The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-08-23

southeast: Five mInutes later is sbisted I
the north, ,,arid at 1880 hauled To the nortf
4 west andtblew hurricane. ~ No W0fttsfca
describe ltife severityiof what 10 Lss an ava
a'tornad0. l1Odr std lunch cT1Pt lay with he
4 iIleeward' decks under the waserI z The It'd
was Z rushing alta .rdte 3o41 Dots9less thai
twelve TO fifteen knots an hour We coul,
/ not see, twenty ynrdsiir1 any direction. Th
schooner lay; upon her side, weilDigh Px
/ posing berikeel. Tables, lamps. glassware
and crockery were smashed as If they weri
4 no stronger than match-sticks. OuR skifl
4 which was made fast 10 the stern OF tht
vessel with a'heavy line,t was toru away ant
lost TO sight! Our yawEboat iwas swampee
by tue .1heavy sea, and only saved from be
I ing battered to pieces by the timely aid oil
the crew. who could only WORK upon The
vessel by lying down fiat upon the deck
and holding on to the rail. Our condition
was perilous indeed, it seemed to US all.
nc PREPARATIONS TO REACH'THE BEACH.
The fine schooner Harry Doremus, lying
at aucbor. near: by, was driven ashore rs
though she had been a block of wood. Her
anchors were no more able to hold her than
a pound: weight. Her flying lib, which
was lying upon the lines with close stops,
was stripped to ribbons, and her malnsail
torn. She was full twenty feet from the
water at low tide. The heavy top of our
ice-cbest, which was closed, was torn from
Its hinges as though it had been q piece OF
paper, and carried high into, the air and
lostfn an instant. Some fa1f-dozen OF our
Mhieh saeh berth oKFAf RaHd made dlfa a}nGea nG
Preparations necessary to go into the water
when the vessel had TO be abandoned. II
ever mems faces were the true index Of
their Thoughts and feelings, the connte-
nances OF our friends yesterday told what
anxious thoughts were In their hearts.
From half-past u O'Clock until O'Clock
the hurricane-for it was nothing less
ragged with unabated fury. 'fhe tide and
wind together wished and changed the
shore on the island near where we lay, so
that Whit was a sand.beach before was now
rugged bank eight or ten feet high.
CLEARING AWAY. -..:
Shortly after p. NJ. the wind began to
die out-7that is, it came III squalls and then
there would :. be lull. These ,:lalls grew
longer and longer, until finally The back.
bone OF the storm was broken, the clouds
began to breakaway. and we were enabled
to see the shore and distinguish objects
upon it. a. ''.,'' 80 &c.. So
i asked the venerable. member OF our
Club il be had ever seen such a stormP
"No, sir" said he. 81 have crossed the
ocean time and again, and baye been on the
sea for fifty eight, Years. and never have l
seen such storm, with the exception Of n
hurricane in the West Indies many years
ago." .,...-..f d. .-
Captain Nelson, too, told me be had never
in all his lite experienced such a gale, and
did not remember to have seen his barome-
ter as low.
The wind now subsidized into a stiff but
pleasant breeze from the west, and the well
come blue sky appeared once again.
RECOMMENDATIONS.
One Of the first suggestions made after
the storm had ceased was that we should
have Thanksgiving services for our safety.
The suggestion was heartily concurred in,
and the services were held below deck.
The weather having now moderated, our
remaining boat was bailed out and sent
ashore with party in search OF our skif,
which had been carried away. Upon the
island we met number of gentlemen who
had during the early part OF the gale
watched us from the shore with glasses,
and received their congratulations upon
our safety and upon the behavior Of our
vessel. .........
ON THE ISLAND.
Several Of the guests on the island gave
rls n graphic account OF the storm there. The
sea was rapidly coming up to the October
mark, when the wind shifted to the north
west and drove 1t down; the fish-house
was completely wrecked, and the rain stood
in ponds several inches deep around many
OF the buildings. Through every crack
and crevice the wind drove the rain into
the hotel building, I was told, and the end
OF the storm was as welcome there as it
was to us. Sc. ss ...~i 2. '.s-.'i.: 49,.
7 walked down to the beach and looked
at the breakers as they came rolling in-I
was about TO say mountain high. The sea
came dashing up upon the shore, the spray
and foam being thrown full thirty feet high
In the air. Beyond the danger OF gale and
storm, it was n grand sight to me. 1 had
never witnessed anything OF the kind
before, and suppose there is rot men,
ber of our Club who was not proioudly
impressed with the grandeur OF the scene.
am told that there is certainly one, and
perhaps two vessels ashore on the beach at
Hog Island.
AsI write now, the sea, which yesterday
was roaring at fearful rate, is now almost
as calm as a mill-pond, and is only ruffied
by gentle breeze, under which we hope TO
set sail for familiar waters. But have
already wearied you, no doubt, gentle
reader, and so will say adieu. 81 E. II. F.