The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1858-11-25
PRCE TWO CENTS
UNITED STATES FRIGATE SABINE IN



UNITED STATES I3Rd6A, FRIGATE SABINE IN A
A correspondent of thc New lork i~ss thus i- de-
scribcs the recent cyclone as seen on oo'r" 'no
Sabine:
or circular hurricane, corresponding to the typhoon
Of the Indian Ocean-save that they only oo" "Hn
violence for from to hours, and ours ohiY ao'it
Z hours at one time, and at another during az c
hours The t8rtlssimi crcsccRdOes were OF Il ana Z"
hours respectively and we were blown on our beam
ends by the force of the highest Pod org"e lor II
hours during which had five small put tousn
storm staysails carried away, and both tieTs ol
guns and our lee hammock rails (llkc gunWa!es oi "
boat buried in the water. You may concelyc inc
power of the blast which could hold thus IN llG
water (undcr a table-coth and two napkins lor az
sa) at an angle OF not more than az, Nes1e, "
war with her armament, 1000 tons DurueI' ~ u" "
ing % feet, and having % feet from the copper "
the hammock rails out of water.
The Commodore on the quarter deck uuriuS
the worst hours. Captain Adams directed tnc
maneuvrcs. and the officers executed every oiT TL
with the calmncss of religious ceremony; inc
barometer had fallen 30l5 to 2S.5i, and would nov
rise. The starboard boats were torn away, anu
oaken davts which refused to break, torn INTO
threads by the lashing ofthe waves. We shlpPeu%
sea our bows which put Is men into hospi'li
with fractures which tore the heart out OF the'oII
topmast staysal-a small triangular storm s"i-
half way between the. foretop and the boWsnrlt-
which Gattened down like wet bandooN, a stfoIs
oaken chest the tOrecastle and carried from INC
lOIemaSt lIJ 10 lne llLLeillhlSl. our ditlVi
(ron) weighing li0 pounds. The hatcneS
were all battened down with talpa1ln,
and slabs nailed around the edges. Now
conceive the ship in this position at al; -
\. NJ. Monday, (25th,) after 80 days of hurrl-
cane the wind howling like ten thousand diSco'-
dant demons without capd mei>tcr, the water
frothing and kissing around us like the pool lmmG
diatev beneath Niagara Falls, the deck at an angie
or455 matches batened down, fires put out, tons Oh
water rushing through the closed gun-portS aU
every lurch, and then imagine an officer coolIy en-
teIing the CommOdOre's cabin, where was chait1S
with him, and touching his hat, making the follow
inc observation, "CommodOre, Captain Adams
desired me to tell you that the tWcr has tr0,hs"
ioose ia the tcordroom and they are trying to rIght
it,.
The next moment. thump. thump, thump; the
ruddcr was loose, and at the mercy of the water
mountains. Fortunately the spanker had been
lashed in the lee mz2cn rigging-tied inch by inch
to the inside of the shToudswhch kept her head to
wind and out of the trough of the sea.
A wooden locust tiller first got up, but snap
ped in two hours. Thump, thump, thump-Ike
| the commander in 'Don Juan Some one knew OF
! an iron "freescudder' down below. 1t was found
weighing 900 pounds, and about II feet long. 10
get itup from the hold to clap it in the rudder-
head to rig tackles, rGlieitackles and purchases,
by which it might be lashed down and still kept in
the eye of the rudder was the work of some two
hours, which seemed eternities. But was rellei
to ones very natural suspense to witness the con-
summate deyterity of these saiIor-men with ropes,
| which, in their hands, became many beacon
strctors in grasp and nexibilty, or with the pulley
levers to lift the earth When all the skill and
grace that consummate coolness and undaunted
selfreliance are employed, silently and with the
| quiCkness of thought, to keep you out OF Davy
Jones' locker, your admiration becomes enthusl-
aStc.
The commodore and officers never displayed a
| hue or wrinkle of alarm For five hours, while
she lay upon her side, all thought she must go, but
acted in their efforts and precautions as if there
were no danger. | had some twenty-siy hours OF
suspense in all was braced up for the first spell,
ErrI,z lf4li of tl.r.. hFtp !
came on to blow stronger, rather lost my temper.
In the middle of Monday night-l:50 A. M.-the
ship took fire, the bell rang, the drum and fife beat
| to quarters. All but four Of the and marines
were in their places. The discipline was perfect,
and the fire soon eXtingushed. This alarm only
disturbed me by waking me out Of the first sleep
had had for sixty hours. 1t was not comparable to
the dismav at the broken rudder, but there were
plenty on board whom it hit hard.
On the third quarter of the sixth day the gale
abated with heavy rain squalls, the barometer crept
up to 293O, the tiller ropes OF the wheel were led
down through the deck, to the iron make-shit, the
lashngs were oosened which had kept it jammed
hard down for so many painful hours, and we drew
long breath of relief and thankfulness for n
more miraculous escape of 5l3 souls than ever saw
recorded.
In the same spot, in l782 the French fleet toun-
dered in a similar gale. In it the Vile de Paris,
| 12O guns, went down with all hands.
! The next day survey was made by Committee
Of three officers and the ship reported too damaged
to proceed with safety on her voyage. The rudder
would never have stood another gale.
| cannot say that this little adventure has enam-
ored me of the sea, and particularly Of sailing yes
sells, although few steamers could have lived through
it. But with steam this might have been avoided, 4,
by enabling lis to make more direct course,
whereas to catch 'the trades are bound to steer
for the coast of Africa. In this Island the gale has
destroyed the crops, stripped the trees Of oranges
| and other fruits, and tom the young potato crop
out of the ground. The damage is estimated at
thousands of pounds.
Our officers are all perfect in their way-thor-
ough men of business, ready for any emergency.
1t would have been difficult to make better selec-
tiOn.
will further add that we had 40 seamcn and
sailors on board, and with all the proncncss of a
nautical nature to cXaggeratc past nerils, there
not soul who ever such hurricane, and par
tcularly of such long duration All its features
offered thorough confirmation of the law of circular
storms. During the two us ! mentioned, we had
the honor of being in the centre of this devils
waltz, and as we entered from ring and came
out at the other, it took q,rne aI,d a-co5ai.-
| think it will be my last Germon