The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1869-10-26
Passing fhrcugii n Cyclnns.

Captain Livingston, Of the ship Amer
ican Congress, which left London on the
26th Of August, and arrived at this port
yesterday, makes the following rcmarka-
bic report Of his experience in passing
through cyclone
On the latter part of September l!
and the first part Of the following l5tE
/ found myself in the calm centre of q
cyclone, the appearance of the clouds
and the sudden fall of The barometer in
dicatiug hurricane. In less than no
time the s3a hal worked Itself up in
terrible conmoton, and took in, reef-
Ell and furied all sail with the exception
of flre and main lower topsail and fore.
sail and fortopmast staysail. | Judged
the threatening gale to be the body or
/ part Of g hurricane, travelling from the
West Indies along the southern edge %
the Gulf Stream 20 the eastward, in belt
one hundred miles wide, presulhing the
width to be about fifty miles from the
centre to the northern edge Conse-
quentiy l deemed it more prudent to sail
through the body of the gale than to
heave to in the vortex and get dismasted.
thus worked my way through the bar
fling squalls AID calu5 to the noythward,
the ship going all the time round and
round, little squalls startling from all
points OF the compass. At four P. NJ.
on the 18TH took the wind from south
southeast to east-southcast, and at elev
en p. II. was iu the body of the gale.
blowing at that time from the south, and
veering to the westward The ship was
covered all over with spray, resembling
a snowdr.t, the vivid lightning, rain and
hail, together With the electricity which
| illuminated the ship, in the shape of fire.
balls flying in al direc tons, Afforded a
grand but terrible aspect indeed. AT 3
~ NJ. ran ont Of the northern edge
Of this fearful storm into clear weather
tie distance run being nnety-oue miles
hv log, and the gale blowing then from
NNW. / now hove to under lower main
topsa:l and foretopmast staysail. Iwould
mention here that Iapprove of wire rig.
gingin preference to hemp, being almost
certain that the latter would have in this
case los. me everything above the tops.
"Fhe hull of the American Congress,
being as strong as the Rock of Gibral.
tar" stood this gale bTavely, but the
| mova5ies on her deck suffered a great
deal and parts OF her bulwarks were
washed away. Some Of nv men got
badly injured, and / myself was crushed
against the house by big sea which
swept over the quarter decks, in conse-
quence Of which spit blood for seversl
days Sounding the pumps, a quantity
of water was found in the wells and al.
so IN the between decks, which had To
nc haiied out in buckets l lost neither
sails aor spafs in this storm. and have
perfectly convinced myself tia. these
terrible and destructive rotary winds can
be passed through either to the north or
south. The distance Of the centre may
he judged from the movements of the
clouds. furthermore believe that if
hal III my case en.ertsined o different!
opinion would have lost my spars and
sails, for gaske.s would have never been
able to hold the sails to the yards. If
any Of my brother shipmasters have ex-
perienccd the same gale should esteem
it favor if they would kindly let me
know their ships position. as from such
information it could he asccrtained how
fast the gale travelled and how long it
required TO reach the coast Of Europe.
On the 2lss and Esd Of September, in
latitude ~ 40, longitude Al 40, / expert.
ehced another gaze, wiiica should cali
heavy if that one Of the 18th had not
heea much worse From thence till our
arrival on the llth had light winds ami
Gains, Took the pilot on Georges Bank
on the 7th, from bcat Abraham Leggete
No. l."