. Steamboat disasters and railroad accidents in the United States : to which is appended accounts of recent shipwrecks, fires at sea, thrilling incidents, etc. . assengers had just given place to now all was still, save the tread of the watch ondeck, or the occasional toll of the bpU to warn fishingcrafts, if near, of our approach : but we had moreneed to be warned ourselves, than to give warning toothers of approaching danger, About 2 oclock in the morning, a hurried stepawake the writer of this sketch, and the rapid whis-per of some created the. suspicion that all was notright. Spr
. Steamboat disasters and railroad accidents in the United States : to which is appended accounts of recent shipwrecks, fires at sea, thrilling incidents, etc. . assengers had just given place to now all was still, save the tread of the watch ondeck, or the occasional toll of the bpU to warn fishingcrafts, if near, of our approach : but we had moreneed to be warned ourselves, than to give warning toothers of approaching danger, About 2 oclock in the morning, a hurried stepawake the writer of this sketch, and the rapid whis-per of some created the. suspicion that all was notright. Springing from his berth, he asked one of the-men near the cabin door, what was the We are in the midst of ice, said he; will youmform the captain and mate ? The captaii> was in-stantly on deck ; he ran forward to look out. In amoment the vessel, going at the rate of five knots^struck, as if against a rock. It was an island of ice IIt lifted its head above the water more than one hun-dred feet, and leaned over as if ready to fall downupon us. The word was given to put up helm andback the sails. As the sailors were hastening to obey THE BYRON. 293. The ship fiicouuloriiig an icel^crg. tlie latter order—and the terrified passengers wererushing on deck, and looking np at the immense,overhanging, freezing mass, the ship struck againwith increased force. O what a shock! crash!crash ! it seemed as if the masts were falling, one af-ter another, on the deck. The second mate entered the cabin, and clappinghis hands violently together, exclaimed, My God !our bows are stove in—were all gone. An awfuldeath appeared now inevitable. In this moment ofof general panic, the commanding officer gave ordersto clear away the boat. Then, while the knife wasbeing applied to the cordage fasteniTig her alongsidethe ship, a rush v/as made to her by men and small boat was in a moment filled with thirtyor forty persons. It seems utterly marvcllAs thatshe did not break down,
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Keywords: ., bookautho, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1840, booksubjectshipwrecks
