Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1892-10-14
AN OCEAN ESCAPE.
An Actual Experience-Recoun
by Young New Haven Traveller.

AN OCEAN ESCAPE.
An Actual Experience-RecOun
by Young New Haven Traveller.
To the Editor of the JOURNAL AND COURIER:
The dangers of the sea are many, ship
wreck, storms, leaking, founderings, etc.
water spout in the cspability to almost in
stantly dismast and render vessel useless
for the vocation for which che was
launched. Now person that has never
seen water spout has no idea of the emo
tions excited at the first sight of one. This
first impression ia of amazement, SO con-
trary does the upright column of water
seem to the laws of nature. He is next
impressed with Its beauty, the snowy white
foam at its base giving way to shades of
dark green, which likewise change to
tints of blue and gray as it mounts heaven
ward. believe that there are few cases
recorded nowadays of vessels being wrecked
by water spouts, or even approached to
close proximity by one. But in the little
incident that am going to relate to you
it was pronounced case of the latter
assure you. I was at the time on voyage
to Venzuela South America, on a three
masted schooner of some 900 tons register.
We were fourteen days out and
had experienced very little bad weather,
the first twelve days being clear enough to
admit of our ''meridian observations" at
noon, but the last two days so cloudy that
we were unable to locate our latitude at
this time. We had passed through Mona
passage two nights before, and were now
as near as We could figure without a ''sight"
in long. 65 degrees W., lat. 16 degrees NJ,
which should put us we'll in the beautiful
Caribbean sea. As I stepped on deck that
sky, with very little wind !, but that was blow
rate of about four knots. All sail was set
and the men in the watch were busy with
odd jobs around the decks. There was a
peculiar sense of stiffness in the air Chat is
1 generally noticeable to one at sea before a
| storm or atmospheric disturbance), which
| was broken now and then by an occasional
order given by the mate to the men and 6
hearty response as they fastened to exc
cute it, and the rattle of dishes that
the steward was washing in the gal
ley-sounds that accompanied by tn,
rattle of the topsail chains snt
the ripple of the water round the VESSEL
bows, as they cut through the water, grow
80 familiar to one after he has been to Sc,
for some time. But what puzzled me wa
| the weather. I had seen queer weathe
before but none like this, with its stiffness
and closeness of air. The water resem blet
soup as it rose in long undulating swell
to the scuppers, so void was it of ripples
I also noticed that the wind was fast goinl
down, and stepped over to the ''port quar-
ter" where the captain was stand
4 Srrv bod nS h
weather, but he seemed loath t,
say much about it, or TO talk at all, whicl
brought me to the conclusion that it mus
be an unusual day indeed. Nothing o
consequence happened unless it was tn
steady decrease Of wind till about ''si
BELLS" when, on coming up from below,
: was struck again by the extraordinary as
pect of the weather. The wind had gon
down almost entirely, and the booms wer
slapping to and fro with vigor. Heav
black squalls were ahead and on both side
, like great walle, but behind u
to the northsrd the sky was eomparativel
} clear, with patches of blue sky showing i
places. I stood at the head of the CON
panion way for moment viewing thi
, grand ocean scene, when of sudden m
eye caught sight of what looked to me t
be 8 column of water rising perpendicu
larly from sea to sky, about six miles O
our port quarter. I had seen pictures {
water-spouts and had an idea that tn
might mig o.n be one 1sn 50 tba sung out s+a
; spout off the sport quarter?" s'That's wins
: it is as sure as you ive!" said he, and
D called the first mate and pointed it out
: him. The mate had never seen one bsfol
and shared my curiosity to watch it,
seemed to be moving astern at first and tt
q captain was of the opinion that it wou]
g soon disappear, when suddenly it change
it's course to one bearing down on us, an
1t seemed to draw near rapidly. "Csll tt
y watch, Mp sung out the captain, ''au
l. clue up the top-sails, stay sails, and tai
g in all eight sail" and he went below
d get his oil skins. The spout seemed
this time to be about four miles off an
>, increasing in sizs steadily. The watc
t, ssil'' was slowed in remarkably short tim
a. | This was done in order to offer as lit
r resistance as possible to the spout if
70 | struck us, thereby lessening the chance
loss of life and damage to the vessel. The
was nothing to do but to await develo
=. ments. If what little wind we hi
would carry US out of Il
!. spout's course before it reached
l. we would escape, otherwise we would ha
j. | to trust to its breaking before 1t reach
t US. shall never forget those waiting n
v, ments. I can see the vessel now as
:, sailed bravely on, making the best of t
81 little wind, and the captain and ma
e, standing beside me on the quarter anxior
Mt ly awaiting the result of the race th
70 70 meant so much to us all, and the crt
C. hanging over the bulwarks watchi
the approaching column, which was
near now that I could hear t
Kissing of the water at it's base as
n. whirled along. Suddenly, thank God, t
OF wind freshened and changed to quart
I'D almost ahead. "Keep her off-steady
shouted the captain to the man at
ed wheel, and we bounded away out of t
es course of the spout, which likewise veer
ill astern of us. The captain jumped do'
as into the cabin and coming up with his
Of volver fred two shots at the spout as
,e, rushed past our stern about hundr
.o yards off. 1t wavered and broke il
vapor and we sailed on in peace.
LOUIS A. PARSONS,