Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1881-12-06
PERILOus OCEAN VOYAGE,
Experience OF the city OF Chess
Ter.

The steamship City OF Chester, OF
tho Inman Line, arrived in this city
Yesterday afternoon. fourteen days
from Liverpool, being four days over
duo. An account of the voyage,
which was very tempestu0us, was
givon BY one Of the passengers as iol
lows:
"Wo left Liverpool at four o'clock
Thursday afternoon, November II,
with seventy.tw cabin passengers and
over 400 omigrants aboard. The first
evening out was very windy and the
weather began TO promise badly. The
ship made good Roadway, however,
and reached Queenstown the following
morning, which was very cold and
rainy. We were obliged to remain at
Queenstown nearly all day, waiting for
the mails, and there we also took
aboard over 100 more steerage passen-
gers. We left Queenstown about five
o'clock. Early in the night began a
season Of exceptionally rough weather,
which continued for eight days, under
varying conditions. Part of the time
the sky was clear aud the sun shining;
at other times We had rain, snow and
hail storms; but all the time the
weather was exceedingly cold, and the
wind blow violently, one gale following
another in quick succession, raising
waves which swept over the vessel and
tossed her about as If she were a
feather, and keeping tho majority Of
the passengers in a state OF sea
sickness and terror during the greater
part Of the voyage.
"0u Saturday, November 10, the
water came over the decks so con-
stantly that it was impossible for one
TO venture outside without becoming
thoroughly wet. This state Of affairs
continued for more than a week. On
Sunday the ship pitched and rolled
about so violently that it was consid-
cred impossible to hold religious SER
vices, all the officers and men being
required on deck. The next day the
storm increased, with rain and hail
The wind tore the mizzen boom loose
from its ~fastenings and swung it
around so that it struck the after port
lifeboat with such force that the
davits were bent and the heavy spar
and fastenings which supported the
boat we're broken, thus allowing it to
fall upon the stanchions of the guard
chains, which broke through the bot
tom. smashed the bow and rendered
the boat utterly useless. Ali this
while the vessel pitched so violently
that every few moments the screw was
raised out of the water. The speed
of the ship was then reduced. Prom
Monday noon to Tuesday noon the
run Of the vessel was only 1852 miles.
Tuesday afternoon and night the storm
kept steadily increasing, there being
heavy rain with lightning and
thunder. About 4 o'clock Wednes-
day morning a fresh gale struck
the ship, and then began a tenn
pest of unusual violence, which lasted
for more than thirty hours. Wave
after wave dashed over the vessel. and
the bow and stern alternately dipped
into the sea at frequent intervals. The
deck was covered with a rushing mass
of water, which swept away everything
that was not securely dashed. In the
forward part Of the ship, a number o.
breakwatcrs had been constructed oil
heavy beams of wood to protect the
the f~orecastle. These timbers were
eighteen inches wide and nine inche,
thick, yet the force of the waves wai
great that one of them was snapped
off like a reed, and whirled about
with such force as to shatter another
one in pieces. The waves at this time
we're so high that they struck The
Captains bridge-twenty feet above
the main deck-again and again
breaking the top Of the pinnacle box
twisting the thick iron ratings Of th,
bridge. and tearing some Of the stand
ards from their fastening. Captain
Watkins remained on the bridgl
throughout the whole Of this storm
, for thirty hours, taking no res. an,
scarcely eating The officers and mel
, we're all kept at work for many hour
/, without rest. The boatswain wa
struck by a wave and disabled, an.
, several of the seamen were slight
. injured.
ION Wednesday afternoon Their
, we're very sharp lightning and lou
thunder. The sky grew almost blaol
the wind whistled through the riggin
and the ocean was covered with fosl
as far as the eye couldroach. The shi
tossed about more then than that I
any other time. The waves had brol
en- the windows of the engineered
. Extending above the deck), damage
/. the roof on the smokingroom, an
. broken a number Of skylights. II
|, smokingroom was flooded; the vat
ran down the companionway an
: poured through the ceiling Of Il
greater portion Of the after-part oftl
vessel, attaining a depth Of sever
! inches in the passage and some Of d
aft staterooms. The top of the saloc
!, itself leaked in places, the water con
: ing through SO freely in the neighbo
. hood Of the skylight that meals couI
: no longer be served at the mild
: tables. In other parts Of the saloon
was found necessary TO cover Il
ceiling With blankets. Nearly eve
\ staterOom in the vessel was more
u less wet. and some oftbem we're SO tho
oughly water. soaked that they cou.
not be occupied for more than a wee
/, From Wednesday noon until Thur
. day noon the run Of the vessel W
emily eighty three miles. On Thank
I giving Day the severity Of the tempe
'Ifl somewhat abated, but the sea was st
y very rough. After the danger seem,
= to be over the officers admitted tn
y the ship had been in a situation OF d
= greatest Of peril. The captain sa
! that he had never ia his life been in
j more violent storm, and one of Z
officers said that in an Atlantic exI
rience extending over thirty-one yea
= he had nevor encountered its equi
q On Friday and Saturday the sea "
u rough, but there was little storm.
J. Sunday the weather cleared suficieI
I. " for the passengers to go on de
4 again, and religious services were he
- in the saloon as usual. During t
last four days of the voyage tho &
~ was comparatively smooth and {
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