Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1891-02-27
TERR0RS OF THE SEA
cYcLoNlc, VOLCANIC AND oru.
TYPES OF WAVES. S'

Colossal DiIiows Which RIM =,
High--fh' Pas ase of Cape Ho,,,.
"hiriwind at Sea-Enects or -.
oanio Wave. ''i'
"A wave Is a thing Of beauty bn. !.
only JOY 10 those who watch II n,a,, ~
IN splendor and foam from the safa . .'sg
OF TIE shore. II is a very nauscati,..ug e
dltloh at voyaGing. 1t makes tha eoh-
OF ships creak as if they wera g. Zones
rheumatism 1t fills the brain W., ,au Oh
sense OF chaos, and one monent su,i,'i .u a
moaning Traveller to the stars ana ~ sa we
plunges nun INTO an abyss hideona nsAt
gloom ana the Kissing as of millio, "i'n
snakes. 10 measure waves in a a VI
tempest ~ even more dificnlt th".ie
marx eifects. When the weather NJ "
such Jury as makes the seas 81 80 10
enough TO render the determinatia,' 'a.
their height exceedingly important ~ u
Is usually roo much anxiety. and evo,, si'
traction, Tor observation. The wai,,I.
the wlnd Is SO violent that it Is almoSt ~ "
possible to show ones face to If M M
ship, whether sailing vessol ms
steamer, hove to plunges so ahomina.,a
that man S main concern is in bnlI
and save himself from bejng dro,' vi
should one of the frothing mountains nv,
bic on board. There may be Other ' LUZ
sons why the officers of the noro "a
marine have not very zealously deva,ns
their leisure moments to measurinn ,t'i
height of waves. But more inforneo. 'no
tAan may already be found collected y
hadly wanted and, unquestionablv oo 70
talns and mates would be doing snbst1
tial service by neglecting no opportunit.
to ascertain, by the best means in tbai,
power, the true altitude of ocean seae
DOWN BY CAPE HORN
For the true Andean sea ono r,r,.
down to Cape Horn perhaps to ne far ~ ~
60 degs. south. There are sailors w,ta 10
standing at the wheel of a shin rr,,t",'
before these seas, will never wilingl1
look behind them, lest the SIGHT Of tbo -,
coming rampant of green water arcbin,,
toward the taifrail, should unnerye tba,'e
Standing on II deck twenty feet abova H..
water line you yet look up at the crest ~
these seas as at the top. of a monntsiu
The gigantic grace, the huge majesty ~
these liquid Titans cannot be describoJ
1t is necessary to be hove to to appreciate
watch
from the low broadside the swelling an.
proach of the mighty mass. with IL
freckled front and foamless head airkar,
ing III bottle green to the dull light of the
gray sky; to feel the sweep of the shin mn
the enormous activity, and then while.
for the space of u breath only, she banos
poised with upright masts and shriekinp
rigging on the headlong brow. to looH
down and behold the valley beneath. into
which the vessel an instant after Slides
like comet.
1t is difficult to write of the seas which
run III heavy weather off the southern
most point of South America without
risk OF being charged with exaggeration:
they must he seen, and Il little spell OF
custom will render admiration easy. It
is impossible to be tossed by them in such
! vessels as now make the passage of the
Horn, without wondering by what miracle
of luck or phenomenal merit of seaman
ship the old navgators were enabled to
beat against them in their small half
decked boats, some no bigger than a Deal
lugger, without II touch of the weatherly
qualities of such craft.
CYCLONE AGITATION.
But let it not be supposed that the high
wave is the dangerous one. The regular
running surges may all be as tall as the
biggest hotel in London with ninth
fellow among them us high as the monu-
ment, and yet none prove nearly so dan
gerous as the pyramdal seas of the
cyclone OF all forms of yexed water the
cyclonic agitation is the worst. Here is
whirlwnd of astonishing fury so many
miles in diameter. For little while it
runs steady sea, but presently its gyra-
tons brings up II surge from another
quarter; then comes the lull, followed by
frightful outfly of storm from direc
ton opposite to the point from which the
wind last blew, The seas, coming into
collision, fight like wolves. They snap
and howl, leaping high in coniied shapes
i'll the very smilitude Of sentient
passion. The staggering of the
ship is indescribable There is no
rhythmic swing to give her motions
something Of the vibrations Of the pendu-
/ lum. Her decks are filled with water
while her bows dive into Il chasm that has
opened under her forefoot, a valley yawns
under her stern and Hill Of water flashes
up on either side. 1t has not been sug-
gested that the altitude of the cyclonic
wave should be determined Probably
there is no eye a1oat equal to such an uu-
dertaking.
Another very uncomfortable sea is the
volcanic wave 1t is not very long ago
that vessel, stcamng through quiet
waters on n dark night, was suddenly
hurled up by an invisible blloW tnat was
reclloned to he between thirty and forty
feet high. Three such waves passed under
her the Inst bniDr tho least in volume