Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1891-06-03
DonegaHs Deep-Sea Coast.

"'They that go down to the sea in
ships, that do business in great waters,
NAV suppose that the wonders OF
the sea are revealed to them alone, y
said an old traveller who had garnered
experience both ashore and afiOat, "but,
as matter of fact, the average sailor
has very little idea Of the size and
power of great waves. On the rock
bound coast, exposed to the full sweep
Of the Atlantic Ocean, the pillows break
in fury that they never exhibit far
from shore. A few months ago | was a
guest in the house of a Donegal IRE
land) gentleman who lives about five
miles from the shore, and | witnessed a
singular phenomenon, which L think is
peculiar to that coast.
con the evening of my arrival my
host gave a dinner party, at which [
was the only alien. Every one else at
the table was a native of Donegal, and
when the cloth was removed and the
ladies had withdrawn, the materials es-
sential to social evening were pro-
duced. [ was Just about to raise my
glass to my lips when | heard a strange
booming noise, not unlike far-OH thun-
der, and at the same moment the room
was very plainly shaken, the easements
siderable portion of my punch was
iOlted over the edge of my tumbler and
fell upon the table. ] had no doubt that
/ had felt the shock OF an earthquake,
and | dare say my face was rather pale
as | looked at my companions to see
how they were affected by the situation.
They did not seem to be in the least
disturbed. Joke and laugh and story
flowed on unchecked, but | noticed that
every man was now holding his glass III
his hand. Somewhat treasured, l was
on the point of again raising my glass
when the booming sound was repeated,
the floor shivered, the window panes
clattered and the floor rocked again,
and this time the disturbance seemed
nearer, clearer, deadlier than before
81 could be silent no longer. Adj
dressing the guests generally, 1 said:
lis this an earthquake? You APP
pear to be accustomed to such things,
Judging from the smallamount of atten-
tention you pay to IT.
For moment they all stared at me
wonderingly. Then, with common
impulse, they leaned back in their
chairs and fairly howled with laughter.
4 beg your pardon, said our host as
soon as he had recovered his gravity.
L forgot that you were a stranger in
Donegal, and knew nothing about the
force with which the great Atlantic
waves strikes its rocks. A storm is
brewing at sea and the great rollers are
Just beginning to shake the shore The
shock of a billow on the ramparts may
be felt much further inland than this,
and during a very fierce tempest, when
the wind is blowing straight from the
ocean, the earth trembles at least eight
miles from the coast
THE following morning | drove to
the beach. A quarter of a mile from
the sea [ was drenched with what |
mistook for rain, but l found it was
merely thick flying spray from the
breakers. On the coast the scene was
positively awful to one unaccustomed to
it, The storm of the preceding night
had spent itself, but the giant waves,
with the whole weight of the Atlantic
Ocean behind them, smote the immova-
bic rocks with terrific force, and melt
ing into seething foam, sank back, only
for moment, upon the breast of the
almost fathOmless waters that wash that
iron coast. When time was young those
pitiless pillows wasted their power upon
that impregnable shore, and while time
endures thos everlasting ramparts will
beat them back. OF all places | have
visited in which nature dwarfs human
lty, | have seen none where mans lit
tleneSs becomes so apparent to himself
as at the deep-sea coast Of Donegal. .
NetO York Times