“OVERBOARD!” AT SEA.

Lake County Press, Issue 58, 12 July 1872, Page 3

“OVERBOARD!” AT SEA.

“A man overboard 1” I heard the cry distinctly os the angry dark waters whirled me under the counter and astern. “Who?” “ Where ?” and “ Let go the life-buoy?” “Call the life-boat’s crew away !” These were the orders in rapid succession, followed by the hurried rush of feet, and cracking of blocks as sail was shortened and the ship brought to the wind, which rose above the sounds of the whistling squall and of the roaring water in which I was immersed

We had been out from Genoa about three days on our way to Malta. The weather had been very squally, with thick, driving rain, and at the time I fell overboard the ship was under doublereefed and courses; the topgallant'sails had just been taken in to a fresh squall. I was standing on the weather-netting, holding on to a topgallant backstay, when it parted, and the next moment I was plunged into the water.

At first I went down like a lump of lead,®but in a few seconds began to ascend. When I reached the surface, however, it was to find myself whirling from the vessel’s side, with a confused noise of the|howling wind and the bubling water ;in my ears. I was so blinded by the water that I could not immediately see. I spun round and round as in a whirlpool, for I caught iu the eddies under the stern. As I rose on the top of a billow, I saw thatjthe ship was hove to, her quarterboats were down, and her rigging full of men anxiously endeavoring to get sight of me ; but the darkness of the approaching night was increased by that of the squall, and another driving cloud of rain coming down, effectually hid me from their sight. How my heart sank within me ! Was I to perish, and within hearing too of my ship mates ?

“Ahoy! Aho—oy ! Aho—o—oy!” I shouted, straining my voice to its utmost —the last call painfully prolonged, and I watched its effect for a full minute with the most intense anxiety. Alas ! uo answering hail was heard ; the ship was drifting to leeward, and her boats pulling from instead of towards me. After giving way for some moments to despondency, I rallied myself and began to consider my situation more calmly. I knew that that part of the Mediterranean was crowded with vessels and that the squall would soo x clear off, and that even if night came before I was picked up, the glorious moon-light would enable me to see any vessel that happen to be so near; so I turned over on njy back to husband my strength as much as I could. As a swimmer, 1 had seldom met my equal; besides I calculated that the life-buoy, and anything else that might have been thrown overboard, would have floated in the same direction and nearly as fast as myself. Nor was I mistaken, for I shortly perceived an oar not far from me. Swimming to it, I got it under my arms, and then felt that by God's providence I still might be saved. My first object, in this new frame of mind, was to get rid of my bools, which were by this time full of water, and dragging me down. This I did without much difficulty, having often practised doing so for sport, little dreaming ho w u&eful such practice would eventually turn out. I remembered that just before I fell overboard there were three or four vessels in sight, one of which, a French brig, was not far from us; and I calculated that my drift had been in her direction, and as the squall cleared away I endeavored to make her out. Of course, my vision of distant objects was cut off every moment by my being carried down into the trough of the sea. No one who has not been in a similar situation can appreciate the awfulness with which I gazed on the dark, glistening sides of the waves as I saw mvself sinking away from them, as if to" the very bottom of the ocean. With what horrid mockery the glassy water seemed to rise high all round me. Suddenly, when I was at the lowest, I would begin to ascend as if by magic, from the gloomy gulf, my velocity increasing every instant, until at last I would shoot upwards to the crest of the wave, like an arrow from the bow, A toss of the head to shake off the water, a long-drawn breath, a hasty glance all round, and then I was whirled down again, half-smothered, in the wild abyss. I had been overboard, I fancy, nearly an hour before I caught sight of the French brig. When at last 1 beheld her I could not restrain a shout o! joy. How beautiful she looked! Now she would pitch head foremost into the sea ; now slowly rise, dripping from the deluge, every moment nearing me. On—on she came, but no token was shown that I was seen. What if there was no look out ? The thought was horror. Raising myself as high as I could upon my frail support, I hailed, with all my strength—“ Brig a-hoy, brig a-bo-ho-oy!”

No answering hail came back, no sign was made, no signal waved. On—on she came. Again I hailed, but all in vain! at a distance of a hundred yards she passed me. “ Hillo, hillo, hillo-o-o 1” I frantically cried; but no friendly voice sent back my cry. Heaven grant that none who read these words may ever experience feelings similar to mine at that moment. Slowly the brig faded from my sight, and with her went nearly all my hope. _ Alone on the"* ocean ! Alone while night was drawing on! Alone, with no earthly hope of escape remaining ! Far far to leeward, just visible occasionally over the distant waves, I saw one vessel; but except this, the horizon, as far as I could see, was without a speck. I burst into* tears. The tension of my nerves had been unnatural, they now gave way; and I saw nothing before me but a long, lingering, cruel death. I wept like a child. Thoughts of my distant home, my aged parents my sisters chased themselves madly through my brain. My whole life past in review before my mind. Again X was a boy in my|happy boyhood’s home. But, alas ! I was never to see that home again. Then my train of thought changed, and I wondered who would get my vacancy; if the admiral wonld give it to either of the mates in my own ship, or if a stranger would get it; and if so, if he would purchase my uniform. These, and a hundred such thoughts chased each other rapidly through my brain.

The night began to close in. Darker and darker fell the shades of evening, but Jnow the wind and sea began sensibly to decrease. My senses began to desert me, and I felt gradually stealing over me an inclination to thrust my frail support from me, in order that the end might come sooner than it otherwise would. Presently the moon rose in an unclouded sky, and shaking off the morbid thoughts which oppressed me, I again scanned anxiously the horizon. But all was black—not a sail broke the line of my vision. Still I clung to the hope of being picked up. I could recall to mind numbers of instances of paople in as bad a plight, and yet mercifully preserved. Hour after hour passed, and I had almost given up looking out for sails, when suddenly 1 fancied I saw a light. Long and anxiously did I gaze in the direction in which I fancied I saw it and present ly I clearly distinguished the red and green lights of a fast approaching steamer. My heart flew to my mouth. Hut no pen can tell, no words express what my feelings were, and had not tears come to my relief I believe I should have goue mad.

She was fast nearing me, and shortly I could plainly hear the thump, thump of her paddles. She was steering direct for me, and my only fear was that I should not be able to make myself beard by those on board her. Presently-she was but a short hundred yards from me, and I exerted all my power and hailed her. Again, and again, but still no answer, but ou she came, seemingly as if bent on my destruction. Excitement now overpowered me. Confused noises rang in my ears — my eyes lost their sight, and then followed utter forgetfulness—the stupor of the dead, or rather, the trance between life and death, when the body is exhausted but the vital spark not yet fled—that one dread pause between this world and the next.

My next recollection is one of excessive pain. On coming to myself before a rousing fire, kind but strange hands were busy in chafing my limbs. Some one held a glass of something to my lips, and then I sank back, while all things seemed to whirl around me. In this state I remained some hours.

On recovering my senses, I found myself in a berth on board the French merchant steamer Eugenie, bound for Genoa. They told me that they did not see me until I was under her bows, and that on picking me up they thought I was’ dead, but by chafing my limbs and employing stringent restoratives they recovered me. Nothing could exceed the kindness of the captain of the steamer, and when I parted from him two days after in Genoa, it was with sincere regret. I must not neglect to say that when I rejoined my ship at Malta, some three weeks after my involuntarily leaving her, I was welcomed with the greatest joy by the captain, officers, and the men ; the only person, perhaps who had reason to feel aggrieved being an unfortunate mate, who.had been promoted by my supposed death. Years have passed since then, and I have oft-times had to rehearse my escape yet I always shudder to recall those terrible hours when I was otehboasd.