The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1881-12-22
HELPLESS ON THE HIGH SEAS!
The Peril Of Them, that go Out
in Ships.

in Ships.
VerC York, Dtc. IA feet # .eve.
steamships came up the bay this morn.
ing, forming q sight which attracted
thousands of spectators on the Batter
and the wharveS IL the lower part o
the city. They were The Britannia. on,
day Overdue; Suevis. from Hamburg
SIX days behind; Gcllc-t four da..
I Sidonian. from Gibraltar. four day
Persian Monarch. from London, Ev,
days Lake Champiain. from Liverpool
four days and the Nederland, clever
days overdue.
The 600 souls on the Nederland once
gave themselves up for lost, expectins
every during FIVE DAYS in No
vember that the ship would 90 to tie
bottom. No vessel since the prevail.
ing tempestuous weather set in has had
such a terrific experience. There were
three deaths and two births on the
voyage. The sailed from Antwers
Nov. %, and the third day it began
to grow rough. The two following Gay.
the wind kept increasing, and on the
% the gale had reached its height.
Sea after sea swept the decks and dis
aster followed disaster. First. the
wheel house was stove in several inju-
ring one sailor; then sail after sail was
swept away with Spars and railing and
at last the rudder became disabled.
and the vessel for w days was tossed
about at the mercy of the elements
Tremendous seas, a hurricane, ihces
SAINT lightning and thunder, the engines
~motionlcss. passengers below struggling
about in water knee deep. mothers
clasping children to their breasts, strong
men pale with fear, sailors unable to
reach the deck and every soul believing
that their last earthly hour was being
spent-let one imagine this picture and
form an idea OF what the ship and her
load Of living freight passed through.
1t was forty eight hours before tetupo
rary repairs could he made so as TO get
The vessel under control OF the ruddtr
again, but the immediate danger lasted
seventv-two hours longer. Al O'Clock
in the afternoon of the 27th q breaker
took away the chart-room, the saloon
companionway, washed away i've beats,
stove in another and badly hurt SIX
sailors, besides breaking the thigh Of
the boatswain. Next morning another
breaker broke the iron Sanctions d
davit. One Of them was thrown on
top o. the engine room, smashing the
Skyii9ht. At the same time the com
panionway over the second caain was
demolished. During the five days that
the hurricane lasted the sailors made
no attempt to 90 on deck, With the eN
ceptiun of one on the lockout. On the
bridge the officers took their turns at
duty, two going on dashed together with
ropes. The wind blew so violently that
they could not make themselves heard
even with mouth to ear. Ga the 2Sth
the smokepipe of the galley went by
the board, water poured in, the fires
sere qucnched. and no food could be
cooked. Nothing but hard sea biscuit
could be obtained to eat.
When Surgeon Stabeck was asked
to-day how the Storage passengers
stood it through all this misery, he sail.
They had to DO as we did-get along
The best they could. | had my share
| was thrown against the ventllator,
narrowly escaping going through the
hold, and my left leg Is seriously brus.
ed. The night of the 21Lh vas the
most eventful time of my life. L was
called to attend a III :he steer
age who was about to become a mother.
Never have [ seen a ship roll so. A
man stood on either side to hold me VI
while the poor woman received my ser
vices. The women about US screamed
in concert with the new mother agony
and the men glared Ike Wild beasts
Far had transformed them ipto being;
hat [ could alnost fancy were inhumar
in feeling. Leaving the Storage | Wa:
summoned to attend Miss Anna T.
Dyckman, a French woman. in The
ca0in, 81 yeals old, Gu her way from
Brussels to Philadelphia. She bad
asthma. For eight days she refused.
through fright, to lie down, but sit il
a char. Her i~lnprudence in remaining
up brought on an attack of the disease
which proved fatal. Hardly had sht
breathcd her last before | returned tt
the Storage for attention at til. birth
of ancth. baby. Two children dice
from the ~Iearfully rough passage"