New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-04-14
INTERESTING FROM THE AZORES.
SEVERITY OF THE LATE WINTER.
A SERIES OF TERRIFIC STORMS.
WRECKS AND MARITIME DISASTERS.
Loss Of the RavenswOOd and Saving Of her Cargo.

some special details of the mshaps which have trans
formed this little harbor into hospital for disabled
American vessels. Some Of these disasters have also
been marked by circumstances so extraordinary to
be worth attention.
The Winter here has been unusually severe though
to US wandering Yankees it seems only like cool
Summer. Snow has been ssea rot merely 90 the high
mountain Pco, opposite but upon the central nights
of this Island and of St. Georges; the Thermometer
has stood at 45o also; all these being almost une-
qualed indications of what is here called "mHit0
frio Exceedingly cold In fact, l have entered
cottages ard found half dozen children crouching in
bed TO escape the chilness from which their white
Gotten garments are small protection
Since the middle of December there has been a
RES Of violent westerly winds, with minimum Of sun
sbne On the 5th and 9th the gale attained its hight
the mercury in the barometer having previously sunk
almost uIprecedentedly low. The HarbOr Of Horta
lies to the 5. E. of the island is protected by two high
promontories " and S., by the Island of Pico, 6ve
miles to the F., and by St. Georges to the n. E. and
il thus only exposed to the force of the the
S. Z. eide. It thus unipjured by these western
winds and would not even experience high swell at
such time but for the recoi Of the waves from Pco
But this ample enough to produce surf over the
black rocks and equally black beach before our hotel
windows such as have never seen equaled on our
American coast, during equinoxla gale at the
Isles Of Shoals. The waves were at their hight on
Sunday Jan. 6. and we watched them for many hours
from an old fort which projects beyond the beach-s
walls washed by the ocean. The great waves came
rushing in sometimes five deep each with condensed
rsinbows in its bosom and Niagaras of foam blowing
back from its fest Seen from the beach, they were
a wall against the horizon over which only the top
as Of the tossing vessels could sometimes be seen
The scene around peculiarly wild, from the
presence of some fifty and women, who were an1-
iousv searching in the sand after each recedng wave
for silver coins long since sunk in the wreck OF a
whaling ship near by, and still washed on shore in
storms. Eighteen Spanish dollars were found that
morning. In other places the surf plunged furiousy
arainst the sea-wal which protects the town. rising
sometimes hundred feet in snowy foam, and deuglng
the fronts Of the houses exposed to the sea- The WIND
blew violently; haistones slternated with CLEANS OF
sunshine: and in the midst of the uproar MONDAY
salute flor it was Saints day from the guns OF
another fort mingled their Fash and smoke and boom
with the glitter and spray and roar OF the sea- All
this on the lee of the island while on the western side
as we heard aterward the spray wet the top OF Cas
teIo Branco, promontOry eight hundred feet high
or course after this we expected TO hear of casual
ties No injury had been done during the gale, except
that one Portuguese brig, from Manila, for England
which had put in here for provisions, was driven out
TO STA before she had anchored carrying with her no
fresh provisions but eight additional mouths, IN the
persons of two captains of vessels in port who, with
six sailors had gone board for a visit. Another
Portuguese schooner was wrecked on ST. Georges and
all bands lost.
On Friday jan II, the victims began to appear.
messenger came from the north side OF the Island to
inform Mr. Dolney, the well known American Consul,
at this port that two distressed vessels in sight,
one of them being dangerously shore He at once
ordered out the Hortense, schooner of hs, which
was in port but while they were fitting her out with
provisions spare sails, &c, the two vessels were sig
nalized, and came slowly in by the north prssage-a
brig ard bark the latter having been announced as
schooner at first from the loss of foremost aud how
spirit Both were American, and a the great unweldy
brig swung FOUND at her anchor, read on her stern
the familiar name of Keying, Newburyport." And
when Capt Cook her master, came on shore, could
recognize an old acquaintance. | congratulate him On
his success in escaping with on the loss of bowsprh
ard ioretopmast and some damage to the rudder lie
was also more fortunate than his successors in being
at once admitted TO Quarantine The brig was .
DAYS from Charleston, for Havre, with cotton.
The poor bark was less fortunate, and when | went
alongside in the Custom. House boat on Saturday, she
was certainly sad spectacle. She was the Warren OF
Thomaston Capt. Condry, for Philadelphia, with
load of -four and grain and a. we approached her, she
seemed ike one Of Herman Melvie's ghostly ships.
she lying deep in the water her bulwarks all spin
tered aud broken, with only the lower malnmast ana
rlizepnast standing. Two women and baby were on
the quarter deck and the yellow quarantine nag was
already hOisted Questioning the Captain IN behalf OF
the Custom House ofsers, was answered IN tone OF
cool, quiet despair that i never shall forget There
was tinge of sternness about it, too, a. II the case
too hard FOR sympathy and he would thank us TO
withhold il. "Cargo safe ? asked. Threw over
board zoo barrels of -four was the answer. Any
water in the hold" 1.-TWO feet, and pumpschoked
Cargo damaged" "An Of it. How many IN
YOUR crew ?" "Six-lwith glance around)-three lost
in the gale" We left him with pity, and with some
indignation against the quarantine laws when Kept
this orlorn vessel and her crew from all intercourse
with the shore, solely because she brought no bill OF
health from Philadelphia We have since grown
more accustomed To this atrocious nhumanhyi Dut
when on Sunday night a new gale came up from the
southeast the only dangerous quarter, we thought
an1ously of that poor mother and baby a. the wind
howled round our windows. During Monday there
was scarcely any possible communication with the YES
SELF but the gale sbated, and left them uninjured.
But another demand upon our sympshes was pro-
pairing During the gloom and gale Of Monday Jan
IA there swept slowly in at the southern entrance,
seen dimly through the mist, great American ship
under reefed mantopsal BOwsprit and top gallant
mast were lost and she was evidently it thought
-. md tfFely IN her
vor and the slightest beadsai would have brought
- d.. -. oo-.J. .be dyifted ike a log