The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1862-04-05
TaE CRUIsE OF THa UoURIzR.-ws have

TsE CRUIsE OF THR CoURIzR.-Ws have
received from Capt. Lemcke a detailed and
thrilling account of the cruise of the /
Courier during the storm of Wednesday
morning last, full details of which would
be too long for a newspaper item.
The Courier left this port about o'clock |
on Tuesday afternoon with a full cargo, |
and large number, of passengers, and
made her usual time, with nothing unusual
occurring until in the vicinity of Oave-in-
Rock, about 4 o'clock on Wednesday morn
ing, The night was dark and the gather
ing clouds gave warning of a rain storm.
The wind was very high, during the night,
which precluded all apprehension of the
fearful tornado which was about to ensue.
The wind blew SO strongly on the Illi-
nois shore that Capt. Lemcke deemed it i'm
prudent to land at CaEe-in-Rock, and sent
the mail ashore in the yawl in charge of the
clerk and mate, with boats crew. About
the time the yaWl reached the shore the
storm broke forth in all its fury. The small
boat was driven On shore and sWamped.
The rain poured down in torrents, the wind
screamed in fury through tho rigging of the
boat, the lightnings of heaven pealed forth
their dread artillery and the darkness be-
came so intense as almost to be felt.
At this fearful moment while the ga liant
little Courier was breasting the waves, and
kissing the storm, the tiller rope broke and
the boat became unmanageable. The bell
was tapped by the pilot but no voice could be
heard amid the roar of the storm, and Capt.
Lemcke, who was on the hurricane deck,
was compelled to go into the pilot house to
learn what was the matter. He was COM
PEELED to crawl along the roof of the Texas,
on his hands and knees, to prevent his being
blown overheard. Learning the disaster to
the tiller rope he ordered the anchor cast.
The boat had fallen into the trough of the
sea" the waves dsshing over her deck and
| 6inging the spray on the hurricane deck.
The anchor was got ready and the boat
being blown by the storm with her head
to the Kentucky shore, the engines were
| pat in motion and the boat run into shoal water
when the anchor was let go, and after drag
ging some fifty yards took hold and brought
the boat to, in tie teeth of the wind. In
the meantime, terrible scene of confusion
existed ia the cabin of the boat. = ~
AS the Courier lay straining on the haw-
ser, she eareened until she lay almost on
her beams ends. The passengers had been ar
reused by the noise of the tornado, and the
women were lying on the floor screaming,
while the men were endeavoring to make
their way to the upper side of the boat.
Through the vigilance of the mail agent,
Mr.. Kercheval, the cabin doors were kept
closed, and thus more fearful disaster pre-
vented-the blowing off of the upper works
of the boat, which would certainly have
occurred.
For an hour and hall, the Courier thus
lay bearing the fury of the storm. No one
on board will soon forget the experience Of
that hour and a half.
A passenger has written us, giving ar
account of the periloas cruise, who accordt
to Capt Lemcke and the other officers who
were aboard the boat, the highest praise fol
the manner in which they managed theiI
boat during the fearful scene. Capt. hemcke
was particularly cool, and issued his orders
and managed his craft with remarkable de-
liberation, Judgment and celebrity. He also
thinks Capt Dexter has manifested much
sagacity in selecting such officers to com.
mand the Courier.