New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-12-08
FIERCE GALES AT SEA.

THE SEVEREST STORMS EVER KNOWN
.nn,,,,, op rouR OVERDUE STEAMSHIPS FROM
rrpopy-sAuoRs KILLED AND INJURED AND
BoArs DAMAGED AND WASHED Avail ~
Four DAYS overdue the steamship NecA"l' Vi '"0
North German Lloyd Line, reached her dock yester-
a. A. sbe came slowly up the harbor, the most
casual observer could see that she had passed.
,hrorcb q terrible ordeal Several of her boats
we're gone and those that remained were broken
and smashed so badly that it will probably be use
less TO repair them. To a TRIBUNE reporter, MI
Becker one of the cabin passengers, SAID: We
left Southampton on November ~ WIN aoouV
seventy five cabin passengers and nearly one
thousand in the steerage, and we have arrived WIN
one seaman less besides suffering number oi acIi
dents Almost the first day we encountered '"1
storm and after that the vessel tossed anu Pl''"~
.o pcb that il is hard to believe that there is much
left. II was terrible during part of the tme' Inc
-. doslad AGAINST both sides of the ship at the
sar,a time You see the result. Some OF the HE
heats were washed away while the Others are hang
,ng in ALL sorts of ways twisted on the davlts ABOUT
the fifth ,lay-I say about because DAY mas
seemed an eternity-the waves carried away
the captains bridge. He was on 1t al the
time and was only saved from death by DE-
ing dashed against the side OF the SNIP AS
ct was he sustained several commissions. One sea-
man was washed overheard. The sea was running
so high that nothing could be done for the poor lei
low Another sailor had a miraculous escape he
was actually washed over the side OF the SNIP Du'
held fast to the rope he happened to have IN his
hand long enough so that another wave caugh' MIN
and washed him back the deck. 1t was very
narrow escape.
"Another thing that is certainly worth speaking
nbout was the accident to the wheelhouse Inc
waves smashed it so that the men had TO DC
dashed TO the wheel TO prevent themselves from
being washed overheard. The wave that broke
norton of the smoke stack also carried away the
towering TO the stairway leading to the cabin so
that the floor of the cabin was flooded. Then every
one thought that the ship would surely go TO the
bottom. The passengers all behaved very WELL"
"How did those In the steerage fareT
"Tbev had terrible time because so much
water got in between decks OF course the matches
had to be kept tightly closed all the time The con-
seouence was that the air in the steerage became
m had that the lights would not burn. You can
Imagine the suffering of those poor people me
captain and officers did all they could for the pas
Bengers-everythng that human beings cOuld 90
under the most trying ordeal cannot
say too much of Captain Wllhgorod,s
conduct. Whenever, he could leave the deck
he was among the passengers, assuring MS
all that the ship would weather the hurricane.
and that all would be well. Not only did he do
what he coull for us, but ne also went among the
steerage passengers. And then when we started to
get up testimonial for HIM he put stop 10 1t. say
Ing that he had only done his duty"
CAPTAIN Willigtrod, who IS q short thlck-set.
cood-natured German, told the reporter that the
storm was the worst one that he had ever en-
rountered during his many years at sea, and he
hoped that il would not be his lot 10 experience
suck teTI1bl" ordeal again.
al have had more than twenty years experience
Mt sea: vet never in all that time had such an
experience of gales, hurricanes. tremendous seas,
damage 10 vessel and injuries to crew. as during the
voyage just completed, said Captain Jonca, OF the
steamship Labrador, which arrived from tiayre
FIFTY places about the decks were patched with tin
and canvas when the steamer reached her pier
Yesterday She sailed from Havre on November 10,
and the second dav afterward encountered
fierce hurricane with trighttul seas The fierce
cesslOn without abatng In the least and
some DAYS the vessel could not make above mile
an houI III the face OF the gale About p IN, on
November u, several terrific seas broke over the
vessel one of which tore one OF the lfe-DOats IRON
the dayItS, bending the latter as II they had been
lead, and making complete wreck OF Ile Oodt.
The following day was even worse, the decks being
CONSTANTLY Hooded. The forward wheelhouse as
swept away; the steerage cOmpanlOn-way was
burst i'll. letting large volumes OF water IN the
steerage the forward bridge was uemoilsbed. ana
the port buwarks were broken IN. On the next day
the after wheelhOuse was washed overheard, ana
five seaInen were injured the cabin cOnpahlOn-waY
was burst in and the cabin flooded, aud great dam
Rge done about the decks. IL,
he Iade Winnipeg, OF the Beaver Line, Whlch
eailed rom Liverpool on Novembe, II, vas another
OF the partially wrecked vessels which arrived yes
ferday. Captain Stewart salu Ilat ho hau Dcen
going TO sea Tor forty years and never encountered
sucb severe weather before. heavy northeast gale
WAS encountered on November q, which resolved
Itself int a hurricane with terrific seas. continuing
for eleven DAYS. The vessel was submerged
by the breaking seas nearly all the
time The hardest weather occurred on the 24th
yb.n the seas made sad havoc about the decks, car
rylng everything before them Two OF the boats
we're swept away. Cnef Engineer James BIar,
Shle gong nom the mess-rooIn 10 the engne-rOOm,
was carried overheard by sea which burst
Through the alley door, passenger, VINO
was in the alley at the time, saved himself
nv springing down the cabin companion
May The carpenter. who was battening down the
forward la Gu, was carried by sea over the bridge
ana up mo the iorenggng, where he lodged; he
was rescued IRON his per1ous position by some of
nhe crew, receiving no further INJURY than the
hrrakiIp of d nngeF. Inc main deck, near the cap
sainjs cabin was also burst in by heavy and
PaIrick Cooney, one OF the hremen, was thrown
down into the nreroom and Instantly killed. john
R.ynolds "a fireman, who craving with THIRST
on November 20 asked Tor some vinegar and one of
the officers gave him some cdrD0hc acId ny mistake
REYNOLDS lIVed only few hours.
The steains lip Par ma OF the Cunard Line, also
arrived from Liverpool, after voyage OF eighteen
day. she also encountered continuous hurricanes
with irighttui seas and much damage was done
about the decks Several sailors were injured
6lIghtly.
The Glenapp, from Rio Jsneiro encountered Sc
were weather III the Caribbean Sea, on November
o5 which lasted four days, and dunng which the
vessel was on her beam ends. Again on December
3 She encountered terrific squalls and was again
Thrown upon her beam ends