the people in the dismasted ship had discovered the young america, as it appeared from the efforts they were using to attract her attention. the booming of a gun was occasionally heard from her, but she was yet too far off to be distinctly seen.
on the forecastle of the academy ship were two brass guns, four-pounders, intended solely for use in making signals. they had never been fired, even on the fourth of july, for mr. lowington would not encourage their use among the boys. on the present occasion he ordered peaks, the boatswain, to fire twice, to assure the ship in distress that her signals were heard.
the top-gallant sails were set, and the speed of the ship increased as much as possible; but the heavy sea was not favorable to rapid progress through the water. at four bells, when all hands but the second part of the port watch were piped to attend divine service in the steerage, the young america was about four miles distant from the dismasted vessel. she was rolling and pitching heavily, and not making more than two or three knots an hour.
notwithstanding the impatience of the crew, and {249} their desire to be on deck, where they could see the wreck, the service on that sunday forenoon was especially impressive. mr. agneau prayed earnestly for those who were suffering by the perils of the sea, and that those who should draw near unto them in the hour of their danger, might be filled with the love of god and of man, which would inspire them to be faithful to the duties of the occasion.
when the service was ended the students went on deck again. the wreck could now be distinctly seen. it was a ship of five or six hundred tons, rolling helplessly in the trough of the sea. she was apparently water-logged, if not just ready to go down. as the young america approached her, her people were seen to be laboring at the pumps, and to be baling her out with buckets. it was evident from the appearance of the wreck, that it had been kept afloat only by the severest exertion on the part of the crew.
"mr. peaks, you will see that the boats are in order for use," said mr. lowington. "we shall lower the barge and the gig."
"the barge and the gig, sir," replied the boatswain.
"captain gordon," continued the principal, "two of your best officers must be detailed for the boats."
"i will send mr. kendall in the barge, sir."
"very well; he is entirely reliable. whom will you send in the gig?"
"i am sorry shuffles is not an officer now, for he was one of the best we had for such service," added the captain.
"shuffles is out of the question," replied mr. lowington. {250}
"mr. haven, then, in the gig."
"the sea is very heavy, and the boats must be handled with skill and prudence."
"the crews have been practised in heavy seas, though in nothing like this."
the barge and the gig—called so by courtesy—were the two largest boats belonging to the ship, and pulled eight oars each. they were light and strong, and had been built with especial reference to the use for which they were intended. they were life-boats, and before the ship sailed, they had been rigged with life-lines and floats. if they were upset in a heavy sea, the crews could save themselves by clinging to the rope, buoyed up by the floats.
the young america stood up towards the wreck, intending to pass under her stern as near as it was prudent to lay, the head of the dismasted ship being to the north-west.
"boatswain, pipe all hands to muster," said the captain, prompted by mr. lowington, as the ship approached the wreck.
"all hands on deck, ahoy!" shouted the boatswain, piping the call.
the first lieutenant took the trumpet from the officer of the deck, and the crew, all of whom were on deck when the call was sounded, sprang to their muster stations.
"all hands, take in courses," said the executive officer; and those who were stationed at the tacks and sheets, clew-garnets and buntlines, prepared to do their duty when the boatswain piped the call.
"man the fore and main clew-garnets and bunt {251}lines!" shouted the first lieutenant. "stand by tacks and sheets!"
the fore and main sail, being the lowest square sails, are called the courses. there is no corresponding sail on the mizzenmast. the ropes by which the lower corners of these sails are hauled up for furling are the clew-garnets—the same that are designated clewlines on the topsails.
the tacks and sheets are the ropes by which the courses are hauled down, and kept in place, the tack being on the windward side, and the sheet on the leeward.
"all ready, sir," reported the lieutenants forward.
"haul taut! let go tacks and sheets! haul up!"
these orders being promptly obeyed, the courses were hauled up, and the ship was under topsails and top-gallant sails, jib, flying-jib, and spanker.
"ship, ahoy!" shouted the first lieutenant through his trumpet, as the young america rolled slowly along under the stern of the wreck.
"ship, ahoy!" replied a voice from the deck of the wreck. "we are in a sinking condition! will you take us off?"
"ay, ay!" cried haven, with right good will.
"you will heave to the ship, mr. haven," said the captain, when she had passed a short distance beyond the wreck.
"man the jib and flying-jib halyards and down-hauls," said the first lieutenant.
"all ready forward, sir," replied the second lieutenant, on the forecastle. {252}
"stand by the maintop bowline! cast off! man the main braces!"
"let go the jib and flying-jib halyards! haul down!" and the jibs were taken in.
"slack off the lee braces! haul on the weather braces!"
the main-topsail and top-gallant were thus thrown aback, and the young america was hove to, in order to enable her people to perform their humane mission.
"stand by to lower the barge and gig!" continued haven.
"mr. haven, you will board the wreck in the gig," said captain gordon.
"yes, sir," replied he, touching his cap, and handing the trumpet to the second lieutenant.
"mr. kendall, you will take charge of the barge," added the captain.
"the barge, sir," answered kendall, passing the trumpet to goodwin, the third lieutenant, who, during the absence of his superiors, was to discharge the duty of the executive officer.
the wreck of the sylvia.
the wreck of the sylvia.
return to list of illustrations
the boats were cleared away, and every preparation made for lowering them into the water. this was a difficult and dangerous manoeuvre in the heavy sea which was running at the time. the professors' barge, which was secured at the davits on the weather side of the ship, was to be lowered with her crew on board, and they took their places on the thwarts, with their hands to the oars in readiness for action. the principal had requested mr. fluxion to go in the barge and mr. peaks in the gig, not to command the {253}boats, but to give the officers such suggestions as the emergency of the occasion might require.
"all ready, sir," reported ward, the coxswain of the barge, when the oarsmen were in their places.
"stand by the after tackle, ward," said haven. "bowman, attend to the fore tackle."
at a favorable moment, when a great wave was sinking down by the ship's side, the order was given to lower away, and in an instant the barge struck the water. ward cast off the after tackle, and the bowman did the same with the forward tackle. at the moment the order to lower was given, as the wave sank down, the ship rolled to windward, and the boat struck the water some eight feet from the vessel's side.
"up oars!" said the coxswain, with energy.
"lively, ward," added the first lieutenant.
"let fall!" continued the coxswain, as a billow lifted the boat, so that those on board could see the ship's deck. "give way together!"
the barge, tossed like a feather on the high seas, gathered headway, and moved off towards the wreck.
the lowering of the barge had been so successful that the same method was adopted with the gig; but as she was under the lee of the ship, there was less difficulty in getting her off. she pulled round the ship's bow, and having made less stern way in starting both boats came up under the counter of the wreck at about the same time. when the barge and gig reached the ship, a line was thrown to each of them over the quarter, which the bowman caught, and made fast to the ring. {254}
"where is the captain of the ship?" demanded mr. haven.
"here," shouted that officer.
"how many have you aboard?"
"eighteen!"
"you must slide down on a rope over the stern; we can't go alongside," continued the first lieutenant.
"ay, ay, sir!" responded the captain of the ship. "i have two women and two children on board."
"you must lower them in slings," added haven, prompted by mr. fluxion.
the people on board the wreck went to work, and one of the women was lowered into each boat at the same time. a long loop was made in the end of the rope, and the woman sat down in the bight of it, holding on to the line with her hands. at a moment when the sea favored the movement, the boats were hauled up close to the ship's stern, the passenger caught by two of the crew, and hauled on board. a boy and a girl were let down in the same manner. the captain, mates, and seamen came down the rope hand over hand.
each boat now had nine passengers, who were stowed in the stern sheets and on the bottom. the ropes from the ship were cast off, and the oarsmen were ordered to give way. the barge and the gig rose and fell, now leaping up on the huge billows, and then plunging down deep into the trough of the sea; but they had been well trimmed, and though the comb of the sea occasionally broke into them, drenching the boys with spray, the return to the young america was safely effected. {255}
"how happens it that you are all boys?" asked the captain of the wrecked ship, who was in paul kendall's boat.
"that's the academy ship," replied the second lieutenant.
"the what?" exclaimed the captain.
"it is the young america. she is a school ship."
"o, ay!"
there was no disposition to talk much in the boats. the officers and crews were fully employed in keeping the barge and gig right side up in the tremendous sea, and though all hands were filled with curiosity to know the particulars of the wreck, all questions were wisely deferred until they were on the deck of the ship.
when the gig came up under the counter of the young america, a line was thrown down to the bowman who made it fast to the ring. the passengers were then taken aboard in slings rigged on the spanker-boom, which was swung over the lee quarter for the purpose. part of the boat's crew were taken on board in the same way, and then the gig was hoisted up to the davits with the rest in her.
before the barge was allowed to come up under the counter, the officer of the deck wore ship, so as to bring the port quarter, on which the boat was to be suspended, on the lee side. her passengers were taken on deck as those from the gig had been, and she was hoisted up.
"mr. kendall, i congratulate you upon the success of your labors," said mr. lowington, when the second lieutenant reached the deck. "you have handled {256} your boat exceedingly well, and you deserve a great deal of credit."
"that's a fact, sir," added boatswain peaks, touching his cap. "i hardly spoke a word to him, and i've seen many a boat worse handled in a sea."
paul blushed at the praise bestowed upon him, but he was proud and happy to have done his duty faithfully on this important occasion. the same commendation was given to the first lieutenant, after the barge had been hauled up to the davits, and the order given for the ship to fill away again.
the women and children were conducted to the professors' cabin as soon as they came on board, and the seamen were taken into the steerage. all of them were exhausted by the anxiety and the hardships they had endured, and as soon as their safety was insured, they sank almost helpless under the pressure of their physical weakness.
"this is a school ship, i'm told," said captain greely, the master of the shipwrecked vessel, who had also been invited to the main cabin.
"yes, sir; we call it the academy ship, and we have eighty-seven young gentlemen on board," replied mr. lowington.
"they are smart boys, sir. i never saw boats better handled than those which brought us off from the ship," added captain greely, warmly.
"your voyage has come to an unfortunate conclusion," said mr. lowington.
"yes, sir; i have lost my ship, but i thank god my wife and children are safe," answered the weather-beaten seaman, as he glanced at one of the women {257} while the great tears flowed down his sun-browned cheeks.
"poor children!" sighed mr. agneau, as he patted the little girl on the head; and his own eyes were dim with the tears he shed for others' woes.
captain greely told his story very briefly. his ship was the sylvia, thirty days out of liverpool, bound to new york. she had encountered a heavy gale a week before, in which she had badly sprung her mainmast. finding it impossible to lay her to under the foresail, they had been compelled to set the main-topsail, reefed; but even this was too much for the weak mast, and it had gone by the board, carrying the second mate and five men with it. the sylvia was old, and the captain acknowledged that she was hardly sea-worthy. she became unmanageable, and the foremast had been cut away to ease off the strain upon her. her seams opened, and she was making more water than could be controlled with the pumps. for eighteen hours, all hands, even including the two women, had labored incessantly at the pumps and the buckets, to keep the ship afloat. they were utterly worn out when they discovered the young america, were on the point of abandoning their efforts in despair, and taking to the boats, in which most of them would probably have perished.
after the boats started from the young america, mr. lowington had ordered the cooks to prepare a meal for the people from the wreck; and as soon as they came on board, coffee and tea, beefsteaks, fried potatoes, and hot biscuit were in readiness for them. tables were spread in the main cabin and in the {258} steerage, and the exhausted guests, providentially sent to this bountiful board, were cordially invited to partake. they had eaten nothing but hard bread since the gale came on, and they were in condition to appreciate the substantial fare set before them.
by the forethought of captain greely, the clothing of the women and children had been thrown into one of the boats. the bundle was opened, and its contents dried at the galley fire. the doctor and the chaplain gave up their state room to the captain, his wife and children, while mr. lowington extended a similar courtesy to the other woman, who was mrs. greely's sister. mr. fluxion was the first to offer his berth to the mate of the sylvia, which was reluctantly accepted; and all the professors were zealous to sacrifice their own comfort to the wants of the wrecked visitors.
in the steerage, every boy, without an exception, wanted to give up his berth to one of the seamen from the sylvia; but the privilege was claimed by the adult forward officers, the cooks, and stewards. the principal was finally obliged to decide between them: and for obvious reasons, he directed that the guests should occupy the quarters of the men, rather than of the boys. the people from the sylvia needed rest and nourishment more than anything else. they were warmed, and fed, and dried, and then permitted to sleep off the fatigues of their severe exertion.
at three o'clock, though they had slept but an hour or two, most of the shipwrecked people appeared at divine service, for this was a privilege which they had long been denied, and it would be strange, at such a {259} time, if the hearts of those who had been saved from the angry flood were not overflowing with gratitude to god for his mercy to them. mr. agneau, whose sensitive nature had been keenly touched by the events of the day, made a proper use of the occasion, delivering a very effective address to the students and to the shipwrecked voyagers, who formed his little congregation.
the next morning the wind came up fresh and warm from the southward, knocking down the heavy sea, and giving a delightful day to those on board the ship. the passengers appeared on deck, and were greatly interested in the young america and her juvenile crew. captain greely's son and daughter were little lions, of the first class, among the boys. all hands vied with each other in their efforts to do something for the guests of the ship, and it really seemed as though the era of good feeling had dawned upon them. even shuffles and pelham forgot, for a time, the interests of the chain league, and joined with others in petting the children of the wreck, and in laboring for the happiness of the involuntary guests.
on this day, observations for latitude and longitude were obtained, and at noon the ship was found to be in latitude 42°, 37', 5" n.; longitude 64°, 39', 52" w. the position of the ship was marked on the chart by the masters, in council assembled, and the calculations made for the course. bowditch's navigator, an indispensable work to the seaman, was consulted frequently both for the rules and the nautical tables it contains. the course, after allowing for the variation {260} of the compass, was found to be north-east by east, which, agreeing with the calculations of mr. fluxion, was given out to the quartermaster conning the wheel.
the wind continued to blow fresh from the south and south-west during the rest of the day and the succeeding night; and the log-slate showed ten and eleven knots until midnight, when the wind hauled round to the westward, and soon came strong from that quarter. at noon on tuesday, april 5, the young america had made two hundred and forty-four miles during the preceding twenty-four hours, which was the best run she had had during the voyage.
on the afternoon of this day, a ship, bound to the westward, was seen, and captain greely expressed a desire to be put on board of her, with his family, as he did not wish to return to the point from which he had just come. the young america bore down upon the sail, and spoke her at sundown. her captain was willing to take the shipwrecked voyagers on board his ship, which was bound to new york, and they were transferred in the barge and gig. captain greely and his party were very grateful for the attentions they had received; and the little boy and girl almost rebelled at the idea of leaving their new and partial friends.
as the two ships were filling away, after the transfer of the passengers, the seamen of the new york ship, having learned what the young america was, gave three cheers, and dipped her ensign in compliment to her. all the young tars were immediately ordered into the rigging by captain gordon, and "three times three" were most lustily given. the {261} american flag at her peak was lowered three times, in reply to the salute of the stranger. as the academy ship stood off on her course, the two children of captain greely were seen, on the poop-deck of the other vessel, waving their handkerchiefs; and they continued to do so as long as they could be seen.
the departure of the guests had a saddening effect upon the crew of the young america, as they missed the children and the ladies very much; for, during their presence on board, the ship had assumed quite a domestic aspect, and all the idlers on deck found pleasing companions in the little boy and girl.
the limits of this volume do not permit a full detail of the entire voyage across the ocean. enough has been given to show the discipline of the ship, and the daily life of the boys on board of her. for the next ten days the weather was generally favorable, and she laid her course all the time. some days she made two hundred miles, and others less than one hundred.
on the sixteenth day from her departure, she was in latitude 51°, 4', 28" n.; longitude 31°, 10', 2" w.; course, e. by n. in going from cape race, the southern point of newfoundland, to cape clear, the southern point of ireland, the young america did not lay a straight course, as it would appear when drawn on a map or chart. la rochelle, on the western coast of france, and cape race are nearly on the same parallel of latitude, and the former is exactly east of the latter. but the parallel on which both points lie would not be the shortest line between them. a great circle, extending entirely around the earth in the broadest part, going through both, would {262} not coincide with the parallel, but would run to the north of it a considerable distance at a point half way between the two places, the separation diminishing each way till the great circle crosses the parallel at cape race and la rochelle. the shortest course between the two points, therefore, would be the arc of the great circle lying between them. a skilful navigator would find and follow this track. this is called great circle sailing.
the young america followed a great circle from cape race to cape clear. off the former point, her course was two points north of east; off the latter, it was half a point south of east. on her twentieth day out she sailed due east.
after the excitement of the wreck and the departure of the passengers, shuffles and his confederates resumed their operations in the chain league, assisted somewhat by a case of discipline which occurred at this time. when the ship was sixteen days out the chain consisted of thirty-one links, in the cabalistic language of the conspirators, and shuffles was in favor of striking the blow.
