The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1882-08-19
g Ghrilling a1arratiue.
A TERRIBLE VOYAGE.
Four Months In Crossing the Atlantic
from Liverpool 60 Philadelphia fu
the ship Hannah Norris

from Liverpool 60 Philadelphia in
the ship Hannah Norris
RELATED BY W. CLARKE RUSSELL.
On the 9th Of September, 1880, fine,
well-found Nova Scotia built ship. named
the Hannah Morris, sailed from the Mersey
for Philadelphia Her freight consisted Of
thousand tons Of iron and quantity Of
soda, and besides her complement Of men
and officers there were on board the cap
tain's wife and two children. with female
who acted as stewardess in the ships list.
For the FIRST week all went well; but ON
the morning of the ninth day the barome-
ter stood extraordinarily low. The ship
was then under single-reefed topsails and
nlaintopgallant sail, close hauled and some
points of her course. All hands noticed
the confused running Of the dark gray sea,
the heavy swell passing athwart the path Of
the waves. and the strange gloom cast upon
the air By the solid surface of dark vapOr
against whose far confines the sGrgss leapel
in sharp, black outlines. Sail was shorten
ed bit BY bit, and presently the vessel was
tumbing about under her lower topsails
and foreiopmast staysail The breeze grad
ually failed and the ship. losing the pres
sure upon her canvas rolled wildly apon
the swell that seemed 10 gain in volume a.
the wind decreased All the running rig
ging sSas hanled taut vet the jerking aloff
threatened the masts with every heayo. the
sound ofthe straining the dead and massive
weight in the hold struck the earas though
the hall was being rent in pieces, and the
ships want Of beoyaney was shown every
time she dipped her bead. for she would
bury her nose until nothing was visible of
her forward but her forccastle rails. while
50 languid vas her rise that whole tons Of
gliftering green water poured over her
bows and smothered the decks with foam;
then her bowsprit and jibhoom would soar
perpendicalarly 10 the SKY, while the water
in white cascades rushed down her naked,
high-hovc decks, and those Of her people
who stool aft rccoile3 from the sea, into
which her stem buried itself 50 deep that
by bending over she safEral man could
have put his lips 70 the truth charned ap
by the yexseis4 counter
THR HrRREcANE
The failing brccze and the gloom over
head made il impossible 70 forefell the paint
from which the hurricane would burst upon
the ship. Bat they haa no, long to wait
The captaia suddenly cricd cut 50 the
mate, and the men, all hooking one way. saw
the wind cogaing down about three points
ON the ssarlaoari bow.
The horixon in that directinn rcSaEublsd
line Of wool, but the approaching tesnpest,
instead Of clearing the ky, seemed 10 weld
the clouds into oompae;er mass. and the
sea deepened.
In an instant there was velicy Of com
manes. the helm Was put hard over, the
niiEzentop-saiI clewni ap and hands sta
toned hy the other top-sah sheets- The
wind came stormihg along with incredible
speed, the ocean all 10 windward resemhlei
a gigantic sn0w-coyered moor, and the pas
sage Of the swifier currents of air WAS
( shown By the SCATTERING Of the seas IN ad-
vance Of The line of white, boiling waters.
and as the spray flashed up in tall foants
of foam. tFst IN one place then IN smother,
out Of the swell that was vet untouched BY
4 the raging Wind, il looked as though huge
cannon balls were being disahaHed out &c
the thickness Of the tempest
The gale struck the ship full on her
/ hroasiside. and she lay down to Il untl her
4 deck seemed Ike the side of a house.
There vas = rush Of men 10 windwari aud
all hands held On for dear life. The ship
I was Stunned by the fury Of the blast, and
would not answer her helm. The Elizzen-
top-sail was Hogging itself into rags. and
the masts were heckling 80 violently thar
every one expected TO see the chain-plaiss
drawn ike saft wire
Bnt the vengeance of the gale was IN It's
/ FIRST salute; there was a brief laa, and tax
ing advantage Of the pause the foretop-sail
was clewed up and the men sprung alofl TO
stow the canvas
II was noticed, however, that in SPITE Of
she mOmentary cessation ef the gale, the
ships list was almost as heavy a when the
wind had first struck her. What was the
cause
~IIer cargo must have shifted, the cap
tain said
AN APPALLING SIGHT
The hands aloit, though battling with
the iron-hard canvas, could beseen turning
their heads and looking over their Shout
ders as if they feared the vessel would
founder before they could reach the deck.
They were told to be smart, and, rushing
through their job, they came running down
the rigging. The order was given to wear
ship and after while they got her on the
other tack; but while they were getting her
round the hurricane swept upon them furi-
ously again. Fierce as the wind yet such
was the vessels hist that she met it almost
upright, and it was enough to scare man 5
heart to see her with almost perpendicular
spars in a tempest that should have bowed
her down to her waterways in proper trim
The fury of the wind had crushed the
sea fiat; but this could not last; the waves
were beginning TO run in short, fierce coils,
and the rolling of the ship to windward
warned her men Of a fearful danger when
the sea that the gale promised to raise
should be at Its height. There was moth
ing to be done, however, but wait for what
world happen. The watch was called, but
the men, instead of going below, remained
/ with the watch on duty under the lee of
the deckhouse forward Indeed, no man
aboard that ship could have closed his eyes
while she maintained her horrible list to
windward with hurricane ringing through
the shrouded heavens. Bit by bit the seas
increased in height and force, and the vol
umes Of water which few over the weather
bow drove the men aft, until they all gath
cred in crowd near the>wheel, with the
captain and the officers and the two women
and childred among them. Some of the
older sailors spoke out grufiY and freely,
and said that the topgallant mast ought to
be cut away, others declared that the mo-
ment the gale broke fit for the ship to run, a