St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-09-12
BUFFETED BY ANGRY WAVES.
Officers of Ocean Steamers Give
Full Details of the Big Blow.

NEW YORK. Sept. 1.-THE new Morgan
line steamer lei Mar completed her first
round trip to-day from New Orleans. The
officers gave out this evening a full story of
how the vessel weathered the big blow. The
storm struck her Monday night about one
mile north Of Cape Hatteras. From that time
until she almost reached Sandy Hook she
steamed in the teeth Of a most terrific storm.
Heavy waves lashed the sides of the steamer
and broke clear over her decks. At one time
the waves rose clear over her smoke stacks.
which stand forty five feet out of the water.
The smoke stacks looked like gigantic
frosted cakes as she came into the
harbor. They were covered with salt Capt
E. NJ. Horton and first officer B. A. Benson.
stated that the storm was the most terrible
one they have witnessed during the past
fourteen years. At times they could not see
the ships length. 1t was impossible to take
any observations from the time Cape Hat
teras was reached until the vessel arrived
near the bar. The officers had to depend
upon their knowledge of the course and the
soundings made. When off the five fathom
light ship on Monday night, the
STORM WAS AT ITS HEIGHT.
The sea swept up from the east while the
wina blew north, northeast. 1t was impossi-
bic to hold the ships head up to the wind.
The vessel proceeded under one bell after
she had passed Cape Hatteras. The Guion
steamer, Wisconsin, from Liverpool, that
came in to-day, got share of the high blow.
On Tuesday morning her nose struck
the big storm. Like those on the
El Mar, the Wisconsin's officers were at once
handicapped by not being able to take OBJ
seryatiops on account of the violence of the
storm. During the forenoon of Tuesday by
soundings they found they were
in the vicinity of Blue Mud, or about two
miles out OF their course. The ships course
was then changed and IN six hours white
sand was found on sounding in twenty
fathoms of water. Then the officers knew
that they were near the lightship. The ship
was practically steered by soundings until
Sandy Hook was reached. There pilot was
taken from the outgoing White Star steamer
Adriatic. This was accomp plished after six
of the steamers crew had buffeted the waves
for considerable time In rowing from one
vessel to the other. The steamship Califor-
MA from Hamburg, which arrived at the bar
al g. N. to-day, reports on Sept. 9 encoun-
tered a hurricane blowing fresh from the
west, shifting TO north and working 10 east
and northeast off the Georges banks. 1t
BLEW WITH TERRIFIC FORCE
from east, northeast cOnun uing to port. ar
rived off the bar at a. m, but could find no
pilot boats nor station boats from which to
take pilot. About 7:30 a. N. the steamer
Ardauhu, bound out, hove in sight, ready to
discharge the pilot Capt. Bauer decided to
launch his after port lifeboat, manned by
Chief Officer Knuth and two seamen, and
pick up the pilot. The difficult task was
successfully accomplished, and the boats
crew started to pull for the California. A
terrific sea was running at the time, and
when getting under the stern of the Califor
MIA an immense wave curled up under the
steamers quarter, eapsiZing the hfeboat
A desperate and terrible sight was then pre-
sented TO the passengers and crew of the Cal
ifornia. four stout and brave men battling
for their lives in the rough sea. Life lines
and preservers were instantly thrown over
board to the struggling men, who were
nearly exhausted and in danger of being
swept away by the gigantic seas. Fortunately
they all managed to get hold of the life lines
and were dragged on board. Pilot Isaac But
Ter Jr. saws he was almost exhausted, and
could not have held out q minute longer.
The lifeboat was lost.