dash to pieces the frail craft. She labored heavily in
the furious sea. By and by the strain on her timbers was such that the
port hog-brace broke in two places, weakening the vessel so that her
fate was apparent to all. Soldiers and sailors worked away with a
frantic energy born by the fear of death, and succeeded in bracing up
the timbers, so as to avoid, for a time, the breaking-up. Soon after,
a heavy roll of the vessel broke the smokestack, and it was pitched
overboard. Luckily it broke some three feet above the deck, so that
the fires could still be kept up. Then the steam-pipe burst; and with
this accident the fate of all on board seemed sealed, for they no
longer could keep the vessel's head to the waves, and the great seas
came rolling over her, sweeping her decks of every thing movable. They
began sending up rockets, and, after some time of anxious waiting, saw
an answering signal; so that, through the remainder of that fearful
night, the men on the doomed ship felt that, whatever might occur,
they had friends at hand. The night was spent in toil at the pumps;
and in the morning a faint cheer went up as two vessels were seen,
ready to lend assistance. A signal of distress, quickly hoisted, was
answered from the nearer, which proved to be the "Isaac P. Smith." The
"Smith" sent off a boat and made fast a hawser to the wreck, and took
her in tow; but in a few minutes the hawser parted. It became clear
that the men must be taken off the sinking ship; but how to do it, was
the question. By this time a second ship, the "Young Rover," had
arrived to assist in the rescue. A second cable was put aboard; but
this, too, parted. Hope seemed lost, when the lookout reported a third
ship, the frigate "Sabine," coming to the rescue. The "Sabine" came to
anchor, and sent a hawser aboard the sinking "Governor." Then the
hawser was gradually taken in until the two ships lay close together,
stern to stern. Spars were rigged over the stern of the frigate, and
some thirty men swung over the seething waters to safety. Then the two
vessels came together with a crash, and about forty men sprang from
the sinking ship to the deck of the frigate. But the damage done by
the collision was so great that it was deemed prudent to slack up the
hawser and let the "Governor" drop astern again. Those on board
busied themselves throwing overboard all things movable, with the
intention of lightening the vessel. After some hours of suspense, the
wor