Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-03-24
IN A GALE.
The Steamship San Francisco I'm Great
Peril-A Night of Anxiety with BrOk.
en- Engines and binding Squalls.

The Steamship San Francisco I'm Great
PeriI-A Night of Anxiety with BrOk.
en- Engines and Binding Squalls.
From the New York Herald.
Travellers who go SHOWN to the seas" In
winter time in the expectation Of finding
pleasant weather are generally mistaken,
! for gales and storms of sleet and rain, with
an occasional tempest, are more frequently
! experienced than smooth waters and genial
! sunshine. During the past two or three
weeks there have come from the ocean sto-
| ries of crafts wrecked and distressed, with
numbers of the crews washed overheard,
! while others have gone down in the
| fury of hurricanes with all on board.
Among the many vessels departing from
this port recently, bound to a pleasanter
cline and subjected TO terrible gales and
lashing rains, only being saved, with pre-
cious lives and valuable cargo, by the skill
of her officers, was the mail steamship San
Francisco. She left her dock in this city on
Thursday, Feb. 20, with sixteen passengers
and an assorted cargo, bound to Bermuda.
The gale and terrible night of anxiety and
suspense during her trip is well told by
passenger.
FIRST OF THE STORM.
The first two days out the weather was
fine, and nothing worthy of note occurred,
but on Saturday morning the wind came in
from the eastward, with rain and squalls,
shifting first to the southwark and then TO
the southwest, blowing gale, the barome-
ter falling to twenty-eight degrees. As
night came on the fury of the storm in.
creased, until at midnight the vessel hove
to, her officers on deck and anxious pas
sengers below. At nine O'Clock an accident
occurred
IN THE ENGINE-RooM,
the starboard stop-valve chamber connect
ing with the main steam-pipe giving way,
which for time threatened the ships de-
struction, with all on board. The chief
engineer and his assistants conduct at this
perilOus moment was heroic and manly, as,
blinded by the scalding escaping steam
from the broken chamber, and drenched
with seas. pouring into the engine-room,
they worked through the long hours of
the night with GOODNESS and courage
never to be forgotten by the CRATE
full passengers. The gale, shortly after
midnight, was furious, and, standing up
against it, the San Francisco displayed ex-
cellent sea-going qualities. She twisted as
if ship of straw, but held nobly to her
work, when, at dawn of Sunday, March 8,
the wind moderated sufficiently for exami-
nation and repairs. She was not wholly a
wreck, but considerably disabled. Her port
paddlebOX was carried away, her forward
htebOat smashed to pieces, and every ven
tilatOr and skyKght broken or swept over
board, and the cabin and saloon floors were
COVERED WITH BROKEN GLASS.
The chinaware was completely demol-
ished, while loose furniture, trunks and
stores mingled with this, making the APP
pearance below one of misery and wretch |
edness that battles description. The injury
to the engine connections was repaired in a
short time, rejecting credit upon Chief En-
gineer Badgley's mechanical skill, while |
Capt. Reynolds, for his Unc Easing watchful- |
ness, describes especial mention. The San !
Francisco reached Bermuda in safety, but |
none of her passengers viii ever forget the
perilous voyage or cease thanking those in
command of her for their courage and sea-
manlike qualities.