The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-10-15
WEATHERED THE STORM.
Thrilling Experience Of the Steamer
William Lawrence.


Hours-The Storm the Worst Capt.
Kirwan Has Ever Seen-The Steamer
Flooded and Part Of Her Cargo Badly
Damaged-A Wreck Sighted Near
Cape Romano.
The steamship VIM. Lawrence Of the
Baltimore line arrived at her wharf yes
terday morning more than twenty-four
hours overdue, as result of what Capt.
Kirwan says is one of the worst, if not
the most severe storm he had ever seen
ct sea.
The Lawrence left Baltimore last
Tuesday afternoon, and was due here day
before yesterday. The vessel rode the
storm well and came i'm with scarcely a
mark on her though from Capt. Kirwan's
account the storm at sea was fully as Sc
we're as that Of Aug. 81 The wind, he
saids rose at times to - and 50 miles an
hour, and wave after wave washed across
the decks of the Lawrence with sufficient
force. it seemed, to carry everything be-
fore them. Capt. Kirwan says he was
never in but one storm before that could
compare to this, and that was in 1885
While he believes that storm to have
been as severe as this one, he says it did
not last as long, and on that account pro
badly did less damage
THE EXPERIENCE OF THE LAWRENCE.
Capt. Kirwan says he weathered a
strong northeast wind all the way down
from Hatteras, the wind increasing grad
ually and changing from northeast to
east. The Lawrence it seems, met the
storm about the same time it began to
blow in Savannah on Thursday morning.
nib, 70, J,
panied by wind, about the time the Law
renee reached the Frying Pan shoals,
which lies some $50 miles to the south Of
Hatteras.
From there it began gradually to in
crease in fury. The Lawrence kept
ahead on the regular course from s O'Clock
that morning until night, when about
o'clock Capt. Kirwan hove to somewhere
off shore. At times during the day while
facing the storm the Lawrence made no
Roadway whatever and Capt. Kirwan
only endeavOred to keep her where she
could lay most comfortably.
EIGHTEEN HOURS AT THE WHEEL.
For eighteen hours from O'Clock
Thurday night until 3 o'clock the next
day Capt. Kirwan remained al his post in
the pilot house, keeping the Lawrence
face to the storm, not averaging a mile an
hour, and some times thinking that the
heavy wind was about to blow him in
towards the land. The whole cabin and
pilot house, said Capt. kirwan, kept
swaying to and fro. ana it was impossible
TO hold still. There was so much rain
and the sea was so high that at times the
heavy gusts made it subside in spots.
This was only for minute or two, how
ever, for the heavy sea would roll along
again as if it were going to swamp the
ship.
1t was impossible, however, for the gale
70 do any damage to speak of to the Law
renee. The ships of the Baltimore line
seem to be built especially for weathering
the toughest gales and they always come
in after one with scarcely a spar broken.
The only damage to the Lawrence was
that some of her bulwarSs on the port
side We're stove in. Nothing else about
the ship was broken or damaged in any
way.
THE CABINS FLOODED.
The water, however, poured against the
sides of the Lawrence with such force
that it made its way down into the cabin
and the hold from every possible en-
trance. The cabin was flooded for hours,
water entering from the stern, across
which heavy waves rolled and dashed
against the sides. For hours There was
nearly foot Of water in the ca BIN, and
great deal of it leaked down into the hold,
drenching part of the cargo.
The Lawrence had a cargo Of about 700
tons, and 1t was TO this that the main
damage occurred. 1t was impossible yes
terday to es innate the amount of damage
10 the cargo from salt water. but it was
comparatively small There was also
slight damage from breakage caused by
shifting of some parts of the cargo. The
damage TO the cargo, of course, was fully
covered by insurance.
THE BARoMErER's READING.
Cant TTi1.vrrar cold ,r1,,,, +l,, ,,,,,,.-..
OF the storm was first noted his barome-
ter kept going down and he thought it
was never going TO stop 1t moved down
slowly, however, stopping in its descent
at 3. 40, which was but slightly higher
than the barometer of the August storm.
The Lawrence kept working around in a
circle and he says IL was almost impossi-
bic to keep her head to the wind
Capt hlrwan says he don't think there
need be any fears about the City of Au-
gusta, as she lef4New York twenty-fow
hours after, or the day after, the Law
renee left Baltimore. From This he did
not think that she could be expected to
arrive before midnight last night or some
Time TINS morning. Then, too, she may
nave had greater difficulties to contend
with.
A WRECK SIGHTED.
Capt. Kirwan says he saw only one
wreck, which he sighted about O'clock
Friday afternoon about twenty miles to
the southeast of Cape Romano He saws
he couldn't tell much about il, but from
distance IL looked like an old hulk and he
was OF the opinion that it had been in the
water some time. He said he had no
doubt, however, but that the storm had
done great deal of mischief and it was
PROBABLE that reports OF wrecks as a re
suit OF IL would be frequent
How the passengers enjoyed the trip
down, Captain kirwan said he could not
say as he Gid not see them during the
gale but he did not think they reHshed 1t.
Those who came down the Lawrence are:
). Z. Hin, MIR. Dixon, G. Eckla, w. r.
Keith. +. r. HOdgkins. Miss T. Lawson.
Z. S. Beidler, B. Skunk, q. Van Horne.
G. Baker