New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1885-07-01
hole in the copper, and the water was
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forced into it with such unreasonable
power as to have the effect have de-
scr1bed. But You remember told you
there was a brig to the leeward of us.
The next morning we saw her lying
astern of us in the Solent. Her masta
were gone, and if an army of carpenters
had been at work clearing of her deck,
they could not have left her more bar
rem than that wave did. her watch
had been swept overheard and every
man of them lost.
Well, that was storm wave for
you, but I struck one in 1877 that was
much more remarkable. I was off the
coast of Japan, captain on one of the
finest steamships afoat. We were in a
typhoon. They call them typhoons
there, but they are identical in character
with our own cyclone and the African
tornado. It was an awful storm, the
worst I ever saw. The wind howled and
shrieked and raved like million of de-
mons loosed from the Styx. The seas
struggled with each other for our pos
session, and roared the most internal
noise as they broke over us in merciless
force. The sky was inky, but not a
drop of water fell. Ny chief officer
and myself were standing on the bridge
directing the helm. Suddenly, directly
in front of us, about hundred yards
away, l saw most prodigious mount
ain of water. Its towering crests was
splashed into a white foam, and APP
peared just between the two yards Of
the mast Above the hellish din of the
storm could hear the awful base roar
of that monster wave as it came toward
US like a steam engine. I turned to
my officer. His face was as white as
chalk.
Here's the last of our good boat, my
boy" / said, and turned her nose right
into the wave.
S'Her bow rose until we were almost
perpendicular. / almost thought VIC
should be thrown over. The crest
struck US and blinded me so that
could not see. And then, so sure as I
am an honest man, her bow fell and
her keel rose, and we passed over that
most terrific wave as gently as chip
over mill pond ripple! Inever was so
dumbfounded in my life, for 1 fully ex-
pected that moment to be the last that
ship would ever know. These two
yarns, mind you, are my own personal
experiences, and I give my word OF
honor for their truth.
"About three weeks ago on my last
trip back to England we called at
Queenstown. There 1 met my friend,
Mr.. Thomas Gray, the secretary Of the
London Board of Trade, a thoroughly
well-known man, whose word is as good
as his bond. He told me in good faith
the following story and said he knew ii
to be true: Some time ago, precisely
when [ don't just now remember, new
light was being put in the Eddystone
lighthouse. This house, you know
stands on solid rock, which the sea
entirely covers at high water. The
building is circular iron tower, hollow
in the center, and about nine feet in
diameter. The materials which were
used to fix the new light were brought
by steamers to the rock, and holes were
opened in the base of the lighthouse
through which they were admitted into
this hollow space. Then they were
hoisted up by derricks to the top of the
lighthouse.
Gone afternoon the son of the archi.
tect, a young man just about Of age
was standing at the top of the tower
looking down into the hollow space, {
distance of hundred and forty feet tt
the rock below. Suddenly he became
dizzy and fell headlong into the abyss
Just at that opportune and Providentia
moment storm wave, such as I hav.
been describing, broke against the
light house. The hole in its base hal
not been closed, and in the twinkline
of an eye, at the very moment the young
man fell, the water rushed in through
these holes, up the hollow tower, ant
received the falling form. Recedin{
Immediately, the water left him, aliv'
and none the worse for his ducking, OF
the rock at the towers basel
"The sea saves lives as well as de
YOURS them"