The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1892-07-14
ll1onilo1poc pilot.
TT r. Day, JULY II, 1892.
M!CHTY GALE IN THE BAY OF BlScAY
Tossing Amid Mountains and Valleys o
Green and Treach crous Water.

Those who have never been in :
real blow on the ocean cannot form {
conception of the power of the vino
and sea. said a gentleman who ha,
travelled extensively. Il have beer
in many an ordinary gale, but in onl!
one that would rank as tirst-claSs
one | never want to get into another.
The ship that was then in was al
old merchant steamer of about 1,2)y
tons, and was As unpleasant craft IL
heavy weather as a man can imagine
To begin with. she was stecrcd from
the bridge by Wire ropes leading aft
on high stanchions, and even in com
parativcly calm weather they were con
tinually parting and causing delay and
danger: in "a gale. when to broach-tu
would mean Dayy Jones locker il,
short order they did not add to ones
feeling Of security.
I'VE passed Cape Finnisterre, the
northern point OF Spain, one fine even
ing, and expected to have a pleasant
run across the dreaded Bay of BiScay.
About four bells the glass began tC
fall and the Captain seemed anxious,
but instead Of putting back for San
Sebastian or some other Of the Spanish
ports. a. he would have been quite
justified in doing seeing that the OLD
tub he commanded was hardly sea
worthy, he held on his course BY
morning we were into the thick of one
of the worst gales of the century.
I'VE boosted high poop, and be-
tween it and the bridge the waist OF
the ship was filled with water, and it
was q most risky passage TO wade
through it even with the help of life
lines. We passengers did not make
the attempt,
For three days we lived in the poop
cabin, and gnawed sea biscuits soaked
in salt water, but we had little appe-
tite. and believe green turtle soup
would hardly have tempted Us. The
every now aud then. On the second
morning of the gale | cr;twled up the
marrow companion and dashed myself
near where the wheel would have been
i'll an ordinary vessel. The appear
ance of the sea was beautiful, but
terrible. The rollers were several
hundred feet from crest to crest; great
mountains of cool, green water, with a
line of kissing foam along their sum-
mitS.
AS one would approach the ship she
wou.t rise slowly, mounting upward,
qnivering from stem 10 stern. Then
the broken crest of the waves would
curl over her bows, burying her fore
castle under tons of water. The decks
would be swept from end to end. and
of course everything movable, such as
boats, vanished early III the struggle.
while on the top of the rollers the
wind would feel like living force and
seemed TO beat man down; then the
steamer began to slide down the long
gatery slope. In the hollow it would
be n perfect calm.
'for three days and nights we lay
td. under easy steam. Just keeping
enough way on the snip to make her
steer, and lodging the seas by consum-
mate skill in steering. The sailors
worked like ticndS; each man knew
that, should the engines break down
or the steering-gcar fail to work. even
for few minutes. the steamer would
breach to and capsizc.
AT length the agony was over, and
the Captain called all hands into the
chart-room and treated in the good old
fashioned sailor-man'S way. Two DAYS
later We We're sailing up the channel
and passed the Isle of Wight in Hat
calm. = Boston HJrdid