The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-09-21
RETURNED
IN DISTRESS.
Terrible Experience of the Brit
ish Ship Ventura.
After Being Out Forty-four Days Shes Comes
Back to Port, Having Been Crippled in
Furious Hurricane.

AT IUl1L LIQUIDS, SblJ NOIu III ludI TIC OIL u
Ventura was passing in, in tow OF tug.
There was considerable excitement among
the shipping men who happened TO be on
change when the news was received, as the
vessel left here forty-four days ago bound
for Westport. Ireland. She is British YES
sci, commanded by Captain Lillia, and had
on board when she left 10000 centals of
wheat, valued at $4,000, and $4,000 barrels
of flour, valued at S95,00O, shipped by Starr
| & Co.
The vessel came to anchor about o'clock
and Captain Lila sent to the Exchange
comprehensive report of the terrible eX-
| perience the ship had undergone since she
left here on August 9th. The report was
evidently written by one Of the apprentices
| from the captains log, and while the spell
! ing is somewhat faulty it is very well writ
ten, and in some places the language used
would do credit to the most sensational re-
| porter On a sensational daily paper. The re-
! port is headed all ready for the press:
" Dreadful hurricane encou inferred by the
| British ship Ventura of Glasgow; the ship
capsizng and turning right over" and the
following is verbatim copy of it:
| LEAVING THE PORT.
The British steel ship Ventura, Captain
| Y. LiLia, sailed from San Francisco, August
| 9th, bound to WeStp0rt, Ireland. All went
| well with US until the evening of the 18th
inst, when about Z o'clock the sky was
observed to have a most peculiar appear
| ance. The wind was due northeast, blowing
moderate breeze, and the ship making
south-southeast course, barometer standing
| % %; position of ship, latitude 20o As north,
| longitude 1889 81 west; midnight, still
| moderate breeze steady at northeast, but a
! heavy swell getting uD from the southeast;
| sky clear. At o'clock in the morning set
| in cloudy, breeze freshening; took in royals
| and all light sails. Noticed singular moan
| ing in the wind, barometer standing 29.9o.
| At 3 o'clock in tie morning it was blowing
| hard and getting squally, but the sky was
| quite clear at intervals. Called all hands on
deck and furled the topgallant sails and
| mainSall.
foresaIl ana inner jib, the ship nOV being
under three lower topsatls. Blowing very
hard and the wind veeling to the north.
Made sure that was in the left-hand semi
circle of the storm. Consequently hove the
ship to on the port tack. Barometer down
to 1910. Thermometer SO.
Ats a. NJ. blowing a fearful gale. All
hands on deck battening down and making
everything as secure as possible. The fore,
lower and mizzen lower topsails blew away
in the fearful sQuall. Wind at NNW.,
with mountainous sea; barometer down
to 2910. Ship bowling the seas well, but
laying down to the leewari to the main
hatch. Tried to take in the lower main
topsail, and, with much danger, got it fast
ii being blown to pieces.
TERRIFIC HURRICANE.
After half-past u o'clock it was blowing a
terrific hurricane, the ship was almost Oh
her beam ends, with most dreadful sea at
times threatening to englf the ship. Not
rag Of canvas was left on the yards but
Shreds. when a mountainous wave was seen
about
feet high. 1t struck her on the port beam
and passed completely over her, carrying
away everything before it and washing right
over the lower yards. Two men were
namely, Paul Nos, able seaman, who was
unfortunately drowned, and John Snoio,
sail-makeF, who was washed back by the
wash of the sea.
This poor man was last seen out on the
weather quarter clinging to piece Of boat.
We tried all we could to save him, but he
was far to the leeward and the ship soon
drilted out of his reach. This sea took
away the two after boats and bridge and
rails and two hen-coops and meat-safe and
smashed in the lee cabin iron doors, cutting
out the lee side and half filling the cabin
with water. On the poop il washed away
the wheel-b0x and gratingS and steering
compass and lee wash-board and washed
away the bucketrack and one life buoy.
Forward it took away the life-boat and
destroyed and smashed the port-boat,
smashed the yentlators on top of the house
and shifted the Spars, tearing the ringbOlts
clear out OF the deck; washed away the lee
fOrecastle ladder and Quilted out completely
the lee side of the torecsstle head and the
lee lighthouse. washing away paints, oils,
tanks and siQe-lightS, and in fact everything
movable on board tho ship. Gated out
the crews house and washed away most of
their effects.
AN AWFUL SEA.
The sea was now something awful to look
at and we could not tell whether the ship
was not laundering, as the blow she received
was enough to break her in two. About
o'clock in the afternoon the hurricane was
raging with fearful force and the ship was
envel0ped in one mass of foam right up to
her trucks; barometer down to 27.90 All
hands had to hold on for dear life when, in a
most dreadful burst of the hurricane. the
ship capsiZed. turning right over and burying
the lower yards in the SEA. She took sud
den plunge and almost put the fore-tcp un-
der.
1t seemed then that our last moment had
come, and the crew scrambled up the
weather rigging There was nothing then
above the water but the weather bilge, and
the ships keel must have been out OF
the water at times. The iron bulwarks to
leeward instantly tore away like so much
match-wood. right along from the fore zig
ging to the after part of the mainmast; not
thing was left, stanchions, or anything,
the main rail, being of iron, it almost tore
away the lower main rigging in its efforts to
break away. 1t at last broke of and bent
the lee screws badly, nearly breaking them.
The sea was then making fearful havoc
all over the ship. We could not cut the
Ilasts away as they were fitted with screw
rigging, and we expected every moment that
the ship would 20 down, as nothing could
hardly stand the thousands of tons Of
water that were constantly washing right
over her from the lee side. The sea was
now running in pyramids, and gave the ship
no chance to live
IN THE CENTER OF THE HURRICANE.
About O'Clock in the aftern DON all of
sudden it fell dead calm for ten minutes,
showing that the ship must have been fair
in the center Of the hurricane. The wind
then without any warning shifted to east,
or about ten points, and then the hurricane
came on, if possible. with redoubled fury,
raving in a most dreadful manner, so that
one could fancy there were thousands of
voices screaming in the air with most dis
tressing moan. About o'clock in the even
ing the ship was over to the main top in the
water and one had to turn his eyes away
from the fearful sight, the topgalant and
royal yards almost dipping We were pre-
pared to see her go down. but she hung on
wonderfully, and now and again the topsail
yards would come up and show themselves
just for second or two. 1t was fearful
sight as the night closed In, nothing but
mass of foam, the ship appearing to be en-
tombed in vast crater. Everybody was
fast to the miucn rigging and occasionally
she would send the poop clean under up to
half the mizzen mast; there was nothing
but her weather bilge above all the night
and it is mystery how she did not turn
bottom up and founder. Everything in the
cabin was washing about TO leeward and
the appearance of the ship from where we
were dashed to the rigging was truly awful.
At about o'clock in the morning we were
not-a little relieved to think that it showed
some signs of breaking which gave US some
hope of yet saving the ship aud ourselves.
When at last daylight came, it had moder-
ated great deal. The ship presented a
fearful sight, nothing but a mass of wreck
age below and aloft. We sounded the
pumps but found no water; the ship being
over on her beams ends the water could not
get to her well. We sounded the fore COM
partment and found eight feet Of water
| - L L. L.