The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-12-05
THE SABINE IN n STORM.
n Especial Correspondence OF the Unon.
IT, s. FRIGATE SABINE, Bermuda ISLANDS,
. ISEQ

The electrician will haye afeady speeded through the
country the doubt astonishing OF this vessel be-
ing forced into the Bermuda Islands. Many anxious
hearts in Washington and elsewhere will have waited in
painful suspense for further intelligence of safety
Let be brief to say to all such that safe and
WE'LL and shall relate my story probably with greater
satisfaction to all
You gentle people, who peruse the tale and legend by
the comfortable side and seek luxurious lounges
the sweetest consultations of the body have perhaps
the fury of gale the terrors of bowling hurricane
you have not heard ship groan in its struggle with
raging sea, the wind fairly whistle through its cord
age whilst amidst drenchng rain and dashing spray,
you chung with desperate hold to bit of rope and
although have neither the poetry the power to
vey such to your easy imagination it has been
my fortune to survey it in all its submlty and Is now
my duty to convey faint idea of the ordeal through
which have Just passed. Thanks to the skill with
which this vessel has been managed, and to her fine
qualities sea- boat we have successfully encountered
of the sevelet hurricanes that probably have ever
coursed through the Atlantic Wind and wave had uni
ted in violence that seemed battle mortal strength
the blast buets feather. The terrific plunging of the
and bowling of the storm sent up around one of
those anthems of Neptune that chill the blood, making
the Sabnes baptism on the memorable with all who
now float within her wooden walls .
1t was on the 2lst of October when five days
from New York harbor in latitude Sc deg 3S min.
north longitude e6 deg min west that the wind
from E.SE increased to moderate gale and the ba-
romeer added to discomfort by beginning to fall rap
idly The ship under low SAIL standing to northwad
for the four or five following days. the uls fast bidding
adeu until it swept the waters around in pro-
longed and unrelenting hurricane The severest test
about L. n. M, on the morning OF the 10th, when
the barometer had gone down TO 80 81 blowing the main
topsa and foresa into ribbons after they had been
clewed up, and carrying away the ships boats with
that made sensations very uncomfortable.
For twenty -four hours the storm ragged in that
beggars description look back upon it with confused
of its actual reality 1t continued its destruction
by sprnging badly the bboom staving in half dozen
forward ports, with easy motion the would
leap upon the deck stave every obstacle in its way wash
the from their feet crippling and bruising
many and find its passage through battened hatchways
to drench the faggedont who had fought it long
and bravely Next in the midst of calculated
TO try the stouest hearts the tller game unshipped
its fasenpgs and whole arrangement being of the most
insecure construction. wooden supplied the
loss but carried away it being of locust.
spare iron tller then hurredy obtained from out
of the hold of the vessel and, though impossible to ship
it in the wardroom where it was designed be used
because it wanted proper fasenngs, secured well
possible by lashngs and wedges in the rudderhead
in the cabin We breathed freely when the
oed hmpings OF the rudder against the vessel ceased
This final ''make-shift and with the abatement
of the gale answered Its purpose vol enough though
curing constant watching and continual wedging 1t
occsoned the entire disrobng of the cabin of all its
namcnts and comforts, and had efectuay taken pos
session of deprive the commodore and captain Of
the of their apartments Everything and everybody
must give way to the ships ter, for it is to the
sci what the Keystone Is 10 the ac ana when construc
tors make such soany provision for Its security, pen
atty imposed at their cost be too great Whilst
touching this point, may say that the imperfect
in which this vessel has been supplied with to
repair the damages incident to ordinary gale Of wind
is deserving of the severest from the proper
thority. The who supplied this frigate with To-
Gust ter and made its bride ports Of white pine ought
TO be sent to in tub IL Is to be hoped that the
department will treat such neglccts with every severity
The gale, after continuance of six days, began TO
moderate the 27th II proved itself to be Of those
cycloncs which generally originate IN the West In
dies and after devastating everything before them take
their northeast This ship unfortunately over
taken before she could its track and although its
centre did not exactly pass us, we doubtless must
have BEEN Judging from its severity not far distant from
IT, short time previous to the ships head being put
TO the sopthshe then being under low sail 1T became
evident that she would then be the right tack TO eet
the changing OF the wind as II was shifting from east
towards norh-a move not to be too lightly regarded
while centendng with cyclone aud neglect Of which
has too often caused shpwreck and loss of life On the