Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB
[graphic]

The Wreck of the "Arctic."

ERE you ever shipwrecked?" asked a gentleman of an old sailor with whom he had been talking, as he walked on the pier of one of our seaport

towns.

"Ay, sir, once; and a terrible wreck it was."

"Where was it?" the other inquired.

D

"Off Newfoundland, sir. If you have a mind to listen to a yarn, I will tell you all about it."

"There is nothing I should like better," answered the gentleman. So the two sat down on a bench, and the old man began his yarn.

"It's four-and-twenty years ago now since I shipped on board the steamship Arctic, bound for New York. There is no need to say anything about the ship, except that she was strongly built and well found. There were over two hundred and thirty passengers, and one hundred and fifty souls belonging to the ship, officers and men all told.

"We left Liverpool on the 20th of September, and on the 27th were somewhere about fifty miles off Newfoundland. The weather had been foggy for some hours, and on that day we had not been able to see farther than half a mile or so, and sometimes not nearly so far.

"Eight bells had just struck, and I was going aft to attend to some duty, when the officer on deck shouted out, 'Hard a-starboard!' On turning to ascertain the cause of this sudden order, I saw a larger steamer than ours on the starboard bow, coming stem on towards us, under sail. The next moment she struck our bows with a tremendous crash that sent a shock through the vessel from stem to stern; but she herself seemed to have suffered most from the meeting; for, as she glided by and passed astern of us, we could see that about ten feet of her bows were literally cut or crushed off, and it was evident that she could not keep afloat long.

"Our captain ordered the boats to be lowered, and pull to the help of the stranger; but only one had started before it was discovered that our own ship had sustained a fearful injury.

"As soon as this was found to be the case the pumps were all set to work, and the ship headed in for land. Efforts were made to check the leak by getting sails over the bows; but all in vain, the vessel was doomed.

66

When this became known there was a panic among the passengers, and, in spite of all the captain could say, a rush

was made for the boats. Dozens, thinking to make themselves secure, climbed into one as she hung by the davits, and breaking her down, fell into the sea and were nearly all drowned; the others were overcrowded and swamped, many men and women leaping into them from the deck when they were already crowded. No blame can attach to the captain for this state of things; he did all that it was possible for him to do to restore order, in which case many valuable lives might have been spared; but the catastrophe was so sudden and unexpected that the passengers, and I am sorry to be obliged to add many of the crew, lost all self-control and rushed upon their own self-destruction.

"The captain now ordered the fore-yard to be cut down, and had it sawed in two and lashed with other spars, thus making a raft about forty feet long by three or four wide, which when finished was launched, and in a few minutes sixty or seventy persons were clinging to it. Several smaller rafts were made of doors, barrels, or anything else that would float.

"The water was rapidly rising, all the pumping having little effect in keeping it down; and at last, while we were yet at work constructing more rafts the vessel began to settle down.

"It was awful to note the despair and agony that was marked on every face. But there was not much time to look about; the sea was rushing into the ship in great volumes, and when it closed over the smoke-pipe there rose from beneath it a sound like a heavy groan, terminating in a wailing sigh. This was no doubt produced by the steam and heat of the boiler being brought in contact with cold sea-water; but at that moment it had a weird and unnatural sound, never to be forgotten.

"In an instant all who were on board were engulfed in the surging waters. Down, down we sank into the depths of the ocean. I did not lose consciousness even for a moment; but the terrible thought flashed across me that I should never again see the loved ones at home. Just when

I thought my last moments were come, I found myself rapidly rising, a gleam of light appeared above me, it grew brighter and brighter, and in a few seconds I was on the surface of the water, striking out for my life. I soon managed to reach the large raft, to which, as I said before, nearly seventy persons were clinging.

“The sea, though not high, was somewhat rough, and the waves constantly dashed over us, each time bearing away some of those who were too exhausted to hold on firmly to the raft. The poor women were the first to go; and one after another they relaxed their hold and sank into their watery graves. It was almost impossible to help one another, for those who for a moment relaxed their hold were almost certain to be washed away. It was awful to see the bodies of those who were drowned, but prevented from sinking by the life-belts that encircled them, floating around us or washed to and fro by the waves, sometimes under and sometimes over the raft.

"Presently night came on; it was a night of agony and suffering, such as it is to be hoped few have had to endure. As hour after hour passed by, numbers of my fellow-sufferers became wearied out and let go their hold, and were immediately swallowed up by the hungry waves. When at last morning dawned there were only three on the raft besides myself, and in the course of a few hours they too were washed away; and, out of the numbers that had sought refuge on that frail bark, I alone survived.

"All through that day I supported myself as best I could, hoping against hope that I might yet be picked up. As night came on again, however, I gave myself up to despair. Worn out as I was by want of food and by the unceasing attention I had to give to prevent myself being washed away, I felt that I could not endure another night. My strength was failing, my sight was becoming dim, so that I could scarcely perceive objects only a few feet from me. Even the ghastly faces of the dead that seemed to be looking up at me from under the raft were hardly discernible.

Summoning all my strength, I raised myself on my knees and gazed around, endeavouring to pierce through the gloom of the evening. Just as I was about to sink down again I saw, or thought I saw, a vessel. Was it some mocking phantom of the brain? No. I felt sure it was a reality. I could hear human voices, and then for the first time I perceived a boat pulling towards me. I can never forget the feeling I then experienced; with a cry of joy I

fell back insensible.

"I remember nothing more till I found myself in a berth on board ship, and learned how I had been thus almost miraculously plucked from the jaws of death. The third mate of the Arctic had been picked up by a vessel, which immediately on hearing his tale sent boats to endeavour to save any who might yet be floating about on any of the rafts; but I was the only living being they found.

"Not until I had been some time in Quebec, at which port I was landed, did I recover from the effects of the awful time I spent upon the raft. For years afterwards often in my sleep I went through the sufferings I then experienced.

66 How many of the crew and passengers of the ill-fated Arctic or of the other equally unfortunate vessel that caused the calamity, were saved, I have never been able to ascertain; I can only say that none besides myself, who trusted themselves to the raft, remained to tell the tale I have told you."

The gentleman who had been listening to the old sailor's narrative seemed greatly impressed by what he had heard, and asked the narrator several questions as to the state of his mind while in such extreme peril. But on this point the old sailor did not seem inclined to say much.

"I thought that I was very near to death," he said; " and I felt that I was not fit to die and enter into the presence of God. I wished that I had lived a better life, but felt that it was now too late to repent. Further than this I can tell you nothing. I will not attempt to describe the state of

« AnteriorContinuar »