The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1868-09-30
Water spouts,
SCENE on THE STEAMSHIP NEVADA II THE PACIFIC
From the Sar Francisco Buetin.l
-4 e. Steamship NEVADA,
VT alter spouss,

This morning VIC were favored with an extra rdnar,
phenomenon, such has been rarely Witnessed in an
latitude in any ocean exciting the comn1inged al
miration, fear and establishment Of All hands on board
| Within the brct space Of an hour, between S and
o'clock no-lc3s tan three large water spouts wert
visible from the ships deck ali near enough to arouse
! dread and apprehension, as to the possible conse
i auencos. One Of them the most formidable made di
fectlF toward the vessel moving from the West toward
the sun, apparently leaving chance for the escape
OF the ship except by changing Our course which was
done without loss Of time Another followed directly
in our wake al about the specials we moved and
only quarter OF mile behind fer time leaving il
altogether problematical which would win the race
tf he this question pending, NAV be readily
Imagined the mind Of every person OH board not ex
tcepting veteran officers remained in painful sss
| pense. No precautioN YVES neglected which tended
TO insure the general safety. Asa primary movement
the big gun vas got nreadines TO attack the strange
visitor, should It approach too near hoping to break
the suspended column Of water while vet at distance
and thereby, aEertthe threatened deluge. q
The scientific world equally with your readers, may
IKE description lnoFein detail, the phenomenon
may well ranked amongst the latest of modern won
ders Avoiding technical pbraseology, will premise
as follows
This morning. June $,-iatitude IS degrees 50 min
utes North longitude 81 degrees 80 minutes West air
IS degrees, and barometer q degrees u minutes
while the sun partially obsouTed by considerabe
some two and half three miles due west the ships
course being west, northwest They seemed slowly to
approach the vessel the water beneath them bano in
great commoon, partly from atmospheric disturbance
and IN part from the FESTIVE gabots of an enormous
school OF porpoiseS, which appeared9to have chosen
TINS arena Tor their exploits heavy dark shadow
rested over hesVraoe Of the water except in eopar-
atlyoy small space at the terminus of the spout,
which for convenience might be called huge eascr-
pent suspended between earth and heaven. At this
point OF Contact 1t the base Of the column the spec
tacle was suggestive OF seething caudron, or sec
ton OF the caVeCi the winds at Niagara clouds OF
vapor being drawn upward with terrible violence
Above rested heavy peninbra Of dark cloud moving
snggshE, until, last after interval Of fifteen or
twenty minutes, the seFpentine column at first upright
AID rigid, could hold togc5her no longer so obliGuc
Was the angle OF inclination, and the whole fabric sud-
denly Fanished from sight. The companion spout was
separated onyby 2 short distance but was of less
magnitude a1d disappeared almost simultaneously af-
ter performing eECiQt0nS corresponding with those
already I"scrlb3d and where lately the sea foamed
with rage, calm succeeded with nothing to mark
spot except sTaFms Of guIls, attracted it may be-
by Carcases Of dead fish.
The temporary alarm on sbipbcardimmedately sub
sided, ana conversation relating 70 this extraordinary
spectacle was beginning to Har, when YOUR correspon
gent observed small peaPshaped cloud forming over
head, Of Whsia8hen coIor and, watching carefully
through glass; noticed presently that the stem began
1iV!t ~ al o. SiciEaS Inc stiGl6dS teSteQ
to by several wltneSsestEcre was no perceptble dis
turbance OF the water beneath but within FIVE minutes
hight feathers OF spray began to fly from the crest of
the waves at a distance not exceeding 1900 wards
which might easily have been mistaken for the splash
OF poroi5e O" The O" Of = whale and almost i'm
upward and descending tunnels of white va
poT, the latter very dark, met in mdair forming
close connection, the shape being serpentne, as be-
fore attended by gently Undertaking movement from
one extremity to the other. Rapidly this column be-
gan to revoIVe and acquired steadily progressive
notion the sea at It's base changed to a bed of
toam and Vapor rounded into heecy cushion for the
support OF the lofty supelstructure sound as Of
: rushing mighty wind became distinctly audible
this alone breaking the death-like stiffness.
The scene was sublime beyond description constrain
ing every be!!oder to silence Even the occasional
reFerbcraons Of thunder, noticed few moments be-
tore, were hushed. But feelings OF and wonder |
quickly gave way to impressions akin to terror when
It became evident that the ship lay directly in the path
of the "aterspoCt, now towering high toward the ze-
Nth, and which by this time had grown to huge pro-
portions, dark and threatening, itsapproach being her
,ided by screaming birds ana portentous roars Quick
y all hands were ordered below decks the passengers
'ushng peu nell down the companon-wav, some of
hem with afr:ghted shrieks The brass gun
N the forward deck for the moment proved una
falling, the cartridge having been rammed down
wrong end foremost, and the prinng-wire mislaid
For t5o0S sjhe, fire that gun" somebody cried -" or
'09' 1iS'' "iiV TIE SJeatn whistle ShTleked,
md the ship was seered Il different course, one Or
wo volunteers assisting at the wheel In the interval
II extreme soIctu2e that followed, Imagination occu-
ned Itself IL depicting irighttul disaster "Was it
possible the steamer might sink struck by the spout?"
n, were all the light upper-works of the steamer
liable to be crushed by the impending deluge?n Sug-
5esohS Ike these we're rapidly passed in review and
ne hearts OF strong men q'laied within them.
but ca!mer mood returned when the dreaded spout
vas seen astr about to dissolve and pass harmlessy
way. Inc last movements OF dissolution were like
ne expiring tAroes Of the dolphin, rapid and vary
ne. were the different phases presented The column
'mch at first stood nearly perpendicular, dark, rigid
nj heavy against the Clouds Ithe upper terminus
over yelled by Ar"cr aro,ts Of mist, was now at
ennated to mere f4--a spraltnbe Of most delicate
exture, within which was observable a tremulous mo-
ion, as though the lifting power was being relaxed
nd it was uncertain whether the dark bodT of water
thn should finally weld to the power of rravitation
r ascend hcavcnwald For moment the iieht snjral
ctwork Of the tube was darkened bv the downward
ush of waves, Then followed a partial return. when
y the structure separated in midheaven and an i'm
]cnso body of water literally slid down the funnel
it'll heavy thud, as falling lead into the bosom of
lie deep. In other words, tie upward motion Of the
lcosng cylinder Of white var0r vas reversed, and