The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-08-30
A Co lision NJ sea.

Mr.. N. s. Dodge tells an interesting story about
collision at sea. He was passenger. several
years since, on the Cunard steamer Arabia, re-
turning TO this country. The steamer was near
Cape Race and the fog was thick:
lit was half past eleven as was about quitting
the deck to turn IN. The cabin passengers had
been long sbed, end the stateroom lights were all
out. Save the sailors on the watch, the men at
the wheel, and senior and junior officer on duty,
there was no one astir. Passing the compass on
my way TO the companion ladder, l observed that
the ships direction was nearly west south west.
SO you have changed her course since eight
bells see, Mr.. Jonesr
"'0nly half a point, sir, and hardly that
her course at alp
"'TO give the cape wide berth, sir. You see
this dead reckoning In the long run isn't very re-
liable, especially with such currents as we have
hereshouis.'
where away does Cape Race le Mr.. Jones,
ust above the bows In the direction of the
red light swinging from the halyard yonder.'
my hand was on the guide Of the ladder (which
alone saved me a minute afterward from being
hurled overbosrd) as | turned TO 90 down, saying:
Good night sir. No more news Of ice, ehp
The words were scarcely ustered. when a call
that sounded like the peal of doom came from the
lookout forward:
Sail on the westher.bow sirY
"'Where awsyP instantly shouted the officer in
command.
"But no sooner were the words uttered land
before an answer could be returned) they were
followed by orders so sharp and imperative as TO
be heard through the ship.
Hard a-port! Hard-a-portl Jam her down,
sl Jam 1sa a2Rp he ship answering her helm he
gan to swing from her bearinaa whom, dirao,iy 20
the line OF our bowsprit emerging from the mist
appeared tie black lines of an ocean steamer
under full Roadway, and of such monstrous size
that it seemed inevitable she must send rs to the
bottom. 10 was the Europa, bound from Boston
TO Liverpool. which here in mid-ocean, under full
steam. had met her IN ma Hal
OF latitude OF all Others if to falsify the pre-
diction forever. that the Cunard line was bound
TO be lncky. Bows on, head TO head, the two ships
rushed together. The shock was fearful Our
rate Of speed was nearly thirteen knots; hers was
as great, so that at a momentum of more than We
and-twenty knots an hour, two steamers each of
nearly three thousand tons burthen. were hurled
into collision. Following the crash. that crumbed
OAK tmbers ten inches square as In they had been
chalk, was the stagger of the ship, like an OK
stunned by the blow Of an ak the lift Of the huge
leviathan almost bodily out Of the water, and the
dash OF pillows as she fell back 10 the trough Of
the sea and careened heavily on her side.
"Of course there was not soul on board who
was not aroused TO apparent instant death. Pas
stngers, sailors, engineers firemen, walters, and
officers, were for the first moment mixed together
IN almost hopeless confusion, and as after an
other OF various classes appeared on deck a con.
uDued series Of cross purposes ruled the hour
Order, however Is not only Heavens first law but
the first law Of human beings in time Of danger
IN less time than II takes to narrate it, the captain
was on the wheelhouse giving orders through his
speaking trumpet TO the crew, and onversing with
me captain OF the Europa across the space |
the steamers had drifted apart; everything |
esolved itself into rule at once. There could not
De discipline more perfect. Every man was at his |
post. Not word was spoken beyond the order. |
gwen and repeated, and the aye, ave, sir in re-
sponse. Slowly, steadily and calmly sails were
lnried, rigging made taught, fires extinguished,
ooas lowered and manned lead thrown, blue
hsnus burned, and examinations made by the car
penter and his men Of the damage sustained and
he danger awaiting Us.
meanwhile the passengers, male and female,
'teeraRe and cabin, whose slumbers had been
'udely enough disturbed by a eoncussion that had
hrown the sleepers from their berths ct the risk
u iimo ~ not OF life, were crowding, half clad.
lpon oeck. The frantic cries of our prims don a
md her Italian maids, imploriug the aid of the |
Iirgin, pierced through the ship. Anxicus ou..-
Ions we're asked OF each other as the group thick
ned about the stack pipes, which none could
nsuer: NO one was bold enough to make an in
leiry OF an or1cer, and every sailor was heedless
= al ave The authority which kept him NO 10
ee ouues OF the moment. Just over our bows.
y instance oftwo hundred feet, more or less.
S ~. nuee pulk OF The Europa kept appearing and
isPPeslnk IN and out Of the fog her paddle
sn.es moving back and forth to free her ppmns
" me was leaking badly-her boats unshipoad
.o.1 tnei osFlts IN readiness 70 lower 10 the |
sno Dinelghts flashing up and diving svav
rom ner amidships. Outside Of the fricb,an.2 |
M nuoe crowd on our own deck, were the mes.'
se nis,ch OF tne sailors manning ropes and
sNser' me shouts OF under officers TO men In the
conversation carried on between the eomnaoSa.s
ON me psdole-wheel boxes, the noisy ro.h ~
esm blowing on through the pipes and the mn.
SUNG ana swinging Of the boats over the .ida