Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-03-02
A WEST INDIAN HURRICANE.
Graphic Description of One by Capt F. W.

Golden Days

a very heavy one in English Harbor, An
tigua.
was then serving as a midshipman IL
the Helena, land we had left Cerlisle Bay
Barbados, to lay up at Antigua, for tn
hurricane months-August, Septembe
and October.
| We reached English Harbor all right
and mOored off the now disused nava
yard, with no less than ten heavy moor.
! ing chains, besides our own two bowyer,
and two sheet-anchors and cables; the
top-gallant masts, topmasts and topsai
yards and lower yards were sent down
in fact, we stripped ship to a grit
line, - for the purpose OF giving our rig
ging a thorough refit, and cleared every
thing out Of the brig, landing our stores
and tanks at the yard, to give her good
ventilating and cleaning, all hands ex-
cept a few shipkeepers taking up our
quarters in the lofts on shore.
Toward the end of September the
weather became excessively unsettled &,
very sultry and oppressive, and the sea
breeZes totally ceased.
The barometer, too, was very variable
and everything betokened the approach
of "big blow so Capt. de Courcy
thought it advisable that one-half of
the officers and men should sleep on
board each night.
One morning the day was ushered in
by dense fog, or rather, have-the sky
had lurid, threatening aspect-the at
mosphere became even more oppressive
and the clouds were flushed as with ex-
element, and tinted of deep red color;
fIo all, 10 TsCrLN
that merely seemed 10 show his where
abOuts, and as the day drew to q close
the wind came in sudden puffs, moaning
and complaining like some vast monster
in pain, frequently lulling to perfect
calm, then breaking out with sudden
squalI, whisking leaves, branches and
other small articles into the air in a most
peculiar fashion.
Outside the harbor mouth the sea was
boiling and fretting, dashing up against
the low point with an angry roar, each
wave seeming to come in with twice the
force OF its preceding one. The gulls
and sea birds flew inland, screaming as
if they were well aware of the coming
war of the elements
On shore the people were busily en-
ployed IN securing their goods aud chat
tells and fastening their doors and win
dows, for If one should give way under
the wind s pressure, away the house
would go like so much chaf.
We had arranged that when the hurri-
cane was at its height, three guns should
be fired from the brig, and a simulta-
neous reading of the barometer be taken
at a house on shore and on board the
brig.
Shortly after sunset the wind fell to a
dead calm and an almost unearthlv still
ness followed, broken only by the heavy,
dull roar of the sea, sullenly dashing
against the point.
Now we knew it was coming From
the east pitchy darkness rapidly ap-
heralded by most peculiar
noise; then, with scream like
that of ten thousand fiends, the storm
burst upon US, and the whole heavens
became black with tempest; then q fash
Of forked lightning shot between our
nasts, illuminating them for an instant,
and instantaneousIy followed by burst
ng crash of thunder, which made the
brig tremble to her keel, and huge drops
If hot rain like blood drops came spat-
.ering down in one universal deluge,
1ooding the decks and pouring out of the |
'cuppers in cataracts.
Flash after flash, in one continuous |
blaze of binding light, followed, bring |
ng ont the buildings On shore against the |
)itchy black clouds with an awfully sub |
inc distInctness; and crash after crash |
md peal after peal of thunder were |
blended into one almost uninterrupted |
oil
Sheltered as we were we did not feel |
he full force of the wind, and it was
impossible for US TO see what damage it
vas doing on shore. It was quite lmpos-
IDLE to make one another heard; all we
ould do was to remain on deck, ready |
or any unforeseen emergency.
About two hours after It's commence |
nent we judged the hurricane to be at its |
7orst, and three guns (32-pounders) |
7eTe fired, but SO great was the noise of |
he storm that, although the flashes were
cen, the reports could not be heard at a
ouse not hundred yards from the brig,
Till midnight this F'turmoil Of the ele-
rents continued and then the barome-
Or, which had kept falling, became
-ationary, and we knew that the center
t the hurricane-the ''storm g eve - as
ailors call lt-hsd passed over US, and
nat, unless it ''blew back, - all danger
as over; and so it proved, as the wind |
fell, the thunder and lightning |
dsSeu away anu Dy UayOroak the clouds /
ere gone and the tempest ceased.
But what sight met our eyes when |
ght once more came!
The sea was breaking quite over the
'rt at the harbor mouth, and rolling
ght up to the harbor, was washing over
le low dockyard wall. On shore
buses and huts were unroofed, and in
any places blown bodily away; great
ees were relied, cane patches cleared
If they had been close cut, boats and
.nOes were thrown from the beach I'D :
nong the houses, palings had disap-
cared, and in places great mounds of
chris had been collected and stocked as
by the hand OF man.
Toward the afternoon the sea went :
'wn, and We were enabled to land at the
when q most extraordinary
ght met our eyes-hundreds of fish,
oh as barracuda, gar, parrot fish and
uliet, having been stranded and left |
ere to fail an easy prey TO our men.
The damage done by this great storm
IS immense. After accounts showed 7
at it swept the Northern Antilles and :
g Virgin islands, Port Rico, the north Z
n and eastern portions Of San Domin-