, 1866-10-20
FEARFUL GALE ON THE At.
LANTIC,
The Arago in a Cyclone.


Mr. Cassidy, of the Albany Arw.. who
arrived iron, Europe in the Asnso, Saturday,
thus Ernthically describes furious storm
with which the steamer bad to battle:
We were six days out when q clycone
US whiEling. The constant wind had raised
the sea into full motion before the gnle came
on, which lashed 1t into rage. If we had
conteuccd face TO fncc with It VIC would hare
caught somc severe blows, but our captain
though she rocked fcarlully, she rode safely
and moved apace on her course.
AS We labored in this valley Of waters the
whole ocean to the horizon lifted itself up,
and above its level rose the ascending wave
side. We hung and swayed like pendu-
lum. There was Niagara on each size of
u.s., and another pouring Its green waters
anu scattering Its spray al our stern. There
was a fascination in the scene, which the
9!,Snt issfsasnt Of danger perhaps added to.
hours, thouse when the wind abated the sea
still rolled, and the ship labored In her
course. All next day the vessel tossed and
pitched, and the bright sum-, which had
Tue eesne dlsappeafea The Ian
one Of discomfort. till the night rocked US
in our uneasy crndls to unpleasant dreams.
We were walked in the morning b. the cry
OF "a man oyesboaEd" 4 young sailor had
M neen Washed from the fore.yard, where he
him and bis companion from their feet. The
elder had saved himself, falling across the
spar; while this poor fellow fell overheard,
the 1urch Of the vessel pitching him fiji OF,
50 that he vas swept away. to windward Of
the officer at the stern threw Over.
board two life prescryers, either of
which had he caught them would have in.
sured his safety. The small boat was low
cred in two minutes, and though 1t wus
hazardous attempt, In that tumultuous sea,
crew was there, aud the second officer.
baFe.headed, took command. Captain Cad
sen, up In the shrouds, watched the retreat
rescue. It was in vain. Working in The rain
and wind the sailor had put on his SOU
wester and his heavy boots, aud these bore
him down. I SEW the sailors return from
their f1uitlcss search. They silently drew up
the boat, restored each thing to it's place and
were said, and no lamentations, no replniucs
heard. They felt it, for the incident was
brought close home to them but each man
had his days work to do aud his indispen-
sable duty to fulfill, and he set about it
had noticed the young fellow on the
Sunday previous, as went forward to The
| bow to measure the waves and the fise and
fall Of the vessel. He lay coiled up In the
| corner Of the bow, absorbed in reading a
book. His young, cffesninate face, aud al.
most beardless chin, Ills bright, Sympathetic
look. aud his absorption in the volume be-
fore him, attracted MY attention by the con.
trast it offered to the rough aud sensual
sailor OF twenty years ago. He had young
wife and child in New York; and In the
morning watch before the accident had
| eantering1y told his companions how they
l should bc11nrn IN a 1rifn SfrS,11 41,nr-
havc the luck to get one. What agony of
| despair. What hope that aspired to safety
! only 70 be mocked in death. passed through
thnt miud, who cal ever ina sinc? We sub.
scribed the widow some 100 lruucs in gold
raised to a,6oo. il was little, M less salurs t'an
nothing, Wien we thought Of the poor
| mother coming to the ships side. ylIct1 We
reached port, to show the child to its fatl,cr
and looking; for linn in vain.
The day passed silently and sadly. The
sonthcasf wind gave us rain; and once or
twice q little furry Of snow-a phenomenon
which had preceded the gale Of Tuesday.
We had two Or three sea captains on board.
WHO. as well as our own commander. saw
mischief In tic aspect of tho heavens. The
barometer fell suddenly an inch or more.
II there is not storm. and Eousing one,'
said one Of them, - there Is no use for ba-
roncter, and you had better throw it over
board" But the barometer was right in it's
warnings and the wind. which, bythis time.
had nearly boxed the whole compass, yeercd
70 to the northwest, and came upon us with
the suddenness of simeon. The little sail
We were under, was taken in in time II
came on, MS the sailors say, "butt end fi,rc.
most and for ionr hours the Arago went
through a tempest such as it never before
encountered. The roll. as she was put in the
trough Of the sea, was bad enough but once
IN while she encountered sea that Shook
the vessel, aud made every timber in her
strong frame tremble and qulver. It wus dark.
The wind, which, in the previous gale. had
sung through the shronds, sounding like
plaintivc voices in the distance calling for
helps now shrieked angrily and in hoarse
threats. The darkness was absolute and as
the waves broke against the sides Of tho
vessel, the air was 1lled With the scattered
watcrs-""spoon drift" as It is called-apd
one could not see across the vessel. Waves
do not rise mountains high, except in news.
paper paragraphs aud nautical novels writ
ten by lan1srnen. The highest unbroken
waves nc estimated ut from twenty-five TO
thirty feet in height. But when they dash
against sides Or bow, the tops break Oft and
smoke stack, and falling sweep along the
deck, whole hogsheads full al onsc.o The
weight, too, is Immense, and when 1ong
and heavy wave strikes broadside against the
vessel, 1t is as it hammer of hundredtons
lad been let drive at it. It suashes iron
work, and snaps asunder the strongest bands
Of steel.
Luckily the storm was brief, ard did It's
worst in the beginning. If it had bceu pro.
tracteu much longer, the ship could not have
stood 1t. AS 1t was, hardly pounds worth
Of damage was done. The steps on the
wheelhouse were torn Off By m ascending
wave. Some iron bolts that held the boats
were snapped asundcr- One Of our second |
class passengers, tossed across the deck. had
his ribs broken; hut with these cxccn-
tion VIC rode out the storm triumph |
antly. The passengers were vastously of-
fectcd ;'but on the whole behaved admirn.
bly,, particularly the ladies. They were
earnest and anxious, but silent aud absorbed, |
One OF two gentlemen put on the prescryers. |
One or two botstcrous fellows, whom We had |
mistaken for dare devils, took to frantic Ia. |
mcntations and prayers. One Of our Hebrew
brethren took to the came direction.
Many of the passengers watched all night, |
refusing to 20 to their berths. Many lay |
down ready dressed. Some of them went to |
their rcpose as usual, and were rocked |
asleep by the storm, and were rewarded for |
Their trust By more tranquil morning. |
GIndnalIy the great heart Of nature ceased !
Its 1abored pulsattons and grew caln The |
storm eobbcd itself into silence. and, on Sun |
day morning, tho ocean looked up like
babe, fearful but smiling, in the face of tho
friendly sky.