The Durham daily globe. (Durham, N.C.) 1889-1894, 1893-11-07
IN THE HURRICANES CLUTCH

Awful Storms of the indian Ocean.
"From nine o'clock in the morning un
til four in the afternoon the sky was
cloudless and without a breath of all
stirring, and the surface of the ocear
was like glass. Attic la~st-narned houl
it became as dark as if night had shut
down. The glass had been steadily
falling since noon, and one had but tt
look at sky and water to know what
was coming. By half-past four the shir
was stripped for the struggle, life lines
owe along the decks, and the watch
below turned up. The lamps were
lighted, all work was suspended, and
then began a period of suspense like
the waiting for a battle to open.
1.-Two thousand miles of Indian ocean
rolled between us and the nearest foot
of land. The ship lay as helpless as a
log, heaving and lurching on the ground
swell, and from the depths of her hold
came queer, strange noises to further
awe and Cypress the sailors gathered
forward. 1t is during a calm that the
creak of bulkheads, the grinding of the
cargo, and the doleful complaints from
yards and blocks are heard the loudest.
"'Hear the dead men moaning whis-
pered the sailors to each other as
strange noises came out Of the west.
cit was a weird, grewsome sound
sometimes like the cry of a night bird
afar off and again reminding you of the
vibrations of a harp string. Such
sounds are only heard at sea when the
elements are preparing for fierce war
fare. Let them come to the ears of the
lon lighthouse keeper on the coast and
he would tremble like a child and may
hap desert his post.
"'Hear the drowning men Sob whjs.
pered the sailors again as the ship rest
ed on an even keel for n moment
From stern to rudder the waters
beat against her sides with q curious
gurgle, like unto tie gasping, sobbing
sound a man gives ont as he sinks fol
the last time. 1t is a sound to bring a
chill and make your flesh creep when
night is at hand and the wrath Of
heaven making ready for its spring.
cat five o'clock the only change is
that the darkness is more intense and
the silence has become so profound that
the cheep, cheep! of a block aloft is an,
noyingly painful. There are no orders
to be Civ Those who converse lower
their voices, as people do when there is
death in the house.
"At six o'clock the men are sent to u
per. They eat in such silence that the
ship seems to be deserted forward OF
the mainmast. They hurry the meal,
for no man can say what moment the
storm king will make his wild charge.
1--we Or three Of them light their pipes,
and the blaze of the matches strikes
against the darkness as if it were a
stone wall. 1t is the darkness of the
gloomiest dungeon ever built by human
hands. 1t seems to press you down
like dead weight and to clutch at you
with clammy fingers.
"'Ready, there! FOrward.'
"The captains sudden shout is fol-
lowed by a long-drawn moan in the
west-a moan which gradually changes
into a wild, fierce scream as the gale
strikes us. We are broadSide on. Every
mar holds on for dear life. The great
ship is at first pushed down until her
decks are awash, and then she is lifted
up and heeled over to pOrt-Over and
over until the ends of her wards are in
the water and the decks straight up
and down. Men shut their ewes that
they may not see the specter of death.
one-tWo-three minutes. and then she
slowly rolls back to starbOard. swings
her head to the east, and away we 90
before a ~shrieking, bowling, scream
ing hurricane, which seems mad
dened at Il escape. The ship
must be brought around before the
sea gets up. Men clutch and crawl
and creep about. The din is Internal
No orders are given, but all understand
what is to be done. When all is ready
she swings slowly about. with her nose
to the gale, falls off on the port tack,
and the st0rnnsail holds her there. The
wheel IS dashed. another sail is made
ready in case of accident. and human
hands can do no more. The wrath of
heaven has been let loose on the wide
sea, and We're there mountains here the
force Of the wind would make them
trerh1e . their foundations.
y Midnight the ship is >yar;nr m
up, up, until YOU half believe the gaIe
clasped hands under her keel and lifted
her clear of the mad waters She
reaches the crest OF the mountainous
wave, hangs there for a moment. and
then PUSHES down, down. until every
lip bre2thes a prayer ana every heart
stands still. Vt the crest OF the wave
a legion OF demons are skulking and
shouting. Down in the hollows It is so
quiet You can hear the drip of the water
from the roof of the deckhouse. At
daylight the spectacle is appalling.
The ocean is snow white with its boil
Ing. The waves come rolling up until
they seem to tower as high as the mast
heads, and from the crest of each one
the gale catches the milk-white foam