Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1873-08-06
A CYCLONE AT SEA.
Midnight Fright on a Cunarder-A Huge
Wave SWamps the Saloon.
The Ladies In the Cabin-Able-Bedied
Men Carry Them Out in Blankets
Great Excitement in the
Lower Saloon.
rom the New York Herald


BOSTON, July 81, lS71.-The Cunard
steamer Olympus, which left this port
on the eighth instant, encountered a cy-
clone the second day out, and, although
no great damage was sustained by the
ship, passengers or cargo, the excite
ment for few hours was so intense as
to amount TO panic. One of the Bos-
ton 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 on the
eighth, with a seutherly wind, and made
some two hundred and fifty miles the
first twenty-four hours. In the after
noon of the second day, the wind fresh
ened from the southeast, aud at eleven
o'clock at night, when he turned in, it
was blowing steadily from that quarter,
At about three O'Clock in the morning,
they encountered Cyclone, and the
ship was put head to the wind. About
half-past three in the morning, a heavy
pointed sea struck the vessel on the
quarter, throwing several tons of water
with a terrific force against the saloon,
dashirg IN the side Of the saloon, carry
ing away the forward davit of the
quarter boat, and some twenty
feet Of the rail, tearing up and
breaking off several of the stanchions
Of the pOep-deck railing, and carrying
the after binnacle adTift 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 nova
hles, and apparent immovables, and
dashing them pellmell into the lee side
Of the saloon. Stewards and walters
asleep ia the saloon were dashed about
among the debris of broken chairs, ta-
bles, glassware and crockery, but fortu-
nately, with the exception of few cuts
and bruises, were unhurt. Meanwhile
the water, checked in its course by the
lee side of the saloon, found vent by the
conpanion- and veBtilatoF into
the lower cabin, where the scene for a
few moments was very exciting
The passengers, aroused from their
slumber by terrific crash, which was
Immediately followed by a rush Of
water into the lower saloon and a show
er-bath from the ventilator, imagined
that the ship had been run into, and
was not only sinking, but was already
under water. 1t was with the greatest
difficulty that the stewards, headed by
the pUrser, who bad recovered from their
fright and rushed to the passengers as
sistance in a somewhat primitive cos
tune, 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
scothe them. At last, however,
some of the passengers and walters sue
ceeded in carrying the ladies from the
wet state-rooms aft TO the dry ones for
ward, where they were wrapped up as
well as what few dry blankets and
shawls on hand would do, aud thea the
stewards and what men could be spared
from the deck were set to work baling
out the cabin, which took some three
hours, and by daylight the carpets were
llup and on deck, together with the
mattresses, bedding etc. Very fortu-
nately there were no personal accidents
of any account. Mr.. Wight, of Jordan,
Marsh 81 Co.'s establishment, of Boston.
had . cut in the face, which, although