The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1878-04-13
OUT IN a BLOW.

In the year 1915 l made voyage to
China by the way of Cape Horn. | had
command of the good ship Angelo, and
was blessed with a good crew. We had
hard time getting around the southern
capes of America, but when we entered
the Pacific we found the weather good,
and for some time we went gliding on
our way, without trouble or hindrance
| stopped at Valparaiso, where remain
ed eight days, and then | set sail for
New Zealand, on business connected
with the United States Christian Mis-
sions. For eleven days after clearing
Valparaiso we had a fair wind, but on
the evening of the twelfth day we had
indications of a Storm | had the sail
shortened, taking in the top-gallant sails
and double-ree6ng the topsaiIs.
About nine O'Clock in the evening the
wind came round from the eastward and
blew gale, and by midnight l was
forced to lay to. In the morning, when
the sun rose, there was lull in the gale,
and l began to tiatter myself that we
were cheaply rid of the storm.
At noon / was able to get the sun, and
| found my ship to be in longitude 12S
degrees west, and latitude 80 degrees Is
minutes south, and the wind had now
become light and battling, but with a
heavy sea. Towards the middle of the
forenoon, my mate, who was an expert
enced seaman, and an older man than
myself, named Hunter, came to me and
asked me what | thought of the weather.
Its not settled yet, by any means"
! said.
No., said he, emphatically; "and
that's not the worst of it. We are going
to have singer"
I" | think we shall have more gales" l
responded, "forit is now evident enough
that the storm is not wholly passed"
"Ay-and we shall catch it this time
more southerly. tell We, capt'n, we've
got to stand around some before we get
clear of this place. Eve been here be-
fore"
So have l." 1 repli d, ''several
times; but | never happened to get
caught in a storm of any account on the
Pacific yet"
go, but | have" resumed Mr.. Hun
ter, with shudder By my soul, they
can get up some groat blows here when
they try. | rode out here in 80, in an
old hulk of a barque, belonging in New
York, and for eignt-and forty hours we
expected every minute to have to say
our prayers for the last time | hope |
mayn't see another SUCH
After this the mate went forward to
attend to securing the anchors and hav-
ing all ready for bending the cables if
necessity should occur, for [ was deter
mined to leave no point unattended to.
At five O'Clock the wind was warm,
seeming much like the tanning from a
hot oven, and it seemed III circles. 1t
blew from no steady point, but was con-
tlnualiy whirling and changing. Heavy
clouds had come up to the northward
and the westward, while to the south
ward and eastward there seemed to be
a sort of lurid vapor rising and extend
ing itself along the horizon. The clouds
which / spoke of rose very fast, and
when they had attained a great height
they passed over our heads, and then
settled down gradually until they actu-
ally rested upon the bosom of the sea
about US, enveloping us in thick, cool
mist. This was to me a curious phe-
nomenon; but this was not the end In
half an hour the vapor swept away to
L
did not rise, but it slowly passed away,
until 1t rested upon the horizon like a
land bank. The appearance of things
IN the opposite direction had changed
somewhat, the vapor there having grown
more dense, and wearing a CHASTITY livid
hue. The strange warmth which | had
experienced IN the atmosphere was gone,
and GOODNESS which came in little pufs,
had succeeded. 1t seemed as though
some one were standing by me putting
into my face.
As the sun sank into the vapor which
rested upon the western horizon, it had
4 strange look, seeming like huge lam
tern of blue glass; but | did not gaze
long upon it, for my attention was called
the other way The heavens to the
south'rd and east'rd had grown black as
night, save a long line of livid light that
rested directly upon the water. The
putfs of cool air which / had felt now
ceased, and our ship lay in dead calm.
rising and falling like lifeless monster
upon the long, heavy swells. | imme-
diately ordered the ship to be stripped of
her canvas. The top-gallant masts had
already been sent on deck, thus reliey-
ing the ship of all her lofty spars. I
asked my mate if he thought there
would be any use of leaving any sail set.
No." he said, Il should say not. If
the blow comes, as | think it viii, a sail
would be of no more use than a shirt
That was my mind, too; and my order
for furling all sail was obeyed. Then |
had life-lines rove, and after this VIC
waited for the storm. But we had not
10 wait long.
DO you see that" whispered Hun
ter, at the same time pointing of to the
south'rd and east'rd.
had seen it, and it was long line of
white foam. IN moment more came a
rumbling sound, like the distant reyer-
berations of cannon. Our ship lay
nearly stern-to, and | awaited the COM
ing of the gale with almost breathless
anxiety.
And it came! 1t roared like thunder
over the foaming waves, and the spray
was rained upon us in torrents. The
ship gave one plunge, and for few mo-