Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1902-09-03
A SPECTRAL
SEA FIGHT
foriginai.l


Ss<e myself up for lost.
was lying on the deck only partly
conscious when heard, or thought !
heard. ships bell. II struck six times,
and knew that the hour was Z o'clock.
! knew 1t was evening. for the fun
moon mingled its rays with the long
twilight of that high latitude. Rising.
crawled to the gunwale and looked
over the starboard quarter.
A vessel flying the stars and stripes
was sailing past with all her canvas
set And what VESSEL She was
built up very high in the poop and cut
away at the bow. a sort of PROV pro-
jecting with a figurehead. She was a
man-of-war, with ports open, showing
the muzzies Of her guns. / counted
fourteen guns on her main deck and
four astern on deck below. This was
her broadsIde The officers wore
uniform which I had seen In pictures
of hundred or more years ago. A
slender man stood on the quarter deck
with glass to his eye. Looking in the
direction 1t pointed. saw another ship
similar In build. also a man-of-war.
The British ensign was at her peak.
There were other vessels scattered
about. but / took no notice of them,
being profoundly interested in these
two. evidently about to meet In combat.
The American wore ship and backed
his topsaIl, bringing his broadside to
bear on the Englshman. I saw man
on the latter cry out, evidently to hail
the other, but heard no sound. A sec
ond time he hailed. / saw smoke
plumes leap from the Americans side,
and still | heard no sound.
/ was too weak to stand longer and
sank back on the deck. On the one
hand was the moon silently mounting
the sky, on the other the fierce though
silent battle. Both passed from my
vision for time, for became uncon-
scious. but when l recovered and rose
to look over the gunwale there were
the two men-of-war locked In an en-
brace of war.
1t was now night, and / could see
only by moonlight. The American was
dashed to the Englishman's forward
L
quarter deck was firing shots at his enc
mics, who seemed to be endeayoring to
cut the vessels loose. Marines were
loading the pieces for him. and he
picked off every man who approached
the lashings. Meanwhile the Britisher
was firing her guns right through the
Americans main deck. could see that
40, vi httlty
In the water. Then light burst forth
between decks. "She will burn If she
does not sink" l said. land she will
sink IL she does not burn"
And then came the strangest thing OF
all. | could see by the freight men
on the doomed vessel bailing water
that was sinking the ship to put out
the fire. Lashed to a stronger ship.
burning, sinking, broadsides continual
ly pouring through her, she was still
endeavoring to conquer. Was there
ever pluck like that on sea or land!
Surely there must be some god of war
on that wrecked vessel to breathe the
spirit of invlncibility into its uncon-
querable crew.
And there was. On the deck stood
the slender man, he who with his own
hands kept his enemy from the lash
ings, lighted by fire and moon, ges-
ticuiating, doubtless swearing, direct
ing every detail, every man to do the
part assigned him, and inspiring all
with his own marvellous courage.
The American had ceased firing with
her cannon. At any rate. she was SO
wrapped with the other In smoke that
If she fired | could not tell. Sailors
with muskets were on the foretop, the
maintop the mizzentop; marines were
on the quarter deck, the poop deck and
top of the roundhouse. They were fir
ing muskets and hand grenades, but as
their enemies were all on the lower
deck they were protected Men crawl
ed out on 81 yardarm of the American
and dropped hand grenades on the
enemy, one of which fell in an open
hatchway and exploded below with
terrific sound. Soon after this sailor
leaped over the Britisher's rail, TO-
lowed by boarders, and In few 10 II
utes the British ensign was hauled
down.
This is the last l remember of tie
night. When | came to consciousness
again. the sun stood where the neon
had been and was binding me witt
his intense light. Rising, | swept the
horizon with my eye. Not a vessel was
In sight. The sea rolled on smoothly,
silently, as If 1t had never been dis
turbed by the reyerberation OF guns.
One effect remained with me. If
those men ON that burning, sinking yes
sci could conquer, why should l de-
spair? Going below, found fishing
tackle and an AK. With the ak l sacri-
feed my own finger and with this for
bait caught fish. l had matches in
my pocket and made fire, heated sea
water and, condensing the steam, had
water again. this time that / could
drink. In this fashion l lived till was
picked up by an American cruiser.
I told my story to the cruisers cap