Catoctin clarion., 1910-02-24
SMASHED BY THE SEA
The Story Of a Shipwrecx In the
English Channel.
FIERCE FURY OF THE STORM.
Wind and Wave Battered the Ship
Till Only a Shattered hulk Re.
maineG-A Battle Against the Els-
nents That Ended In Defeat.


ments That Ended In Defeat.
We had weathered the western Is
lands and entered attitudes where the
prudent mariner shortens sail and
Keeps wary eve on the barometer
for the seafarer may talk Lightly OF
mountainous seas off the Horn. but not
Of winter gale In the mouth Of the
English channel when the coast Is
strewn with wrerkage from the Lizard
to Beachy and his lima .inati n, accus
toned to vast eXpanses Of lonely Sea-
pictures all sorts Of craft jostling one
another IN dangerous proximity.
A favoring gale from the northwest
not more vicious than the ordinary
north Atlantic gale, had kept the ship
lively all day and set all hands hgur
ing ON pay day. 1t WAS not until the
afternoon watch that the weather out
look became really threatening. Moun.
tainous walls Of green water swung
out Of the darkness and bu.'eted her
aside as they passed. rie! T squalls
smote her IN rapid succession. pnveiop-
Ing her IT, smother of spray, hreling
her until the yardarns dirncd in the
crests Of the waves.
At eight bells the wind lullcd and
hauled point to the ives: ward. then
hurled itself against the snip with ac-
culnulntod fury. There wls a sudden
confusion Of flying cor.age. over
whelming seas hammering upon the
de, ks and the cannonade Of canvas
stripped from the spars and blown like
thistledown to lceward
Relieved Of her top hamper. she stag
gcred erect. dripping like half tide
rock and shaken with the shock Of the
seas pounding her sides. Halfway on
the upward oscillation she poised.
checked by the renewed onslaught Of
the gale as II by the impact of mate
rial obstacle. Rags Of canvas stream
ed from her empty yards. Every wire
Of her rigging twanged and stretched
under the strain.
The deck round the mainmast heav-
ed and was starred with white assures
running along its well oiled. planks.
The heavy steel spar dimpled on one
side, then buckled and crashed over
board In tangle Of wreckage.
The ends of severed wire whipped
the air, and twisted shrouds sawed to
and fro along the ruined bulwarks and
struck showers Of sparks from the tor
tured iron work. The hatch covers
were stripped from their coverings.
u oil No
intricate superstructure Of the vessel
swept and broken. Shouted orders
were blown back, inaudible to the men
covering under the break Of the poop.
and useless IL audible.
What seamanshlp could contrive was
done. Men worked for their lives. find
ing foothold on the sea swept deck.
hacking the jagged ends Of iron wire.
But the day Of cutting wreckage adrift
is gone with wooden spars and hemp
en- cordage. Although the plates gaped
and rivets started. the heavy spar held
fast alongside. pounding against the
iron hull as she rolled in that trough
Of the sea.
A couple Of spare spars were lashed
together and launched with infinite
danger through the gap In the broken
bulwarks. But no improvised sea an-
Choir could hold her to windward amid
the tumult Of such sea. She was
no longer ship. but ruined fabric,
crushed and sagging to leewurd under
the weight Of the elements.
Morning brought an abatement Of
the fury Of the gale. Standing on the
poop, surveying her shattered hulk,
her skipper turned quietly to his mate
and asked. "Is the port lifeboat sea-
worthyY
Carpenter reports that 1t is. sir" re-
piled his subordinate.
The skipper stood for awhile In ST.
lence. noting the sluggish life Of the
deck under his feet. Suppose we've
got to leave her." he said. What dye
thinkY'
1t Is the sole occasion where the mas
ter mariner will deign to consult and
be advised by his inferior officer.
"She cant float much longer, sir"
replied the other alphabetically. 1t
might be that In his time he. too,
would require to seek similar advice.
"Ah." said the skipper heavily, land
l saw her launched" He crossed over
to the teak fife rail and laid his hand
on 1t. fondling 1t affectiOnately. "An
right, mister" he said at last. Were
right In the track Of shipping. Pass
the word along to put bag Of biscuit
aboard and fill the breakers with wa
ter."-Pall Mall Gazette.