The Iowa transcript. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1858-1866, 1865-09-06


but still there was more the appearance OF
boiling, than the usual rolling action, and
the pillows some Of them perfectly white
flew around a common center with fearful
velocity. 1t was furious cauldron of with
ing, rushing, gyrating sea- which, however,
was not hollow in the centre as in an ordi-
nary whirlpool, and the ocean outside Of the
space, under the influence of the cloud was
OF unusual smoothness, with merely the long
sweeping swell which we had experienced
ever since becoming becalmed. Faster and
faster circled the waves, clashing against
each other and throwing up great fountains
of spray. Now for the first time, we were
sensible that the lower or water portion Of
the spout was in process Of formation The
whirlwind seemed to snatch away the chests
OF the waves, and great mist cnvclopcd the
entire space. This mist gradually rose, cone
like to meet the dropping point Of the cloud.
In very few seconds the junction was made,
although the entire foam fabric had such an
airy, unsnbstantial appearance, in contrast
with the dense blackness Of the upper por-
ton of the spout, that it ut first presented an
cnchantngly beautiful, but by no means for
midabe appearance. But the column became
terrible rs we gazed. From mist il grew to
foam; very gradually but very swiftly from
foam it grew to CLASSY brine-more unmis
takably so near the surface of the sea, and
less substantial as it assembled but there was
IA weight of solid sea water, it would appear
three times as lofty as the mast Of the tallcst
ship. and capable of annihilatng the most
powerful navy in the world. The centre of
the watcrspont was 80 thin that it hardly APP
peared thicker than mans wrist Barring
this modification, il looked like a mighty
I fann .t, 1s,.s nXa
and its mighty branches reaching to the sky
But the hours glass smile is the most illus
trative. I should judge that the column
was over thousand feet in length The
whole mass was spinning around with in
credible rapidity, though otherwise it was
motionless, and the wind in our position was
SO light as to be scarcely perceptible.
| 1t was otherwise with La Trrcar, which
was evidently SO close to the spout as to be
within the influence Of the whirlwind. She
was cracking on more sail in the hope Of be-
ing able to escape the peril, and all her peo
pie seemed to be on deck. The thought Of
our own danger was obliteratcd, when we
perceived the lovely lady who had won our
hearts, standing beside her father, with 9TH
cr officers on the quarter deck. She alone
appeared to be calm and serene, and with
the wild and frightened commoton around
her, and that towering pillar Of destruction
above her head, she appeared indeed white
robcd angel Of hope and mercy in the midst
of a wrecking world.
'sIlere they come. Here they come? They
arc moving shouted some one in the miz-
zen shrouds.
by this time the spouts to the northwest,
where we had first noticed them. had increas-
ed to vast number, appearing like forest
against the horizon; and sure enough, we
saw them sway under some influence as vet
unfelt by us. and rush forward. their move
ment giving them a slanting direction, the
cloud leading, and, as it were, dragging the
lower portion alone the sea after it. All the
same time, many Of the columns became
greatly attenuated and heightened by the
strain some Of them with their heads almost
reaching to the zenith, trailing after them a
long. crooked, spindling thread, thickening
and becoming solid as il approached the low
err end, which rested on the sea, far beyond
almost to the horizon In most cases, how
ever, the equal and graceful proportions of
the spouts were preserved, in spite Of their
movements, which must have been of great
velocity Judge that the spouts in that di-
rection numbered at least five hundred. At
any rate. their aspect, as they came sweep
ing down upon U.S. was the grandest and
most terribly imposing | ever saw. The
vivid CLEANS of lightning shone through them
and flashed upon their FURNISHED columns
with wild and wierd effect. and the mid sky
| thunder rolled and pealed above like the
| ..crack O doom.
But now the gale struck rs, not in itfnl
gusts but in a fresh, honest, downright blow,
that took us fairly in the sails, and headed
us for the southwest AT spanking speed.
But the water-spouts ahead of us still re-
NAMED immoycable. and there was serious
danger that we would reach them before they
should careen away under the influence of
the gale. in The first flush Of which we our
selves were being propelled
by the term Gurlones,' said Capt. Par
ish a long time ago, Il mean rotary winds
advancing on line
In eases such as the one in question, whore
there is large number of ''rotary winds,
under the influence Of a common tornado,
they may advance independently at first,
with more or less velocity but in this case
in very few minutes, they moved together
in serricl ranks, approaching us nearer and
nearer and filling the air with spray for
miles--anl all so strangely and enchanting
| " illuminated and thunder shaken. They
swept towards us in grand cyclodal lines
"
| would burst with startling report, and
others were forming with alarming rapid
| ity all around us.
The Frenchman was following under a
| full head of canvas. and had taken to firing
guns at the waterspouts that approached
dangerously near; but with one or two ex-
ceptions, did not see that this caused their
dispersion. The spouts ahead of us were
| fraught with danger but our attention was
| mainly taken up with the fact that those in
the rear were speeding after us far faster
than we could sail, and threatening in short
| time to overtakc and destroy us La 7erreur
| narrowly escaped being run over by the
| spout which had formed in such close prox-
unity but escaped it, and it now came rush
ING down upon US. We were terribly fright
encd We seemed to be directly in its path,
and it careencd towards MS with destruction
written in every hneament Of its stormy as
pect. 1t approached within a quarter Of a
mile. Even the Captain was unnamed. l
shall never forget the terrible appearance OF
that column. Its ycrtex passed directly over
our heads. and drawing by long attcnuated
thread, round, shining mass of water upon
us, sufficient. it would seem, to submerge \
province in another instant we should have
been annihilatcd had not the Captain des-
pcrately shouted:
Give il shot with tho stern gum
This rather informal order was obeyed
with marvellous alacrity, and bang! went
the huge piece, sending thirtytwo pound
shot right through the centre Of the spout,
which burst with an awful sound. portion
of it giving us u wipe as it fell, flooding the
/ 4 III 81,