Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-10-21
A TERRIBLE VOYAGE.
The Steamer Montana Encounters a
Hurricane In MidOCsan---
Persons Swept Overheard.
New York HernId. 17th.l

mere on WeneSday night after encOun-
tering storm of very unusual severity.
The ship was in a very perilous posi-
tion for a short time and there was
great alarm and excitement among the
passengers. Two lives were lost-ene
of a passenger and the other a mem
Der of the crew. The men were washed
overheard and drowned. A narrative
of the terrible storm by passenger.
and statement from, the purser will
be found below:
"We left Liverpool on the 4th of
October" said enc of the passengers
to a reporter, in westerly wind, the
beeeze being fresh and fine. We had
fogs and it was cold, but all went we'll
until Friday, the 10th. On the 9th,
however, there was a strong breeze
from the southeast. 1t was cloudy
and it was evident that a storm was
coming up. On Friday, the LOTHIAN
unlucky day, indeed, on this occasion
the wind continued strong and there
was a heavy southerly swell. This was
the beginning, as we alterward found,
Of one of the most terrible storms ever
experienced in the Atlantic at this
time of the year. All Friday night it
was very rough, and when we turned
out next day we found the gale in
creasing to an awful extent. 1t was
almost a miracle that enabled the ship
to live through it. On Saturday
morning her position was in latitude
45 deg. "a min, longitude 80 deg 56
min. The wind had shifted to the
northeast and was blowing a hurri-
cane. 1t was almost impossible to
have breakfast or to get about the
ship. The sea was running noun
tains high and the wind was blowing
with terrific force.
THE HURRICANE.
| and FIVE others who ventured on
deck were able to get to the smoking
room by hanging on to the rails. From
there we could watch the storm by
holding fast to stationary objects. The
captain had been obliged to put the
ship before the wind as a measure of
safety. She VISA fairly flying over the
waves, but seemed to ride beautifully
and safely over them. | managed to
get up on'the bridge with the second
officer, and while holding on for dear
life l could not but wonder at the
terrible fury of the storm. One mo-
ment the ship would be lifted up by a
\ gigantic wave, and the next we would
drop down into the trough of the sea,
imprisoned by walls of water on all
sides. Every few moments a terrific
wave would strike us with a shock
that made the vessel tremble from
stem to stern. A. yer running before
the gale for some time and finding it
increase the captain decided upon
going about and heaving to. In few
words he warned the sailors to look
out for their lives. He ordered the
engines stopped, and then caused the
wheel to be put hard down. Then
the engines were started slowly, and
to turn the ship about was to go
directly in the teeth of the gale. As
the seas struck us the great ships
course was changed, and as she wore
around she careened over so that her
beam ends were under. They tell
me that even the captain held his
breath as the ship went through the
trough of the sea. The position at
this critical interval was as dangerous
as it could be, and had a heavy sea
struck us at this time we would prob
ably have gone to destruction. At
this time | and three others were in
the smoking room, and we thought it
was all over.
A TERRIBLE SCENE.
In the saloon a terrible scene was
taking place, panic-strickcn passen
gers were crying and screaming and
ladies were fainting. To make mat
ters worse sea was shipped into the
engine room, which sent puff of
steam into the saloons with kissing
sound. This caused an alarm of fire,
and for short time there was terri
Bile excitement. Heavy seas contin-
ued to break over US, and at quarter
past one a gigantic wave washed away
a laRge liieboat, crushing it into a
thousand pieces. Later on, others
we're damaged, until only one sea-
worthy boat was left.
AT the time the first boat was
crushed the fist loss of life occurred.
Two steerage passengers were stand
ing near the tunnel. The same wave
which smashed the boat swept them
away. One of them managed to grasp
the rail just as he was going over.
He was quickly rescued, but rs com
panion was never seen again. do
not know his name, but he was trav-
cling alone. He lived in Pennsyl-
vania. Shortly after this, while the
sailors were tfyipg to secure the
foresail, another heavy sea dashed
over US. One of the sailors, named
Michael Higgins, was swept over
board and drowned, and another was
badly hurt. At s pm. the fury of
| the hurricane had in nowise abated.
The sails had been cut or blown away,
one of the tunnels dismantled and the
Wheelmans place on the bridge
broken up. During the night there
was not much sleep among the passen-
gers. The ships bell kept tolling
with the pitching of the ship, and the
scene was dismal one. The engine
had been kept going just enough to
keep the ships head in the right po-
sition.
A STARVING CREW.
"The only other noteworthy Incl
dent Of the voyage was the relief of a
starving crew which we ran across on
the 9th of October. We sighted a
bark flying signals of distress, and
found her to be the Perseverance, OF
Bristol, bound from an American port
to Bristol. She had been sixty-three
i