five o'clock in the morning
Partridge felt that orders were useless -- the man at his elbow could not have heard them . The vessel lay almost on her beam ends , with her helm up , stripped even of the sails which had been furled upon the yards . Mortal hands could do nothing for her . By five o'clock in the morning the gale had reached its height . The heavens showered out rain and lightnings -- rain which the wind blew away before it reached the ocean , lightnings which the ravenous and mountainous waves swallowed before they could pierce the gloom . The ship lay over on her side , held there by the madly rushing wind , which seemed to flatten down the sea , cutting off the top of the waves , and breaking them into fine white spray which covered the ocean like a thick cloud , as high as the topmast heads . Each gust seemed unsurpassable in intensity , but was succeeded , after a pause , that was not a lull but a gasp , by one of more frantic violence .