The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-10-01
THE ONEIDA IN A TYPHOON.

A private letter, dated united States steamer
Oneida, Hiogo Japan, August "a, and addressed
to a prominent clergyman of this city, which has
been kindly placed at our disposal, thus de-
scribed the experience of that vessel in typhoon
n the japanese waters:-
We have been in a typhoon, and are alive to
tell the story. / have at different times during
the cruise referred to these tempests, and eX-
pressed q hope that we might not encounter
one. The time for our return was approaching
so close that we had almost come to the conclu-
sion that we should escape; but it was not to be.
We left Yokohama on the 18th August, bound
TO this place; the weather for week pre-
viously had been hot and muggy, leading some of
the wise men to shake their heads soemnly and
mutter that this is weather-breeder. We
left under sail, and had scarce enough wind to
carry us out of Yeddo Bay during the 18th and
18th. On the morning of the 10Th we found
ourselves on the coast between Yokohama and
Hiogo with fine seven-knOt breeze from the
eastward, which being fair, permitted us to carry
lower and topmast studding sails on both sides.
At ~ noon, we were running along finely, the
sky being cloudy and the barometer 1890, but
all observed a heavy sea running from almost
southeast, which was supposed TO indicate that
there had been blow day or two previously.
During the afternoon the wind increased, the
barometer commencing to go down. but about
sundown the sky broke away to the westward,
and seemed to promise pleasant night, or ut
all events pleasant morrow. Suddenly, at .
2. NJ, the wind freshened, with q rapidly falling
glass. Took in all stunsails, then tOpgallant
sails Scarcely had these sails been furled than
the fore topsail blew away, followed in a few
minutes by the main tOpsail. We were thus left
with merely a fOrGsail. All hands were now
called, matches battened down, and every prepa-
ration made for what was plainly coming. AT 12
midnight, the barometer stood at 20 3d. when,
| with n sudden puff, away went the foresail in
| ribbons and we were left scudding under bare
poles. The log was hove and showed Il speed of
~ knots. About | \. NJ. of the 10th she
| broached to, and could not again be got before
| the wind; so after great deal of difficulty we
managed to set main trysail and storm mizZen,
! the lib, fore tOpmast, staysail and other sails
| having in the meanwhile been blowninto smlthe-
Teens. At 2'30 sea came into leeward and car
| red away our rlaunch, second cutter, and dngey-
all at one stroke and put three feet of water in
| the hold of the ship. During all this time the
| barometer was steadily descending till A. NJ,
| when it sank suddenly to $500, Mt which time
| il is estimated we were about twenty miles from
| the centre Of the storm. The force of the wind
| for six or seven hours you can form no concep-
ton of: it came in gusts, like a perfect roar of
| artillery 50 that on deck you could not hear
| a word If your neighbor along side was shouting
| with all his force right in your ear. The sea was
picked up by the gale and carried over the ship,
| so as 90 resemble II heavy wind storm. Every
| thing on deck almost was smashed to pieces
and many of the men badly bruised. Fortu'
| nately, when the water got below steam had beer
! gotten up, and putting on the syphon anC
| bilge injection pumps, they freed her in lew
| minutes. The ship all the time was forced bodily
| down by the wind and lay on her side with the
| lee rail under water. Alter y. NJ. the Daromete
| commenced to Jump up, and by O. the wind having
| hauled round to west, the storm was over
| Such sight as we presented was pitiable-boat
| carried away ports knocked in, rails smashed
| sails hanging in shreds from the yards W.
| looked perfect wreck. We soon cleared every
| thing up, however, and by two in the Afternoon
| were steaming at the rate of eight knots al
hour for this place. The lroquois had a still
narrower escape, though they did not get st
near the centre of the hurricane They lef
| Yokohama two days alter us, bound to HOnG
Kong but on Friday morning they drifted OF
shore and had to let go both anchors and steam
up to them. Their escape was almost mira
culous. The Ashuelot is supposed to have go
into Yokohama just before the gale came on
The Idaho Is supposed to have been somewher
near but nothing has been heard of her as yet
| The Iroauois came in here yesterday with he
home pennant flying. She lost an anchor an
12O fathoms OF chain; we gave her an ancho
= and three cheers this morning when she left fo
Napasaki The Ocean Queen a British steamer
within thirty miles OF us was hove down ON he
beam ends and lost all her boats, with everythin
/ on deck. ,,, -,
/ send you with this paper published here
C | which oiyes an account of this storm from th
c different vessels that have come in. There hay
no doubt been great disasters, which we sha
. hear of ia time. Being'so near the centre as W
J. were many ships would have gone TO the DO
tom, but this sblp Is nol ohe VI @ tnat hinu, ~
destroy her if properly cared Tor. She is as stron
It as wood and iron can make her, and the mo
perfect sea-boatI ever saw IL man late
&c such that he must encounter typimotGon' ne oa
not do it in more laVoraole cohulVlon Vh"h
1r board of the Oneida.
Our orders when leaving Yokohama were
G. come here fill up with COAL ana await luItner
s. structions When the reports go up 10 the AdmlI
n he may order us back or 10 ohahsl, vi ooul
It's we must have new boats and new sans as w
as an anchor i'm the place OF the one we ga