The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-10-12

A THRILLING SCENE IN CHINA. X

A correspondent of the New York Journal Of Com
mcrce writing board the United States Steam Frigate
Powhatan, mouth Of the Pci-ho river China juno 3Oth
gives the particulars Of terrific hail storm which visited
the anchorage Of the several Squadrons at that place.
c writing in his state when blow struck the
ship like that of solid of lead extending the whole
length Of the ship under which ii trembled and quvered
for moment, and seemed ready to topple At tho
instant loud voices of command were heard the
deck nging with the creaking Of the rigging, the rush
of men, and the lowering of boats Leaving my room
and rushing to the gangway to ascertain the cause
met ut the foot Of the gangway with denge Of ran and
still worse with tempest Of hastones of such size and
force had never known. One striking me in the eye
not only for time blinded it, but created exquisite pain
while another and larger, striking upon the BOSOM
seemed almost to break the skin through thick ycs
shirt and flannel At length reaching the deck what
met the eye! violent gale had sprung up with
out forcwarnng under which the ship reeled and the
to fearful height threatening to leave the bot
tom of the Gulf bare Indeed such the force of the
wind it drove the water into the sea, that though
anchored ten miles from the shore and in six lathos
of water, it was soon found that the Powhatan
aground without moving from its anchorage Sand
also blown pentifuy from the shore to the ship. The
boat of the Minnesota remaining by the side Of the Pow
hatan and the six in her. the gale struck the boat
and instantly swanped her. the being tumbled into
the sea- and threatened with being instantly swallowed
up by the waves Cur Commodore, Captain and Lieuten
ants with oil the inferior officers instantly deck
and at their posts under the ptess storm giving orders
to lower the boats and If possible to the unfort
nate men while the crew. all observing the profoundcst
silence but showing the deepest anxiety in their conte
nances strained every to lower the boats and then
sezng their piled them manfully -Four boats
manned each containing ten men, whose chances
seemed little better than those Of the castaways
At this time succeeded in reaching position on the
''hurricane deck where could view the fearful srug-
ge for e and the whole fleet around bowing to the
Storm though hardly able to keep my t.ace. How fast
the bodies Of the poor fellows receded from borne away
by the violence Of the waves Two, indeed, unable to
swim, instantly sank beneath our ship, but were soon
washed away The rest could be seen at times mounted
on the top of the waves and then sinking and for long
time disappearing from sight The boats in pursuit took
different directions, according the ovcrcasts drv
en- and themselves at times disappeared for deep
tho toughs Of the sea- that these boats 25 30 feet
long often seemed to stand perpendicular resting
side of Some Of them proceeded far for tho
rescue Of those they battling for life that when they
had rescued em they would have been unable to return
but for the abatement of the gale One poor fellow
watched long and with painful interest hc
and fully in vicw Nothing could be but his
head which sometimes above the waves to which he
seemed to cling to plank and often he sunk he
air might well battle with the hurricane and yet he
held out, till TO my relief well as his the boat
reached him and took him in. Two full hours had pass
ed before the rescued board again Some OF them
had been carried three miles from the ship The gale
the rain, the hail. the mountain waves and most of oil
the struggling men, created sublime and painful scenc
such as had never witnessed before, and hope not TO
witness again. AS stood upon the deck, and contem
plated It. remembered tho lines of the poet Lucan in his
Pa where he says II pleasant to look abroad upon
the in Storm and ship struggling with wind and
wave and then think that not there The sen
ment is an atrocious libel human nature II may be
true when applied to stoics and epcureans like the poet
but has support in the experience Of the Of
kind certainly not in bosom having one spark Of hu
manity.