id the key to the
irons could not be found. The irons were soon severed, however, with a
chisel and hammer, and he went below to aid the men with his knowledge
of the stowage of the officers' provender. His confinement was never
renewed, for he did good work in the rescue of food.

A few of the more frightened ones had at first, either through a
misunderstanding or otherwise, rushed to our largest boat--the
launch--hanging at the starboard quarter and partly lowered it before
the act was noticed. A large combing sea came along and tore it from
their hold, smashing it against the side of the ship and then carrying
its remnants away with its tackles and all its fittings. This was a
great loss, we felt, if we should have to take to the boats, for we
did not know at that time where we were. The same wave also carried
off one of the crew, a member of the Marine Guard, who had been on the
bulwarks; and whisking him seaward, returned him miraculously around
the stern of the ship to the reef, where his struggles and cries
attracted the notice of others. He was hauled over the lee side,
somewhat bruised and water-soaked, but, judging from his remarks,
apparently not realizing his wonderful escape from death.

[Illustration: THE SAGINAW IN THE GRIP OF THE BREAKERS]

As the night wore on, the wind increased and also the size of the
breakers. The ship, which had first struck the reef "bows on," was
gradually swung around until she was at first broadside to the reef,
and then further until the after part, to which we were clinging, was
lifted over the jagged edge of the perpendicular wall of rock. She was
finally twisted around until the bow hung directly to seaward, with
the middle of the hull at the edge. Thus the ship "seesawed" from stem
to stern with each coming wave for an hour or more and until the
forward part broke away with a loud crash and disappeared in the deep
water outside. Our anchors, that had been "let go," apparently never
touched bottom until the bow went with them.

All that was left of our good ship now heeled over towards the inner
side of the reef, the smokestack soon went by the board and the
mainmast was made to follow it by simply cutting away the starboard
or seaward shrouds. Over this mast we could pass to the reef, however,
and there was comparative quiet in the waters under our lee. This
helped us in passing across whatever we could save from the wreck, and
in this manner went three of our boat