The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-10-28
IN A HURRICANES GRIP.
Tempestuous Voyages of Five
Transatlantic Steamers.
Days of Terror During Which Fiji
tv Passengers Are Injured.


With prayers of thanksgiving on their
lips, the passengers of five big transatlantic
steamships, numbering nearly. 1000, were
landed at the Port of New York after haT-
ing experienced storms and cyclones, which
for a time filled them with dread.
One of the severest cyclones that
has swept across the Atlantic
Ocean for many years was experienced by
the incoming vessels. and the number OF
passengers bruised and injured can be safely
said to be fifty; and although no fatal re-
suits occurred, the suffering on the steam
tossed vessels cannot be oversstimateI.
The arrivals were the Augusta Victoria
from Hamburg, La Bretagne from Havre,
Umbria from Liverpool, Taormina from
Hamburg. SIavonia from Hamburg, Stella
from Marseilles. and Consmaugn from
Antwerp. Each OF the several cap
tains reported that while they had expert
enced bad weather in all October voyages,
the one Just ended was by far the severest
ever encountered. The trip will stand on
record as the most exciting and dangerous
ever reported. The list OF casualties to
passengers and crews oubnumperS any IninS
before known.
Of the three big passenger steamers the
trip OF the Augusta Victoria was the most
hazardous the log Of each day telling tale
of storm appalling to even old seamen. In"
vessel carried 3o7 cabin, $40 steerage passen
gers and a crew Of 3O5 men. fhA
Vessel had scarcely passed Southamp'
ton when Captain Barends saw that
a storm was coming up, and gave
orders that everything should be made snug
and taut. A northwest gale was blowing,
Al u n1
until it became q fierce hurricane. The big
steamer was soon pitching in the Tremendous
sea, and Captain Barends gave orders that
her head was to be kept up to the wind to
prevent her getting into the trough Of the
sea.
AS the storm increased in violence the
scenes in the saloon and steerage were un-
usual. Veterans who had crossed and re-
crossed the ocean and boasted OF Ignorance
of seasickness lay prone on their backs, suf.
fering intense agony. There was no abate-
ment in the gale until six days afterward,
which was the severest day of the
voyage. During the whole period the waves
were Incredibly high, and the wind whistled
furiously through the rigging, the vessel
quivering and shaking in every part as it
about to 90 to pieces. Her nose plunged
down into the waves while the stern rosa
out Of the water causing the twin screws
to race with imminent danger to the
ship.
To eat, walk or move was absolutely i'm
possible. Those who were compelled by
circumstances to change their positions had
to creep. Mrs.. Richard White and her
daughter attempted to leave their staterooms
and were hurled down with such force that
the right arm of each was broksp.
In the steerage the passengers, crowded in
I, Ia hum yEa
on top of each other, against the decks and
posts Until nearly score Of them were In
jured. F. Spiroch and Anna Bartoon were
knocked down. Their heads came in contact
with such force that both became uncon-
scious, The family of Heinrich Epp, eight
cen in all, were badly bruised. The other
injured people were fifteen in number. Their
injuries consisted of bruises aud sprained
wrists and ankles.
DR.. Lonburn, q cabin passenger, was
thrown across the saloon and had an arm
broken. Another injured i'll the saloon was
John Schirmer, who was knocked against
table and had bis arm broken.
When the vessel got to her dock she was
coated all over with salt, where the waves
had broken on her, while her passengers
were limping about with heads and arms
bandagei. :,
The Cunard steamship y mbria weathered
the same gale as the Augusta Victoria. Ihe
former sailed from Queenstown and caught
up with the Dad weather the first day. Inc
passengers suff cred much, but only two were
iniured-Char es Roate, Of Buffalo, y. ~,
VINO was thrown to the floor Of the smoking
room and had his scalp lacsratsd, anu
Henry Harrison, an Engishman. who fell
and was badly, bruised. Mrs. Mary Moor
man, a cabin passenger, forty-hve, OF LOUIS,
vile, KY, had a stroke o. apopIe1J ana
died
It was discovered on thu day that Mrs.
Moorman died that pin in tde machinery
of the vessel had broken. 1t was neces-
sary to lay to until the damage was
repaired. The vessel was in the trough
of the sea for some hours, whcn In
creased the discomfort Of the passen
gers. The waves broke into one stateroom
and narrowly escaped drowning one OF the
passengers. =,
Among the passengers were Cornelius N
Bliss. his son, c. N. Bliss, Jr., Count Endody
Admiral John e. Howell and F. W. Rhine
lander.
'Hayre. took a more southerly course. bu
encountered the hurricane. She weatherec
1t bravely, The crew and passengers weri
uniniured. Some of the passengers though
that when they retired on Wednesday nigh,
they would have to take to the boat
before the next day. La Bretagne passed
fishing boat. floating bottom up, with two
dories alongside.
The schooner W. R. Houston returned tx
New York with her jib and foretop sail:
carried away. The steamer Storm King,
from Hamburg for Montreal, put into Ply
mouth, and her captain reported that dur
ing the gale he lost 152 head OF cattle.