two o'clock
The drenched captain , his whiskers matted with saline , and his face glowing and flushed -LRB- he has stood the deck all night -RRB- , may be seen in the main cabin , cheering and dispelling the fears of his passengers . The storm can not last-the wind will soon lull-the sea at meridian will be as calm as any mill-pond-he has seen a thousand worse gales ; so says the mariner , who will pledge his prophecy on his twenty years ' experience . But in this one instance his prophecy failed , for at noon the gale had increased to a hurricane , the ship laboured fearfully , the engines strained and worked unsteadily , while the sea at intervals made a breach of the deck . At two o'clock a more gloomy spectacle presented itself ; and despondency seemed to have seized all on board , as a sharp , cone-like sea boarded the ship abaft , carried away the quarter-boats from the starboard davys , and started several stancheons . Scarcely was the work of destruction complete , when the condenser of the larboard engine gave out , rendering the machine useless , and spreading dismay among the passengers . Thus , dragging the wheel in so fearful a sea strained the ship more and more , and rendered her almost unmanageable . Again a heavy , clanking noise was heard , the steam rumbled from the funnel , thick vapour escaped from the hatchways , the starboard engine stopped , and consternation reigned triumphant , as a man in oily fustian approached the captain and announced both engines disabled .