New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1848-10-20
For The Tribune

laws which govern our teinIests Is wen exempt
fed IN the following letter, received by Messrs.
BLUSr from an intelligent officer in the Navy
II relates % one Of the violent gales Of the pres
ent season, now understood ~ be the same hur
ricane which visited Antigua on the 22d Of Au-
gust
TO Mc.1s 4. 4. g. w. Blunt
The a. :. ship Marion bound from Gibraltar TO Bos
ton a, o'clock Friday evening sept !, was IN lat a.
so ~ and lon 42o w under royals with hne steady
breeze from the south the sky perfectly clear, and the
barometer standing At - 95lOO. II was however, Oh
served that the swell which considerable, was set
ting from the sW Al 10 o'clock T.. NJ. the wind IN
creasing IL became necessary 10 shorten sail until at
midnight the topgaant sails the mainsai b and span
her hhd been furled and three reels succcssvey taken
IN the topssils At this time the barometer stood ~
~ with the sky still free from clouds Vt any DE-
scripton Az A. NJ sept . the wind had increased
when the topsas close roeicd the ship however
continued on her course the clouds now commenced
rising in the SW aud scuddlng rapidly IN M direc
ton att A. NJ barometer 20 20. At daylight there
every appearance Of strong gale, clouds IN differ
ent strata flying in different directions, the sea
running higher and higher and the barometer gradual
~ falling The ship hove 10 on the lafboard tack
under close reefed Oresa topssils main ysal, ml
zen storm spanker and fore storm staysa head up TO
wSW. and oil to West the wind consequently, a.
This period II the gale about Ssh ST ss correct
I'd for variation At : A. " II commenced raining
while the gale appeared ths increase ana during INC
forenoon there every indication OF its continu
snce the ship made "a snug ~ possible by
sending down light yards housing topgsllan mssts and
fiuling the topssils.
Al noon Saturday. september p lat 427 - long
- iOl the barometer stood at 20 % while the gale sp
peared be gaining additional force from occasional
squalls OF wind and rain At 10 o'clock and 80 min
utes however much to our surprise the wind died
completely away the weather assumed more favor
able appearance and the ship left entirely without
.teersge way at the mercy OF most tremendous sea
This condition OF things lasted about 80 minutes during
which time the barometer fell from - - TO y ., and
then rapidly to Its alarming minimum Of y %
At this time a light All from the northward enabled
the ship to get her head round southwark and
ward and bank now rising IN the NV gave evidence
of q wind from that quarter; the main spencer was
scarcely brsled up and the storms panker lowered,
when the most ierrnc squat from The last mentioned
direction struck abait the arbosrd beam forcing the
ship over until her lea qudrt9 bOai Iiied-the helm was
OF course Immediately put weather. The iorestorm
stsysa split by the fret burs, OF this second and
enlarged edition of gale, but fortunately the fore
sell held and through its influence the ship paid OF be
fore the wind in which position she was kept from
30to4 T. NJ. scudding before il with an almos, In
conceivable velocity At first the ship had TO meet the
sea running from Sc caused by the former direction of
the wind and right nobly did she perform her task
once twice indeed, buryng her bowsprit and food
ing her forecase but often rising 10 her work with
sbuoyancy which fully sustained her character
excellent vessel The force of the NV. gale, how
ever, soon brought swell from that direction which
overpowered the old one, and thereafter had the
gale and the directly aft while both and the
other seemed 10 rsge with irresistible violence Moth
ing discernibe my yards from the ship the force
Of the wind rendered /, impossible % stand uprgh, IN
any exposed situation and its terrific hOwngs drowned
any efforts of the human voice and thus II was provi
dental that the ship in the best possible condition
TO receive H.
A. have before mentioned at I2 30. the barometer
stood at p 6, and from this moment II commenced
ascending steadily until Mt 30 p. NJ. II stood again At
- %, at which time had evidently received the
force of the storm Ala 30 barometer - 20 when the
wind had sufficiently sbaed 10 bring to the starbOard
tack under storm sails Through the following night
the weather gradually improved, until about o'clock
Sunday morning we had comparatively a smooth sea,
light northery breeze and the barometer at 30 20
when all sail was made, and we again pointed her head
near homeward as possible and felt that we had sur
vived gale whose violence the Oldest seaman In the
Marion" declared they had never seen equsled
would not trouble you, gentcmcn, with this impcr-
iect account of September gale had not been lod in
some degree To anticipate s approach and subsequent
direction from previous and recent perussl OF Red
nelds Theory OF Storms IN your Coast Pilot will
fer you 10 the 9TH section the 6cSh page of this
work. You will have observed that had the wind
at SSE accompanied lattcry by RAIN with constant
decline in the mercury of the barometer this and The
ul which then suddenly ensucd led US 10 infer thai
were in the central portions" of the track OF
storm. and consequently 10 anticipate the most proba
tile direction OF the wind and its force for which
more sail was made during the calm and mos
fortunately indeed for such seemed TO me the violence
Of the gale that had there been any more canvas the
mssts mus, have gone by the board OF still more IA
menssble consequences have followed.
IA Mr. Redheld had torctold the wind came from n,
NV quarter, and Tor three hours blew rather with "a,
peculiar fury oi hurricane than the ordinary force
gale during which, In perfect accordance with th'
fhcory. the barometer continued rising until reached
the former starting point ~ ~ While yet BLOWN.
from the south eastward, shoro-Soing bird OF the
snpe species put on board OF US IN distress Al th
the land $50 miles distant In north
orly direction
30 strong and complete al Illustration OF stheoy
which evinces the deepest research proves how bcos
ncis the studies of the philosopher IN his closet L
the practical navigator OF the and while We car
eui express grsuacSion 10 Mr kedheld for hsvn-
harmed nom his theory that which We were Ignorant
Il from experience. We also most sincerely hope ihs
ali aomewerd bound" Ike the Marion have occf
cnseed nom either cause The other 10 escsgs
vita The same impsny, lie limits OF my shee, forbid
any apology Tor the inteon OF this lsicr but incl
dents a. Individually unmporiAnt have gone to make
ap the sum Of practical Information couialn,i In youl
valuable work snd thus hope that this also viii b
suffered 81 increase the stock ot kuowledse As SINGLE
drop adds 10 the waters Of the ocean
kese-, ssfioness As les ff,ss Na''o & AF W
Rsmerks 81 Ae ADORE ~ NJ. Redsold
The csse exhibited in the foregoing letter "a enc o.
the many in which our honewSId bound ships hss,
run directly into the heart ct gale or hurricane IN
sways gratifying however. 10 ind that my a,tempte,
eucsdstions OF these storms and Of the laws whic,
govern them found In the American Coss: rso, az,
elsewhere have contributed IN any degree to the safety
OF asugsison may state. also thai these tsvorsbl,
results have been owing net 50 much o. studies IN hs
closet 10 direct Investigation Of IAo ohsogvslion
aud experienced mariners and others by carefully co,
lcctns and comparing sucA observations N their
geographical knd consecutive relations,
Since hrst brought this practical view OF storms q
public notice, several able nQurors have entered upon
similar course OF Investigation such a. Col RAN
Mr.. MIMI, Mr. PipnNcroN ard "a lfoA sod theiI
inquiries in various parts Of the world have led 10 sim
liar results In consequence Of these lseors many val
liable vessels have been saved from hazard snd misio
tune. and 1t has been oonclusively shown that msny
oshers have received serious injury, have been wholly
lost for want Of suitable aention to the established
laws which govern the great tempests.
useful work on this subject BY Mr. PiDDSGroN OF
Calcutta entitled TAs Saiiors Hva Bosk for tAs Las
Of Ser~s N al Parts q iAs Eerld- is published
ny JoaS wILss, Nes.Yosx, which | doab, not viii