The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-11-28
VA TIER -SPOUTS.
From Appleton's Journal.
readers.

From AppletonS Journal
Many years of personal experience and OBJ
servation, besides frequent comparison of
notes with others, have led me to the conclu-
sion that water-spouts are more common near
the land than in the open sea; and that as a
rule, they are restricted within certain limits.
] do not remember ever to have seen one in
the North Atlantic or Pacific Oceans, while
they are very common in the Gulf of Mexico,
among the West India Islands, along the west
coast of Africa, and in the Indian Ocean.
Their form and appearance are SO well
known that no detailed description of them
is necessary; but will remark that the first
warning we have of their appearance is by
the dependence of a slender, inverted cone
from dark cloud. Soon a lighter-colored
cloud rises from the water little to leeward
Of it, and the two. soon joining together, go
whirling on their way as q wat er-spout. But
this junction is not always effected. 1t is no
uncommon occurrence to see q half-dozen or
more embryo water-spouts descending from
one cloud, with only slight disturbance in
the water underneath, and for them all
to finally vanish without a single
one being completed. This I have
never heard accounted for, but should ina
CINE it 10 be for the reason that the power of
the wind contained in the cloud is so divided
or scattered, that in no one part of it is there
sufficient force to draw the water up to it;
for, where but one cone descends from a
cloud, it generally finds its complement. Still
| remember on one occasion to have seen five
complete water-spouts formed under one
cloud, which was not only rare sight, but
also one of the most magnificent that L ever
witnessed. We were in the Indian Ocean, rum
ming with light, fair wind for Java Head
the highlands of the island being visible from
aloft. A heavy thunder squall was coming
up from the westward, its black cloud cover
ing about a quadrant of the horizon, and
forming an arch, the centre of which was
at an altitude of about thirty degrees. Above
this bank, which was rendered clark as
Erebus" by the sun being low down behind it
in the west, there rose superintendent
mass Of clouds nearly to the zenith, present
| ing, in their ever-varying forms and wonder
| ful transmutations of color, scene of
rare and resplendent beauty, strangely
| at variance with the gloomy arch that
| formed their support, and from which now
come faint CLEANS of lightning and the omi-
mons mutterings of distant thunder. AS the
storm cloud rose higher the water-spouts
formed gradually one after the other, at
nearly equal distances apart, giving one the
idea of five great pillars supporting an
archway that might be the portal
TO the internal regions. This illusion was
still more apparent when, just at sunset,
|
a few minutes, a faint but lurid glare of
light, which as suddenly disappeared leaving
us TO the brief twilight of the tropics, and
the labors incumbent to stormy night.
The danger to ships from water-spouts is
much exaggerated for ship properly han
died can keep out of the way, if there is any
wind. There are but few well-authenticated
accounts of vessels coming in contact with
them, and of such the only one that occurs tc
| Of &c ho IF tlo1
United States frigate Potomace which oc
Cured about thirty years ago. She was il
the vortex of hurricane at the
time, and had not wind enough tc
fill her sails. Shotted guns, the tradi
tiopal method of breaking a water-spout, were
made use of, but failed in having the desired
effect, either from bad gunnery or from the
inefficacy of the remedy. When the shocl
came, it was terrible for few seconds, the
ship whirlipg around rs if in a whirlpool
while the water poured down with a force
that threatened to stave in the decks. Thii
avalanche of water would probably hav,
proved fatal to merchandising with her Close
bulwarks; but the frigate had her sp0r-decl
ports open, so that she was soon relieved
from the weight of water on her decks, AM
came out from this baptism with but littl
more damage than she had sustained in tn
ordeal of fire at Quallah Battoo. If prope
statistics were at hand, it would be foun
that water-spouts have done less mischie
afoat than they have ashore, especially il
the Windward Islands of the West Indies.
/ do not remember to have ever been i
danger from them, personally, but once, an
, that was in the Gulf of Mexico. We ha
sailed from Mobile on the previous evening
but, owing to light winds ana ealms, wer
only thirty miles from the point when tn
wind set in from northeast with heavy rair
squalls. In less than an hou
there were twenty-three water-spouts i
sight at one time, all moving in dill
ferent directions. There was much dout
and hesitation about the course to be pul
sued, for it was impossible to know at wins
moment one of them might change its cours
and come to us. While holding a council {
) war, another one formed within a few hun
/, dred yards of US, and sailed away on ou
weather-quarter, roaring like an incipier
! Niagara. AS no positive rule could be lai
! down for our guidance, we determined
keep straight on our course, unless compeLle
! to turn out and, after running the gauntlt
among them for about three hours, came OF
. into clear water, fully impressed with tt
I truth of 1.-THE sailors maxim that ''Fortur
A fayors the lucky II. w. DODGE.