The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1827-07-04
MISCELLANY.

TREMENDOUS STORM at SE.7
The following singularly interesting mar
sative is communicated to the Liverpool
Morning Chronicle of May 10;
"Ship .Ve,o York, Princes Dock, Liverpool,
May IL, 1927.
SIR--i trust that, although a stranger
shall find sufficient apology, in the very
uncommon nature of the occurrences here
m described, for troubling you with the
detail Of the following particulars. This
ship has been twice struck by lightning on
her present voyage from New York. Ca
tho 10Th Of April our third day out, on the
Gulf Stream, dat. 38, q, ". Ion 81, II w.
at noon) about half past fivo in the morn
ing, being in our births, we were reused
by sound like the report of heavy cannon
close TO our ears. In moment wo were
ali~out, and the cabin and all parts Of the
ship were filed with a dense smoke, hay
ing strong smell of sulphur. From the
deck the word was quickly passed. that
the ship had been struck with lightning,
and was on fire. The CONSERVATION
which for some minutes prevailed may be
more easily Imagined than described Ev-
ery one ran on deck with full impression
that the ship was in blaze. There all
tho elements were in violent commoton.
1t had been broad day, but SO dark, so
dense, and 40 close upon us were the
clouds, AS To produce almost the ooscurty
Of night. There was Just sufficient light
20 give bold relief to every object
in the appalling scene. The rain poured
down in torrents, mingled with hail stones
as large a. filberts, which lay upon the
deck fully al inch thick. Overhead ba2.
cd the lightning on all sides, accompanied
bv REPORTS almost simultaneously, thus @.
yincing its pearness. The sea ran noun.
tains high, and the ship was tossed from
one sea 60 another with incredible rapidity.
One appearance was peculiarly remarka-
bic. The temperature tho water was at
~ dcgs. of Fahrenheit, while that of the
atmosphere was down to 4S. This pro.
duced q copious evaporation, and caused
Immense clouds of vapor TO rise, which,
ascending in columns all around US, eNhl.
bited the appearance Of innumerablc pill
lars supporting a massive canopy OF clouds.
These phenomena are extremely unusual,
no person on board ever having witnessed
any thing like it before. In all directions
mlunt W Steu Whtispou'o, "h'S'f ,.~'o
fearfully To the clouds, seemed actually TO
present to the eye a combination OF all
The elements for the destruction Of every
thing on the face of the deep. Altogeth-
or the scene was one OF awful subllmlty
which battles description. Amid tins
scene Of impending ruin, when all nature
Was in the utmost confusion-when natu
ral science and experience could avail
no,hing-while an'irresistiblc element was
playing about us, and the ship seemed OF
the very verge of fate; when, in short, dis
NAV and despair were reflected from ever,
other countensnce could exceed
the calm tranquility Of Captain Bennett
nothing could excel the frmness will
which every order was gwen, for exainin
ing the ship, in'prcspeet OF meeting hf'
below deck, nothing could equal the man
nsr in which every one was encouraged
with the hope of security, even beyont
whnt in reason could be expected thu.
I lbu. echo the sentiments Of oil on boards