The Portland daily press., 1869-10-11

A passenger has communicated to the Bos.
ton Advertiser the following account of the e.
cape of the steamer New York of the Interua.
tiOnal line under perilous circumsta noes, on
her trip from st. John to Boston in the late
STORM
Inc voyage as Tar as Eastport was pleasant
as usual: The wind which had been blowing
freshly from the S. E. all the forenoon grad,
t ualiy increased, SO that by o'clock p NJ when
we ooat was ready to start it was deemed
imprudent TO continue the voyage. The d.
rection OF the wind and its increasing violence
rendered 1t unsafe for the vessel to remain at
tne wharf, and Captain e. b. Winchester
sought shelter and safety for his ship in q
iand-iocked cove, course the wi sdom of which
was fully demonstrated by succeeding events,
as the wharves and We sseis lying in the docks
az PASSPORT were nearly all destroyed.
we steamed into "Rumerys bay, and
having the high land of Lubec between US and
the wind, cast anchor at P. b. under tne Iand
less than half league off. A number OF coast
ers, loaded with lumber, had also sought shell
ter there 1t seemed impossible but that with
the land so near aud so high between us and
the gale we should be able to ride it out In
safety. But how little did We know OF the
strength and violence of the elementsl The
gale kept steadily increasing, with darkness
and rain, till IL, when the hurricane deck
was started up from its fastenings for half its
length on one side, the roof and slides of the
main saloon on the main deck swaying and
bending like pasteboard. Every moment
threatened to unroof the state rooms and saloon
cabin, where were at least hundred passen-
gers, who in that event, would have been
swept into the sea. The scene presented was
awful. Strong men turned pale; children and
women screamed; some knelt in prayer.
Ohcers OF the boat threw life preservers into
the state rooms. 1t is the unanimous opinion,
SO far as L have been able to gather it, that had
our anchorage held, the ship would have sur
ViVea put few moments longer She must, to
all appearance, have been torn to pieces, SO far
as her upper works were concerned, by the fury
OF the storm. Providentialy-in answer to
prayer no doubt-she parted both her chain
cables, and lost both her anchors, the larger
OF which held her in Pamlico Sound, in the
gale daring the war, when all else about her
went down or ashore. This was our salvation.
She yielded to the wind which she could not
otherwise have withstood.
We then were in the hand of God alone,
drifting like a feather before that wild tempest.
He guided us, for when we struck the lee
shore it was upon mud bottom, in sheltered
cove, where we lay for nearly an hour, while
the tempest was spending its fury. We went
on little before high water of the highest tide
known for years; and after being tied to the
trees while it was found to be necessary in Or
der to save the ship get her OF before low water
So by some means known to better sailors than
"A
But to the CONSERVATION of captain and crew,
It was found, when we were out to sea again,
that the rudder was unmanageable, the rudder
post having been broken short off. as was af-
forwards found, against the shore or some reef
while drifting to it. And here we were at sea
IN bay full of islands, reefs and jutting points,
on moonless night, without rudder or anchor,
and the gale still lying furously upon us,
though much abated. How we were then
saved who can tell? Was it not through more
than human skill? By steaming first one way
and then the other, as approach to rocks or
land made it necessary, the winds and currents
tavoring, we were drfted back to Eastport and
10 to the very wharf we had left nine hours
before, as handsomely as though it had been
calm day and all the ships gear perfect.
Strong resolutions of approval and admira-
ton OF the admirable skill and conduct of the
captain and crew were passed by the grateful
and happy passengers, and the Rev. A. Nc
Keown, of Boston, a passenger, was called ON
to offer prayer OF thanksgiving so God for the
great deliverance.