The New York herald., 1879-10-17
A TERRIBLE VOYAGE.

THE STEAMER MONTANA ENCOUNTERS HuRRf-
CANE IN MIDocEAN-Two PERSONS SWEPT
OVERHEARD AND THE BOATS WRECKED
RESCUE OF A STARVING CREW.
The steamship Montana. of the Guion line. left
Liverpool for this port the 4th of October. and
reached here Wednesday night after encounterina
storm of very unusual severity. The ship was in
q perilous position for short time and there was
great alarm and excitement among the passengers.
Two lives were lost-one of passenger and the
other a member of the crew. The men were washed
overheard aud drowned. A narrative of the terrible
storm by a passenger, and q statement from the
purser viii be found below
"We left Liverpool on the 4th of October" said
one of the passengers to reporter Sin westerly
wind, the breeze being fresh aud fine. We had foga
end it was cold but all went we'll until Friday thu
10th. On the 9th. however, there was q strong
breeze from the southeast 1t cloudy and it was
evident that q storm coming up. On Friday.
the lothian unlucky day. indeed. this occasion
the wind continued strong ard there was heavy
southerly swell. This WAS the beginning, as we
afterward found of of tho most terrible storms
ever experienced in the Atlantic at this time
Of year. All Friday night it was very
rough. and when We turned out next day we
found the gale increasing to awful extent.
lt almost mlracle tn2t enabled tie ship live
throughit. On Saturday morning her position was
in ATTITUDES 45 deg. "a min.. longitude SO deg SO
min. The wind had shifted to the northeast and
was blowing hurricane. 1t was almost impossible
to have breakfast to get about the ship. The
sea Was running mountains high aud the wind was
blowing with terrific force.
THE HURRICANE
IT and five others who ventured 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
flying over the waves but seemed to ride beauti-
fully and safely over them. managed to get up on
the bridge with the second officer and while hold
ing on for dear life could not but wonder at the
terrible fury of the storm. One moment the ship
would be lifted up by gigantic wave. and the next
we would drop down into the trough of the iIn-
prisoned by walls of water on all sides. Every
few moments terrific wave would strike us with
shock that made the vessel tremble from
stem to stern After running before the gale for
some time and finding it increase the captain de-
cided 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. aud to turn the ship
about was to directly in the teeth of the gale Al
the seas struck us the great ships course was
changed and as she wore around she careened over
that her beam ends were under They tell me that
the captain held his breath as the ship went
through the trough of the sea- The position at this
critical interval dangerous could be- and
had heavy sea struck us at this time would
probably have gone to destruction. At this time
thought It was all over.
TERRIBLE SCENE.
''In the saloon u terrible was taking place.
Panic-stricken passengers were crying and scream-
ing and ladies faintlng To make matters
worse sea was shipped into the engine room.
which sent a puff of steam into the saloons with
kissing sound. This csused alarm Of fire,
and for short time there terrible excitement.
Heavy continued to break over u.s. and at .
quarter past one gigantic wave washed away .
large hfeboat crushing it into thousand pieces.
Later on. others damaged. until only one sea-
worthy boat was left.
Eat the time the first boat crushed the first loss
of life occurred. Two steerage passengers were
smashed the boat swept them away. One OF them
managed grasp the rail just he going over.
He quickly rescued, but his companion was
never seen again. do not know his name. but
he was travelling alone He lived in Pennsylvania
Shortly after this, while the sailors were trying
to the foresa another heavy sea dashed over
One OF the Sailors named Michael Higgins was
swept overheard and drowned. and another WAS
badly hurt At eight r. NJ the fury of the hurricane
blown away. one of the tunnels dismantled and the
wheelmans place on the bridge broken up. During
gers. The ships bell kept tolng 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 position.
A STARVING CREW.
Tho only other noteworthy incident of the voyage
was the relief OF starving crew which we ran across
signals of distress, and found her to be the Perse-
verance. OF Bristol bound from American port
had run short of provisions. For fifteen days they
had had nothing but ship bread and water"
From statement made to HERALD reporter after.
ward by the ships purser appears that the
tunate passenger who was lost was named f. Simp-
He was forty years Old The purser also states
that only one OF the ships boats lost and another
damaged.
Through inadvertence in yesterdays shipping
news column of tho HERALD the Montana was
ported to have experienced '.heavy westerly galess
tho 11th inst 1t should have been a. stated
above-northeasterly winds.