Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1872-12-14
Deferred Articles.
4. Storm at Sea.

Our Young county-man, JSo. ?. STRIDER,
who sailed for Europe on he 18th of Ortober
last. where he purposes the further pursuit OF
knowledge in some of the first Universities OF
Prussia, ia a letter dated Berlin, Nov. l4th,
1872. gives very interesting anG Somewhat
detailed account of his voyage across the At
lsntic. and we regret our limited space does
not admit ef the publication of the entire let
ter. We extract the following graphic de-
or o,ions OF storm, at sea, two of which he ell
ccuntered:
OCTOBER l5.-" PASSED. as comfortable u
night as one could who was relied from one
side of wide berth to the other with every
lurch of the ship and varied his altitude from
ten 10 twenty-five feet every moment with the
heaving billOws.
Rlining yet fog very thick; wind high aud
| chilly. Past westward bound sailing vessel
she was tossed about like clip. As the
day waued the wind aud rain became more
violent, the clouds grew dark, aud at twilight
! it was blowing regular gale. The ship had
been carrying all sail, but the top aud t"p-gal-
| liant sails had now io be taken IN. All the
passengers driven from deck. Hour after hour
! the yale ragged the wind whiSted, blew aud
| shrieked; the rain dashed aud poured in such
! tnrrsuts that it seemed impossible to he of
more than a few minutes duration. But night
came down with no change. The sea was uuw
ashiug into fury rolling wave would strike
us broaGside, aud added to the force of the gale
would make our ship careen until her yards
! dipped nearly into the sea. The retiuent wave
/ rolls us back still farther in the opposite dI-
rec.iun, aud fresh one from windward dashlng
/ upwards, breaks over the deck sending the
| spray aud foam even into the cabin passage
way. Quickly ground swell lifts the prov
high in air the stern sinks down into the trough
! until it seems buried III the sea- as the white
! crested waves lash and hiss around and over
/ it. But the ship is leaping on like thinc ui
! life, mounts the wave aud shoots down the OPP
pnsite front as if about to dive into the depths;
whilst the stern is now lifted To the crest ct the
wave. The bowling Of the winds mingle with
/ the roar and Kissing OF the waters aud the
creakiug and groauirg of the ships timl erS.-
| But amid all this vii. commotiun you can
| fee the throbing Of the great heart Of the ship
the rnglne-drivlng the leaverS and speed
/ ing us across the broad Atlantic
never before So realized the terseuness, the
energy aud power OF the dercriptson ot Storm
| given in the l07th Psalm, sometimes called the
Sailors Psalm"
The novlces of the sea looked aghast. Que
| old lady with life-preserver hung around her
neck, interviewed the captain jast after diu-
uer. Doubtless he cumiOrted her, Tor as he
waved her gallant adeu 10 90 to his post,
her face lost SOmethiug Of It's palIUr. In nay
fancy pictured the Old lady just as she was,
with elegant headdress shawlS and iurs, sub
merged to the neck in that bOlsterOus sea, her
head bobbiug up and dOwn with her tIatlns
| cork k-bag, perhaps, shverlng little, aud kmceN
ierked up with every uibble Uf "a shark at her
toes. Certainly shall be forgiven for allowing
my fancy to tickle me at such q time. | leIt
reck less pleasure in hearing the sick say that
il they were spared, they would return by a
sailing vessel, aud the scared wishing tuey were
a week older.
OCTOBER 1eth.-All night the squal Con-
tiuued many of the passengers were pitched
from their berths-Boue slept 1t was d tear
ful hight. Heavy seas broke over both decks
aud some of the state-rOOms leaked 80 that their
occupants were washed out aud Compelled 10
spend the night III tue saloon. Our dead
lights having been incautlously opened at day
break, the next sea came rushing down, delu-
gIug my room, tllIug my shoes with water
aud wettng the Ued-cOtheS Yelled Tor tue
steward, got up and put ON my rather damp
clothes, holding on with haHds, ieet auG body
to my bunk, aud went above, ieellug thor
oughly miserable aud uncomfortable alter
such noche triste" Nearly all sick again
The sea was SO wild that at breaS last the
courses had TO be served from the pantry, alter
one gentleman had been scalded with the cOn-
tents of tie tea urn. Though the guards
have been on the tables since the first da! out,
the lates aud cups are pitched clear oh the
table from the windwari side. A tremendous
crash of chlnaware, nov and theu tells the
effects of the storm in the pantry. Four OF
FIVE gentlemen aud ladies have had their Iaces
gashed aud bruised, aud limbs spralued from
beiug thrown violently against the ships side.
Some giant hand seenhs To be pressing, crush
ing our ship down-down-under the sea /;
| then. AS if possessed with the buoy ancy ui the
empyrean, she springs upward with buund
that lifts her from the water and makes tile
| heart leap with her A cross wave rushed
against her side, making her quiver from end
/ To end like some wounded monster. 10 add
/ TO the terrors of the week, we hear from above
the boatswan's whistle, aud the hoarse mono-
tone Of some sailor singing his Ieave-o he-oi
! he-oh he-ahp AS We keel over apd wave