Sacramento daily record-union., 1889-10-05

known TO deep water voyages" Ther,
were East India clippers, West India brigs
barks, barkentines and schooners, and +;
few steamers.
Many of the East India packets had beer
out over l20 days. For many DAYS prio,
| to the storm the sky had been overcast
Only occasionally would the sun appear
and then for SO short time as to render
even catch ''sight" well nigh out of tht
question. In consequence many ships had
been running by dead reckoning" making
the supposed position of the vessel a mosl
| uncertain one.
Under such conditions were vessels over
taken by the terrible northeaster. Wind
| and sea aided each other In making navi-
CATION perilous, the seas threatened at ev.
cry moment to roll over on the decks OF
the fleeing vessels. Some craft. perhaps
better able to stand the seaa, hold on.
steering on supposed true course for port.
| In laying of this course the base has been
taken from supposed true position of the
ship. Instead ofsighting the entrance, the
lookout is heard calling Breakers ahead p
10 one unacquainted with a seafaring life
the horror which accompanies such a
sound beggars description. Let it benight
time and the horror is increased. There
is but one thing to do, and that quickly
to call "All hands save the shipr
The vessel is in lee shore, the gale is
blowing her right on, and unless she can
be made to beat up in the wind, head off
and clear the coast she will beach. Up
comes everybody with rush, half dressed
half dazed, but fully alive to the danger.
The moment the seamen reach the deck
the cutting wind makes wide awake all
hands,
"Hard down the helm Let fly the
head sheets, lee head and main and
weather cross-j jack braces! Spanker sheet ~
As fast as the orders fly from the bridge
the men jump to their stations. Round
comes the great ship, and up into the
wind. The head sails flap with tre-
mendous force, threatening to fly out of
the leech ropes with every roll Now the
spanker is being hauled a-weather. She
feels it, and as the stern flies of, her head
comes right up into the mass of seething
waters.
Round in the lee head and main and
weather cross-iack braces !" Already the
men are at their places, and up come the
weather yard-arms into the wind. The
vessel is now broadside to the seas. 1t is
a question of life and death whether she
will stop. If she but continue to come up
all is well. A drag has been gotten over
from forward To it is bent hawser
leading through quarter chock. The
drag is well away from the ship. On to
the hawSer Jump the crew. Away they 60
with rush. The drag hawser is run
right to the bows, and at the same time
the bow comes up rapidly.
Not moment too soon. great sea
the next instant lifts the ship high into
the air. Had 1t caught her "broadside
to" it would have plunged tons upon tons
of green seas upon the decks. But the
great crafts bow has met it. She rose as
the wave advanced and plunged heavily
forward as ii rushed under her.
Now is the time TO catch her. Sharp up
go the yards On the head and main. The
head sheets are hauled we'll aft, the helm
carefully tended, the spanker eased up
slightly; the ship feels the canvas, small
as the amount on her is; che reaches for
ward, staggers for moment, then slowly
works her way of through sea after sea.
As soon as she is far enough out to sea the
vessel is brought ap into tie wind, off
comes the foretopmast staysail, foresail,
foretopsail and spanker A close-reefed
maintopsail and main spencer alone hold
her up, and all attempt to fall off is coun-
teracted by the position Of the rudder.
Should the wind still continue to in
crease in violence, the topsail will be
goose-winged. This latter sail is kept on
as long as possible because of its being
above the waves. Under main spencer
alone the ship has but little opportunity to
feel the wind, the waves serving as bull
wark. Should, however, a, goose-winged
topsail and main spencer prove too much,
tarpauiins placed in the lee mizzen rig
ging may hold her up.
If she still continues to heel over, the
crew viii cut away the foremost by cutting
away the weather laniards. If this will
not right her, away will go the mizzen and
main, and then trust to riding out to sea
anchor. This alone can save the vessel.
Let her once fall of, get into she trough
of the sea, and the consequences will be.
expressed in the one word of the seaman,
"Foundered"