Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1866-09-01
GENERAL INTELLIGENCE.
The MiantOB0mah Her Experiences I'm
the German 0cean-SatisfaetOry Per
furnanees I'm a Heavy sea.


The correspondent of the New York
Herald gives the following graphic ac-
count of the performances of the iron
clad Miantonomah in the German ocean :
We took our departure from the EGG
lish coast at O'Clock in the evening,
after We had discharged our pilot, aud
headed for the north end of Denmark,
to make the Handsholm light, at tIe
roouth of the Skaggerack, the channel
leading from the North Sea or German
ocean to the Cattegat aud sound, and
thence ia the Baltic. The passage up
was boisterous, and the heavy, short
seas we encountered ahead were a seri-
GUS obstacle to the rapid progress of
the Miantonomah. They came down
before the strong gales from the north
east with tremendous force, aud, in the
shoal waters Of the North sea, where
varied currents meet and create great
disturbance, they were piled up in wild
confusion, testing the bUoyancy of any
vessel.
The Augusta, with lively motion,
pitched into them, but with her extra
ordinary sea qualities she laid her course
right on through them with some ex-
ertion.
The Miantonomah found it hard work
to drive ahead against the heavy seas,
and her speed was materially dimin-
ished. One day We made less than 1l5
miles.
1t was an interesting yet a fearful
sight to watch the motions of the iron
clad as she plunged through the swiftly
of m
rolling sea, ship has time to rise
from pitch over one sea SO that she
may easily meet the following, and ride
over it; but, with a short, chopping sea,
such as we meet in the German ocean,
vessel must be exceeding lively to car
ny dry deck. The Miantonomah en-
countered the worst seas she has ever
seen, and she came out of them finely.
ID living ahead, the huge mass of iron
and wood, wonderfully buoyant for the
weight carried, she would rise slowly to
the coming sea, which, crested with a
white mass of foam, bore swiftly and
with terrible force upon her, threaten
i ng to submerge and bury her forever
and, lifting her wedge-like bow high in
the air, showed the reddish line of her
plating, and, below the CLEAN of her
copper, she would ride over the sea,
and then plunge down to meet the fol-
lowing wave. And here she expert
enced trouble. The space between the
waves was so short that with her i'm
mense length, she could not rise quick
ly enough to pass over it, and so she
went through it.
Ii would sweep in rolling and seeth-
ing along, divide on her sharp bow, and
roll in solid green water IL feet thick
up to her forward turret aud then break
against that tower of iron in wild, fright
fuI and confused masses, the white
spray flying forty feet above the top
OF the turret, drenching the officers and
men there, and not sparing any one on
the hurricane deck. Other seas rolling
in this frightful manner would break
and draw cold water to the very grating
of the hurricane deck, and descend In
miniature Niagaras upon the head of the
watch.
The scene was exceedingly wild and
not without elements of fear; but the
pondeIous bow would rise again from
under this mountain of water and roll
1t off in cleaning and flashing cascades
that swept from the water cut to abGft
the turret, looking like small Trenton
The following sea she would almost es-
cape, but the next would go crashing
and rushing over her. So 1t went on
for hours, all wild, fearful and threaten
ing as seen from the turret, but below
In the cabin and ward room--out of
sight of those frightful seas summer
passage, with an almost lmperceptlble
roll and n cantla MITCH witbout Jerk
ing or sudden motions. The quiet
breathing of the passive engines as they
forced ahead theaponderous hull, was all
the sound heard there. No howl of
wind and no sound OF seething waters
entered in that quiet retreat, as the
wonderful ship ploughed her course
through the angry waters of the North