The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-09-06

ness when the chances were so many that
we should be at the bottom of the China
sea before sunset.
Naturally, the stories turned in the di-
rection of storms, and especially of storms
such as we were now encountering. 81
was once IN typhoon between Nagasaki
and Shanghai" said one of the party,
when the captain told us that it would be
a miracle if the ship stayed above water
for another half-hour."
WAS it worse than this?" a listener
asked
mo worse than this" was the reply.
land the ship was as staunch and we'll
managed as ours is today. But hardly
had the captain spoken when the barom-
eter began to rise. the wind abated, and IN
few hours the sea was in its ordinary
condition and We were headed again for
port"
II was once on a junk near Ningpo,"
said another, when a typhoon came up
suddenly, and We were blown on shore
along with dozens of other junks and
smaller craft. Hundreds of people were
drowned. houses were overturned, fields
were devastated, trees were torn up by the
roots, and immense damage was caused
for many miles around"
How did you escape with your life
when your junk went ashore?"
''Idon't know exactly how it happened.
was the reply. Half the crew were
drowned yes, more than half of them.
They stuck to the Junk till she went to
pieces, and were knocked about in the
debris. When she struck | jumped over
board and let the wind and waves carry
me where they would. / was a good
swimmer, but knew that swimming is of
very little use in a hurricane, and so l
didn't try it. BY the greatest good for
tune was carried into the limbs of a tree
that the wind was bending low, but had
not yet uprooted. and it was the tree that
saved me from being dashed to my death"
In our party was a German, handsome,
vigorous man, who had taken little part in
the conversation thus far on the voyage.
Consequently the rest of us were trihe
surprised when he was the first to speak
after the one whose adventure has yust
been narrated had paused.
i've been overheard in a typhoon,"
said he, land with no land in sight"
"Tell US about it, said half dozen of
US almost in the same breath.
at was ten years ago." he continued,
between Bangkok and Hongkong. | was
on a German schooner that had been trad
ing in the Gulf of Siam and was on her
way to Hongkong. We were caught in a
typhoon about 100 miles Oft Hongkong,
and were in the worst of it. All of our
ward sails were carried away, our masts
went by the board, and the wind finally
turned us on our beam ends. Everybody
the sea and swept away in an instant. |
was one of those who went overheard, and
with me went q hencoop, which man
aged to seize as il drifted past me. The
wind carried it so rapidly that it fairly
dragged me as a boat Is towed at the stern
of a steamboat. If had not clutched 1T
il the instant did it would have gone so
fast that | could not have reached it by
swimming.
ain a minute or so after going over the
rail could see nothing of the schooner;
neither could / see any of my companions
who were with me in the water. The rope
by which the hen coop had been lashed
was still fastened To it. and managed to
pass il under my arms so that it gave me
some support. And all the time the wind
was blowing fearfully. | was blinded by
the spray and the torrents of rain, and
really | did not expect TO live an hour
where | was. Half the time my head was
under water and ii was very difficult TO get
breath.
But l chung with desperation, as
drowning man always clings to any sort OF
support; the water was warm, so that L
was in no danger of being chilled and be-
numbed, at least not for while. BY ana
by the wind fell a little then little more,
and en- | frightened the rope under my
arms and lifted myself further out OF the
water. A terrible thirst came upon me,
OUT L InandHtu 10 dSSutSc IL liAtAC ~
catching in my mouth some OF the ram
drops as they fell. Then my strength be-
gan to fail; felt like fainting, and we'll.
knew that if 1 became insensible should
certainly drown.
LAS / was making a great effort 10 rouse
myself caught sight of steamer coming
through the mist almost directly towards
me. The lookout forward saw the hen
coop, then ne made out that man was
fast 10 it, and then the steamer Stacked
her speed SO as TO bring me close along
side 1t was still too rough for lowering
a boat; Malay sailor came down the rope
like cat, passed the blight of it around
me, and then, after casting off the hem
coop, he scrambled back again, and | was
hauled on board. | tainted then but that
did no harm; | was on the steamer Dam
ube and her captain. Clanchy. took good
care of me and landed me safe in Hong
kong. The schooner and all of the rest
belonging to her were never heard from"
THOMAS ". KNOX.