The morning call., 1893-06-27
A TYPHOON'S RAGE
The Largest Sailing Ship
Afloat Dismasted.
SOMALI NEARLY WRECKED.
Caught in Typfoon in the Eastern
Seas and Left Helpless-Mon-
Ster Tidal Waves.

Typhoons of the China seas played
havoc with the largest sailing ship afioat,
and left her drifting heiplessly about the
Eastern Ocean until rescued and lowed to
port by the steamer Characteristics. is
the report brought in advices by the
steamer China from Hong-Kong.
The ship was the Somali. built entirely
of steel at Port Glasgow eight months ago.
She was on her maiden voyage to the
eastern seas with 5000 tons of coal. the
largest amount ever carried by sailing
vessel to those parts.
The SOmali came near being wrecked.
and was towed into Hong Kong in an al
most dismantled condition.
The Somali left Singapore on March 81.
and at $50 o'clock her topmast staysails
were set, but so severe were the squalls
which sprang up at that hour that she was
obliged TO shorten sail again in few min
utes.
at o'clock the gale increased in vio-
lence until it was almost impossible for
men TO stay in the rigging. Captain Nor
gan knew that it was no ordinary storm
into which he had pOked his vessels nose.
so a consultation was held with his Off
GERS, and it was found that the Somali was
in the left end of the semi-ciIcle of a
typhoon.
The ships head was worn around i'm
pedately o the northeast and an attempt
was made to ride out OF that part of the
hurricane.
The Somali appeared to be making no
Roadway against the angry and confused
seas, which were momentarily becoming
wilder and more dangerously chOppy.
The sky turned black as ink, and at 20
the work of destruction alott commenced.
All sails were blown out of the gaskets.
the main topsail being blown out of the
ropes and ripped into shreds.
The barometer stood 1920. and an hour
alter remarkable phenomenon occurred.
The mercury rose rapidly and fell almost
as quickly, and almost instantaneously the
mlZZeD lower tOpSail and the reete span ker
were blown out of the bolt ropes with
a report like that of cannon, and mon
ster wave suddenly formed forward in a
most peculiar manner.
The whole surface of the ocean seemed
to drop as though il had suddenly fallen
into an abyss. a great wall of water was
sc0oped up directly ahead and on the port
and star5oard bows as far as the eye could
reach. This monster mass of green water
suddenly leaped forward. its crest as high
as the tops of the Somall's masts. Up.
up, up, went the ship as the huge wave
rolled under it. then with a plunge that
the crew of the Somali thought was to Its
death the gallant ship dropped into
the sea on the other side. The tidal wave
rolled several hundred yards astern and
broke with deatening roar.
The wind then veered Gu the south, but
did not decrease in violence. The ship
was on the verge of capSZng, so her crew
thought, and then there was some talk OF
taking 20 the boats. although such a move
would have been sure death. a heavy
blast struck the vessel and heeled her
over,the toretopmast was carried awayclose
to the cap, and the mainmaSt head gave way,
bringing down the mizzen topgallant sail
and everything connected with it.
The Somali, relieved of the pressure of
canvas. righted and was saved from de-
structon, for almost the instantsh came
on an even keel an immense wave broke
over Ter bows sweeping everything before
it,sma shing boats, twisting stanchions and
flooding the vessel from foTecastle to cabin.
Soon after this the miZZentopmast fell,
bringing lot of wreckage along with il.
The ship was thrown on her beam ends
and was laboring heavily.
One OF her crew became tangled in the
wreckage and was with difficulty rescued.
but not until both of his legs had been
broken.
Captain Morgan gave orders to clear
away the wreckage, which was dragging
over the port side and humping against
the SOmafiS iron plates, threatening to
make hole IN them.
When the wreckage was nearly cut away
the ship was struck bv another monster
tidal wave. which broke just as it passed
astern, letting the vessel down into the
trough of the sea with a thump that
seemed to those on board as if she had
struck rock. The wreckage dragging
over her sides was swept away compile tely
and she righted again.
Then the wind died down considerably,
but the sea still remained ugly. Only the
jigger mast was left intact, the fore, main
and mzzen masts being broken off about
thirty feet above the deck.
The pride of England's merchant marine
drifted bout in helpless condition fol
four days until sighted and taken in tow
by the Carm arthanshire. The latter yes.
sci towed the Somali 4S3 miles to Hong
kong.
The Somali was built by Messrs Rus.
sell IL Co. of Port Glasgow. and in add
ton to being the largest is also the finest
steel four-masted sailing vessel ever built