The morning call., 1890-09-28
EVENTFUL TRIP
OF THE YORKTOWN.
Terrible Gales Encountered on
the Passage Here.
a Graphic Report Furnished by the Captain.
The Boatswain Washed Overheard.
Charge Against Nate.

The American ship Yorktown, Captain
Delap. arrived yesterday morning after
passage of 166 days from New York, with a
cargo of general merchandise consigned to
Sutton & Bcebe. The vessel had quite an
eventful voyage, as the following from the
captains report of the trip will show:
"Sailed from New York April 14th, with
the wind from the south. On the same night
it hauled to the eastward and continued so
all the way to the equator, which was
crossed in longitude 800 west, when twenty
seven days out; thence to latitude 23o south
was twenty-five days with nothing but light
southerly winds and severe cams mot
even smell of southeast trades.
From latitude 23o south to latitude 43o
south had one continuous gale from the
southwest and frightful head sea, making
1t impossible to carry any sail. The ship
was completely buried in water all the time.
Thence to Cape Horn had variable winds
and all kinds Of weather. Passed Cape st.
John Oh June 25th, seventy-two days out,
and Cape Horn four days later. Was twenty
seven days from latitude 5Oo south in the
Atlantic to 500 south in the Pacific.
HowLING GALE.
sJuly 1st commenced with a gale from the
northwest and for seven consecutive days
and nights it howled and ragged as though it
was trying its level best to wipe us out of
existence altogether During the gale the
boatSwan was washed overheard. We sent
out boat 10 save him, but it was Of no use
and the boat was lost in returning TO the
ship.
"The gale finally ended up in proper old
down-East blizzard, blowing with terrific
fury and accompanied by the most violent
squalls of hail, snow and wind. after which
it hauled northerly aud mo Oderated, when
after several unsuccessful attempts to get
the ship before the wind, we discovered
something wrong with our rudder, and on
looking over the sterI found it swinging
from side to side.
IN A NICE PREDICAMENT.
"We cut hole in the rudder trunk and
found the rudder head completely twisted
off; nice predicament to be in, in latitude
540 south, deeply laden with railroad, pig
and scrap iron, and various other xmas OF
iron, called by courtesy, general cargo.
However, when the weather moderated we
got spare yard across the stern and some
heavy tackles hooked onto the tiller under
water.
ave sculled (sculled is good word) away
to the nor thw est, it taking about all hands
to do the Seulllng; but we were getting
along first rate and had got as far as So
west, when we encountered another north
west blizzard, which smashed up the whole
business and carried away spar, tackles
and everything connected.
''1he rudder then had full swing until
the gale moderated, when We rlgged her up
again with Two spars and masthead tackles
for supporters and bore away for Valpa-
raise, as we did not consider it prudent to
Continue the voyage In our disabled state.
The wind continued westerly and the
weather boster0us, but we made fair prog
ress. Kept steering to the northeast for
nearly two weeks, under easy sail, and
when within 200 mites OF Valparaiso Provi-
dence, for some unknown reason, again yis-
tied his wrath upon
ANOTHER TERRIFIC STORM.
1t came in the shape of one of the most
terrific storms it has ever been my misfor-
tune to meet at sea. The wiud blew with
the violence of a hurricane and sea that
would strike terror to the heart of old Nep-
tune himself. Our new lower topsailS blew
away like SO much paper; canvas could not
stand its fury.
"The ship lay for twenty-five hours under
bare poles, the sea breaking over her as if
she were half-tide ledge. 1t seemed as
though we were doomed to never get any
where; but through it all, strange to say,
our steering geer held intact, and next day
when the gale had moderated and the wind
hauled to the north'ard, finding that every
thing had held on so well, and feeling con-
fdent that nothing worse could possibly
overtake us than what we had alfeady
weatnered through, we decided to again pro-
ceed on our voyage under easy sail aud try
and make San Francisco.
"1he weather continued fine with good
trades, and BY giving all our attention to the
steering we were able to 'sculP our way
to the northwest with fair progress, cross
ing the equator i'll longitude 1140 west, lbs
days out
YET ANOTHER HURRICANE.
"Beng now on cur own side OF the globe,
. hat lN1n, fnr fhsa
were over, but in this we were doomed to
disappointment, tor we had scarcely reached
latitude 150 north. longitude 1852 west, when
the elements commenced to hurl their fury
upon us.
"At 7 o'clock in the evening on August
30th, without any apparent warning the sky
suddenly became as black as dungeon, and
in an instant a hurricane from the south
west burst upon us, blowing away almost an
entire suit of sails and breaking the fore
topgallant mast, all SAIL being set at the
time.
1.-The gale ragged with unabated fury for
seventeen hours, during which time the
ship had not yard OF canvas set, nor any
thing to set. The way the rain came down
would cause one to think that the earth was
again being deluged and the final windup of
all things had come at last, but in due time
it all Quieted down, when we bent the few
remaining sails we had left and sculled on.
I'VE took the so-called northeast trades
IN lS0 north, Wnlcn, ike everything else we
have enjoyed this voyage, were as contrary
as possible, being from the north to latitude
500 north, then northeast to latitude 40o
north, 1420 west, when we had two days
calm, then southeast and north winds to
port.
A SERIOUS CHARGE.
Soon after the Yorktown anchored, a man
who gave his name as John Carr. and said
he was one of the crew, appeared at the
South Harbor Police Station and told Officer
Manning, who was in charge. that on the
passage OF the vessel and while James
Weston, the boatswain, was over the bow
doing some work, with a line fast to him,
the second mate, Thomas Nolan, deliberately
let go the line and the boatswain fell in the
water and was drowned.
He declared that three others of the crew
| saw Nolan let go the line. The men, he
| states, had had trouble before, and the sec
| ond mate did the act out of revenge Carr
| said that he was going to the United states
| MarshaPs Office to enter formal conpiainI
| against the second mate, but as that once
J closed at u o'clock on Saturday he VIII nave
| to wait until tomorrow,
The name of the boatswain who was lost
+ overheard was James Weston. He was
\