answer, cried old Dan Nc
Gowan, the hardies ruf1ian of all the un
mannerly crew. Our lady is a tru
saint, and her prayers are quickly an
swerei.' And the old fellow actuall
crossed himself.
But there were other things to thin
of then, for the ship was scudding away
and we had hard pulling to 60 aboar,
her again. There we found all ship
shape, and scarcely drachm Of waite
had come through her sturdy sides.
There wasn't much pr reaching on th
subject of our dellverance, but it was a
though the men had seen the hand c
} the Lord in that dark September storm
and there was a change for the better
, all of them. Most wonderful of all wa
the transformation in the Northwestern
} She never played Us false again; sh
made headway AS she never did before
Ferguson said. and she took the breez
like a racing Yacht. We made port te
days ahead Of contract time. and on tn
return trip did even better.
J Y astonished old Donald one mornin
early in November by dropping into tn
} Office full three weeks before he ex
pected me.
"Well, we'll, Daniel, back 80 soon
and with good report, | hope, the OF
man said. 'How did the Northwestern
treat you?