The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-07-26
From the Gan Francisco Bulletin. ]

the eommingled admiration, fear and astonishmel
| of all hands on board. Within the brief space
an hour, between and Q O'Clock, no less tia
three large water spouts were visible from tn
ships deck all near enough to arouse dread an
| apprehension as to the possible consequences
! One OF them, the most formidable, made directl
| toward the vessel, moving from the west towar
the sun, apparently leaving no chance for tn
escape of the ship except by changing our course
which was done without loss OF time. Anothe
followed directly in our wake at about the sam
speed as we moved, and only say quarter of
nile behind, Tor time leaving IL altOgethe
problemstical which would win the race. Will,
ms question was pending, as may be readily
imagined, the mind of every person on board, no
excepting even veteran officers, remained in ain
ful suspense. No precsution was neglected
which tended to insure the general safety. As
primary movement, the big gun was got in readi
ness TO attack the strange visitor, should il an
prosch too near, hoping to break the suspended
column OF water while yet at distance and there.
by avert the threatened deluge.
The scientific world, equally with your readers
may like description more in detail as the phe-
nomenon may well be ranked among the latest OF
modern wonders. Avoiding technical phraseO-
logy, will premise as follows:
This morning, June Latitude Is degrees 50
minutes N, Longitude 81 degrees So minutes W.,
air Sc degrees. barometer "a degrees ~ minutes -
while the sun was partially obscured by consider
able mssses OF showery clouds. two water spouts
v ere seen some two and half or three miles due
They seemed slowly to approach the vessel the
water beneath them being in great commotion
partly from atmospheric disturbance, and in part
from the FESTIVE gambols of an enormous school
OF porpoises, which appeared to have chosen this
arena for their exploits. A heavy dark shadoy
rested over the surface of the water, except in
comparatively small space at the terminus OF the
spout, which for convenience might be called a
huge sea-serpent suspended between earth aud
heaven. AT this point of contact at the base of
column. WI of
seethiDg caudron, or section of the cave of the
Winds at Niagara, clouds of vapor being drawn
upward with terrific violence. Above rested a
heavy penumbra Of dark cloud moving suggishly
until, last, alter an interval of fifteen or twenty
minutes. the serpentine column at first upright
and rigid, could hold together no longer, so OBJ.
hque was the angle Of inclination, and the whole
fabric suddenly vanished from sight. The com
panion spout was separated only by a short dis.
lance, but was OF less magnitude aud disappeared
almost simultaneously, after performing eVolu.
tons corresponding with those already described;
and where lately the sea foamed with rage calm
now succeeded, with nothing to mark the spot ex-
cept swarms Of gulls, attracted it may be, by car.
cases of dead fish.
The temporary alarm on shipboard Immediately
subsidized, and conversation relating to this extra
ordinary spectacle was beginning to flag, when
your correspondent observed a small pear.shaped
cloud forming overhead, of a whitish ashen color.
and, watching carefully through a glass, noticed
presently that the stem began slowly to drop or
6GVeral
was no perceptble disturbance
OF the water beneath, but within five minutes
light feathers OF spray began to fly from the
crest of the waves at a distance not exceeding
1000 yards, which might easily have been mis-.
taken for the splash OF porpOise or the blow of
q whale, and almost Immediately upward and de.
tcending tunnels of white vapOr, the latter very
dark, met in md-sir, forming a close connection.
the shape being serpentine, before attended by
. gently undulating movement from one extremity
-.
volVe, and acquired steadily progressive motion;
The sea as its base was changed to bed of foam
and vapor, rounded into feecy cushion for the
support of the lofty superstructure a sound as
OF a. rushing mighty windn became distinctly |
audible-this alone breaking the death.like still.
ness.
The scene was sublime beyond description con.
'tralnlng every behoider to silence. Even the oc.
,aslonal reverberatons of thunder noticed few |
moments before, were hushed. But feelings OF |
I'VE and wonder quickly gave way 10 impressions |
ikIn 10 terror, when it became evident that the |
hip lay directly in the path of the watef.spout |
Tow towering nigh toward the zenith, aud which |
BY this time had grown to hugh proportions. dark |
'nd threatening, It's approach being heralded by |
icl canning birds and pOTtentous rosIs. Quickly |
All hands were ordered below decks, the passen. |
sels rushing peii nell down the companion. way, |
'Ome of them with sffrighted shrieks The brass |
gun on the forward deck for the moment proved /
lnavalliDg, the cartridge having been ramtned /
Town wrong end foremost, and the printing wire
Dislaid. For Gods sake. FIRE that gun" some.
Jody cried, "or we are LOST" Meanwhile the
team whistle shrieked, and the ship was steered
n Inherent course, one or two volunteers as.
lsting at the wheel. In the interval of extreme
oheitude that followed. Imagination occupied
L elf IN depicting frightful disaster 'Wasit noa
ible the steamer might sink if struck by the
prout ~ or. Where all the light upper. works of
lie steamer liable to be crushed by the imuend.
rg delugeW Suggestions like these were rapidly
a s:, In review, and the hearts of strong men
But calmer mood returned when the dreaded
pout was seen astern, about to dissolve and pass
armlessy away. The last movements Of dis
oution were like the expiring throes of the dol.
hin, so rapid and varying were the different |
bases presented. The column which az frat |
iood nearly perpendicular, dark, rigid and heavy
Rsinst the clouds, (the upper terminus gently |
lending with the body of vapOr behind it, the |
,"er Vsned Dy 1eecy wreaths of mist was now
ttenuated TO mere hlm-a spiral tube of most |
elcate texture, within which was observable a
emulous motion, as though the lifting power was |
eng relaxed, and IL was uncertain whether the
ARK BODY OF water within should finally yield to
re power OF gravitation or ascend heavenward |
or moment the light spiral network of the |
l0e was darkened by the downward rush of |
ayes. Then followed partial return, when 10
le structure separated in mid.heaven and an i'm
lense body of water literally slid down the finn. |
Ell win a heavy thud, as falling lead, into the
osom OF the deep. 10 other words, the upward
ouon OF the lnclOsiDg cylinder of white yapor |
as reversed. and then followed a headlong rush
} the sea, down the inclined plane. But this
as not all. The falling column assumed the
ppearaDce of coil in a rope "a lariat for ex.
Dple)-the film that was drawn upward was
so cooled. ,
alter reeeding space the lower section seemed ,
sunct with life, and re- erected itself heaven.
ard. The union thus formed was but moment
y, for when a clap of thunder was heard the
'rts were disengaged, one falling into the sea
the other floating away with the couds-as
e tail OF kite follows the wind IL broken from
fasteniDgs. In the descent dark spherical
dy was observed, heving nearly the apparent
ameter OF the moon at its full, which was
ausibly explained TO be nothing more than an
q or sectional view Of the same object. Aud
Us ended one Of the most remarkable az well
one OF the most sublime, and it may be said
rife spectscles flor such it was to some in
lth) ever afforded in the field Of natural
ence.
MEETING OF NEW YoRK GRAIN BRoKERs.-A
eung OF the Board of Grain Brokers of New
TX was called at the Produce Exchange on the
n HafQ tn a1J - ri 1