The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1873-08-14
AN OCEAN CYCLONE.
Shippin. a Wave and SxvamDin.
a. SsalOom--A Cabin full of Eriss hI-
ened Women.
From the New York Heralc

Boston, July 81, 1S73.-The Cunard
steamer Olympus, which left this port on
the 9Th instant, encountered a clycone
the second day out, and, although no
4 great damage was sustained by the ship.
passengers and cargo. the excitement of a
few hours was so intense as to amount to
panic. One Of the Boston passengers
on board has sent home a very graphic
account of the affair and the exciting
scenes on board. They left Boston Light,
he says, at noon of the Sth, with a south
eriy wind, and made some two hundred
and fifty miles the first twenty-four hours.
In the afternoon Of the second day. the
| wind freshened from the southeast, and
at l p. NJ, when he turned in, it was
blowing steadily from that quarter. At
| about A. M, they encountered a clycone
and the ship was put head to the wind
About halt-past A. NJ, heavy pointed
sea struck the vessel on the quarter.
throwing several tons of water, with
terrific force, against the saloon, dashing
III the side of the saloon, carrying away
the forward davit of the quarter boat and
some twenty feet of the rail, tearing up
and breaking off several of the stancheons
OF the poop deck railing, and carrying
the after pinnacle adrift into the lee rail.
This large body Of water in the saloon
made fearful havoc, ripping up tables, |
settees and chairs, and tearing away glass
racks, side lamps and other movable and |
apparent immovables, and dashing them |
pellmell into the lee side of the saloon. |
Stewards and walters, asleep i'll the sa-
loon, were dashed about among the debris
of broken chairs, tables, glassware, and
crockery, but, fortunately, with the ex-
ception of a few cuts and bruises, were
unhurt. Meanwhile, the water, checked
in its course by the lee side of the saloon,
found vent by the companion-way and the
ventilatOr into the lower cabin, where the
scene, for few moments, was very ex-
citing The passengers, aroused from
their Summers by terrific crash which
was Immediately followed by rush of
water into the lower saloon, and shower
bath from the ventilator, imagined that
the ship had been run into and was not
only sinking, but already under water
1t was with the greatest difficulty that the
stewards, headed by the purser, who had
recovered from their fright, and rushed
to the passengers assistance in q some
what primitive costume, could persuade
the ladies that there was no real danger |
The noise of the gale overhead, the roll
and pitch of the ship, and the constant
rush of the water from side to side of the
ship, were by no means calculated to
'Oothe them. At last, however, some Of
he passengers and the walters succeeded
n carrying the ladies from the wet state
'ooms aft to the dry ones forward, where 9
hay al - r.
Try blankets and shaws on hand would
10, and then the stewards and what men
could be spared from the deck, were set
o work baling out the cabin, which took |
ONE three hours, and by daylight the
arpets were all up and on deck, together
With the mattresses, bedding, etc. Very t
there were no personal acct c
Tents Of any account. Mr.. Wright, of '
Jordan, Marsh u Co.'S establishment Of
Boston, had a cut in the face, which, al
hough it bled quite profusely, is now all
lealed up. The third officer, Mr.. Pier >
on, had just left the deck to look at the }
when the sea struck. Had he
een moment later or earlier he would f
robably have been badly injured and e
erhaps killed. The purser was washed s.
rom his bunk, and, together with the
hief stewart, found himself swimming \
hen he awoke, bruised, but not serious :,
=. Those that were not on duty on deck .
Tere below, encouraging and quieting the
which act was accomplished n
1 most incredibly short time, when it a
considered that they were all asleep at II
ne time of the accident. After the ex-
tement was over, and the writer had re- n,
overed one of his boots, which had gone a,
n a voyage of discovery all over the
tbin, he went on deck. The sight was
most beautiful one. The sea, owing "
, the rapidly changing winds of the cy- II
one, was not in burrows, as usual, but ca
series of pointed waves rush OF
Ig in every direction. The accident was
nature not to be anticipated. NJ