The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-06-12
ON THE OCEAN WAVE.
Captain Storms Graphic Log Of
the Buteshire's Passage.

The British ship Buteshire, with general mer-
chandise for this pert left London, England, on
January Sd last and arrived here last night after
| about as rough and stormy passage as any OF
which there is any recent record. Appropriately
enough the name OF the ships master Is Storm
By the ships log it Is shown that with
hardly any inIermission succession OF gales
and heavy head winds c0mbated the ships
progress from the time she left until heI arrival
On January 4th she anchored IN the downs for
the weather 10 moderate and did not weigh an
Choir until tile Sth. On the 10Th she had 10 an-
chor again of Dungeness and started oil again
on the 18th.
On the 18th the steadily tempestuous weather
prompted tile captain TO anchor In portland mar
Dor, terrific southwestern gales blowing there.
The Buteshire remained in Portland until the
Goth, when another effort TO proceed was MADE.
The weather moderated slightly, ana tne snip
crossed the equator on February 2otn. one
rounded Cape HON on March 30th, and then
series of terrific gales was encountered. num-
Der OF sails being carried away. ibis gaze III,
creased to a hurricane, and the only hope OF
saving the ship to keep her well out at sea.
Every sail set TO steady the ship was blown
away, aud the sea was something frlghttur'-
vide log.
Captain Storm at this point in his log devel-
Oped powers OF graphic description that place
Marryatt descrber OF marine disasters.
His account could be elaborated most extern
slvely. and then would fall far short OF express
Ing The situation so clearly laid down in the log.
o add 10 1t would be to paint the lily and gid
refined gold. Captain Storms log is too Vivid a
description for word 10 be added TO 1t OF sub
tracted from II. IL speaks for Itself. The f0l
lowing is a verbatim extract:
Our only hope to keep the ship at the wind.
The reefed splnker being new, the first time bent.
However, our hopes were relieved at O'Clock at
night, when the foot outfaul was carried away. All
hands were engaged for three hours trying to save
the sail but ali efforts being failure. had to give
in. Got the brails pretty close In but the cew
could not be masted. the brais cut right through
the sail and blew to pieces BY this time the hurri-
cane was at its fury and the sea was something
fearful-barometer 27.9O-making clean bridge
over the ship. Most OF the time nothing could be
seen from below the top, owing to spray and the
with the exception of cloth in the weather rig
ging, the wind varying from northwest to west
southwest.
Right here terrible situation ensued-yide
log-(c0ntinued):
All hands dashed on the poop. The weight OF the
hurricane lasted twelve hours; then harder gale
and terrific squan continued for thirty-siI hours
All this time nothing could be cooked not being
able get aIong the deck and galley utensils and
lockers being smashed the pig-sty washed away
and poop ladder aud rails ON port side smashed.
The chart-hOuse door broken; two buIwark
ports gone; most of the running gear about tae
deck leased to oaGum. On the 18th SET tOpSatls
and foresail wind backed to northwest ON the
18th terrific gale coming away. Hove ship to under
bare poles on 18th, lard gale continuing. wind
veering from northeast to southwest; Kept ship
away, and run her with fOretopsail and foresaii
had gale and terrific squalls, tremendous sea run
ming; shipping tremendous seas; all were hlling,
decks fore and aft the ship had not been strong
and substantial, we would not be able to tell the
tale.
FINALLY the weather moderated somewhat and
the ''sirong and substantiaP' Buteshire was out
of danger pro tenn Moderate gales and hard
sQnalls' were encountered by her from Then on
until the FarallOneS were sighted and tue snug
harbOr of San francisco entered. Captain
Storm, while no doubt profoundly thankful for
arriving safely In port, must doubtless have
laid his graphic pen down with some regret that
he could not continue his remarkable pen
pictu eS OF life on the ocean wave.