Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1873-01-07
From the Liverpool Post.1
TERRIFIC GALE ON THE ATLANTIC,
Caaord Steamship Calabria IN a hurricane
Fearful Voyage from Neo York to
LarerpooI.
A PASSENGERS STORY.

| not De lesSened, when our readers know tba
Maj. Jed. Hotchkiss and party were on board
this vessel
| On the 18th Of November the Calabria loosed
| from her moorings at jersey City, swung oui
| into the liver, and commenced her VOYAGE across
| the treacherous waters. About II O'Clock on
| Sunday night the 17th, one ofthe Gercest hur-
rloanes that ever swept across the Atlantic las
attest the numberless wrecks) burst upon u.s.
| was awakened by being iarked halfway out
of my berth by the luroh OF tae vessel. !
glanced ont of the port hole; the scene was
iTight!ul. The sea, which few hours before
was so calm, had risen in It's awful height -
The waves, running mountain high, we're lash
ed into fury by the wind, which blew with e vi
olonce perfectly inooneeiyable, roaring round
the vessel and through the rigging with the
noise of thunder The ship was dashed from
side to side, as with the force OF an earthquake,
caFeeaing over until the sea washed Ter decks
She would right herself, with bound that
made every timber crack, then mounting the
crest ct huge wave she would plunge down
ward las 1t seemed) to the bottom OF the sea-
We held on for our very lives. Many of the
passengers ran from their rooms with h!anched
faces and braced themselves ia the gangWay,
expecting every moment the destruction Of the
vessel The dishes and glasses IN the saloon
came down With crash from the racks, and
were broken into thousands OF pieces. The
pitchers, wash-bowis, water jugs and glasses ip
the state-ro0ns were torn from their iastenings
and dashed to atoms. The state-rooln doors
were hurled open, and trunks, vaiises, clothing,
&c., thrown clear across the gangway. Oh hoE
We longed for daylight SO furious was the
dashlng OF the vessel that it was almost impos-
slble to maintain an upright position. It was
only by braclDg my back against the side of the
stateroom, With ny feet against the berth, |
could save ,n1 SELF Those who attempted to
move about were dashed from side to side in
imminent risk Of their lives Meanwhile the
hurricane increased We attempted to run be-
fore the wind. The main topsa!l was torn into
ribbons aud carried away. The very chain that
held 1t TO the yardsrm, With links nearly
quarter OF an inch thick, was snapped like
toE-strng. Having no sell, the engines alone
were unable to carry us ou5 OF the way Of the
tremendous waves which swept upon Us. The
time came when every wave burst over the
stern OF the vessel, striking her under the quar-
ter like Titanic sledgehammers. Is seemed
Impossible Tor her TO Withstand the blows. At
every stroke we could hear the sharp ting-ting
Of the signal, showing that our brave captain
was on the watch, and from his bridge was tel
ling the men at the wheel to hold her steady
Directly over my stateroom, on deck, a rope
had been stretched from one railing TO another
for the men to hold 1y, to keep them from be-
ing swept overheard. | could hear them, as,
catching sight CT an enormous wave coming,
they wogld ran for their lives, their only saliva
ton being the rope. l trembied Tor fear they
would not catch it. 1t vas also signal to me,
and braced myself accordingly. The iifs-boaG
had been swept away and lost. The skylights
OF the wheelhouse gave way, and the men at
the Whee! stood TO their waists ln water. The
captain came down with an anxious face, and
examined the chains which held the wheels to
the helm. Io going up on deck again be paus-
ed moment to speak 10 Nr. Yates, OF ST.
John 5, Il. B., who Was standing IL the smoke
room. At that moment a mighty wave broke
ever the vessel, dashed In the side OF the room
where they were standing, washed the captain
from MS feet, and threw him against the don
key-englne. to which he chung tor his !sie.--
Shortly after he called council of bis officers,
and the opinion OF all was that II they contin-
ued On their course the vessel must soon go
down under the weight Of water which was
poured upon her from behind. That most
dangerous Of all experiments was resolved up
on-our only h0pe-to put the ship about and
bring her head to the sea- There we're eight
chances against US to two in our favor. Yet it
was done successfully. An cid sailor afterwards
remarked to me, 1T vas the finest piece Of
seamanship ever seen in the Atlantic, turning
the vessel round il the teeth OF that gale. -
The great danger was that Ii bringing her round
she would fall Of into the trough OF the sea,
and the waves, striking her broadslde, would
sink her. The captain, standing On his bridge,
watched his opportunity, as she mounted a tire
mendous wave, and saw that she would have
time to come round before the next wave struck
her. He gave the signal. The six men at the
wheel threw their strength upon the helm, and
the old ship grOaned, strained and keeled over,
until the saloon portfolios were under water.
She hung SO long III that position that the pam
ic-strlcken passengers concluded she Woaid
never right herself again. [ myself gave up
all hope. Visions Of wrecks; of'foundered
vessels, hid thousands of tathoms deep OF
pale skeletons in seaweed winding sheets; of
sat-IiueG bones and grlnEing skulls, which lay
thickly streWn on the sandy floor, came before
ine and grasping my wife By the hand wait
ed to hear the water gurgle through the port
holes and creep through the tightly -battened
doors. For the space Of q minute the vessel
lay in that position, and then slowly righted.-
Should live Thousand years | shall never
forget the sensation Of that momeat, when ilfe
seemed to tremble in the balance. Our brave,
ski!iiul captain had chosen his opportunity well.
The prov Of the ship received the full force of
the next wave, and We we're now in better
condition. We were ceaving the waves instead
OF presenting broad surface TO their stroke -
Towards noon the fury OF the storm somewhat
abated. The waves, although running high,
did not chase each other so furiously. 4 new
topsail was rigged up, and We put about again,
aud ran with the wind 1t was perilous voy-
age nearly the whole way. Captain McMiekan
said that for thirty FIVE years on the ocean be
had not haG so rough passage. The storm
seemed TO gather its force again IS We, Geared
the Irish coast, and when we got into the chan
indeed, was It that we we're unable to make
Queenstown. Night came on, and We we're
without a pilot We sen. up rocket after rock
ct, but there was no response. No boat could
live II such sea. We passed the spot where
the Cambria went down with all hands on
board. in just such gale; passed the spot
where the Royal Charter was dashed to pieces
| Oh the rock-bound coast, leaving scarcely one
| to tell the tale. Cautiously we felt our way in
| the inky darkness Every few rods the cap
tain drew bucket OF water, and dipping the
Thermometer into it, would judge Of our local
| ity by the temperature OF the water So that
night Of anxiety, of dread apprehension, pass,
ed away, and when morning broke we had
crossed the bar, and Liverpool was in sight
Many heart on that vessel silently sent up a
prayer CT thanksgiving to God, who had mer
cifully rescued Us from watery grave.
Teetotaers will regret TO learn that French
chemist has demonstrated the practicabity Of
making alcohol from sawdust, the celiulose o1
which will yield about twenty, four per cent o
strcng spirit, having an excellent TASTE A
literal significance is thus given to the popular
| bor 81 . ot;cl,