The Opelousas courier., 1894-12-01
A AT SEA.
Intensely Disagreeable Situations Durtn,
uaaru Weafhar OF the Atlantic Coast.

Intensely Disagreeable Situations During
Heavy Weather OF the Atlantic Coast.
About January 9, 1868, l was ordered
by Adm. Gregory to report to Com
mander John Downs as coast pilot on
board the i. s. Monitor Nahant, then on
her passage from Boston to the navy
ward at Brooklyn. All l knew at that
time about a monitor was that the first
Monitor whipped the Merrimac. The
Nahant arrived at the navy yard.
Now, 1 had followed the sea for
nearly twenty years in every kind OF
vessel. but when I saw the monitor as
she Law at anchor, with her decks nearly
a-wash with the swell of the tide, the
ONLY thing to be seen about her decks
being q turrct and smokestack, l was
surprised.
On board I found Commander John
Downs and reported to him. The ex-
a~eutive officer was Lieut.-C Commander
David B. HARMONY. Ali the officers
were perfect gentlemen, and everything
went agreeably on board.
In the meantime the Weehawkcn,
a sister monitor. commanded by capt.
John Rodgers. was ready TO" sea, n
both vessels proceeded to Sandy Hook,
where we adjusted u compasses n
proceeded down the coast, bound for
HAMPTON roads. The Wechawken was
in the advance, and each vessel had a
tug ahead. We had not gone far when
the Weehawken turned back n
passed inside the Hook, f6T what cause
we knew not.
AS night came on the weather began
to look threatening, and at daylight
next morning it began to grow thick,
with the wind northeast. By calcula-
ton we were about abreast of the capes
of Delaware, and not caring to battle
with a gale so early in the passage, we
stood in for the cape, which ~e made
without difficulty, and anchored under
the lea Of the backwater.
The wind increased to a gale, with
rain, and continued with great fury
over three days. During the storm
many vessels found shelter, such as
the stone piles afforded: but SO severe
was the gale hat a humber dragged
their anchors and went ashore. The
Weehawken, after some little delay,
followed down the coast, but that de-
Law prevented her from making the
harbors, and she continued on her pas
sage through the gale. On the next
day the tug which had her in tow came
into the capes and anchored under the
breakwater, having had a very serious
time, and reported that she was
.lJ;-ol +o n Er~,I1r +hn fnyr on1 ms liza
for a llarbor for her W safety, leav-
ing the monitor to her " devices,
and that there was no doubt that she
had foundered.
This news caused the greatest anx-
iety on board the Nahant.
The gale finally died out, and the
wind shifting to the westward we CON
tinued our passage to Hampton roads,
which was to be our destination for a
time, and after a fair passage arrived
at the port, where, to our surprise and
delight, we found the Weehawken
at anchor. One of the U. S. steamers
1.-THE name l have forgotten now had
sighted the monitor just after the tug
left her, and had assisted her into port.
And not only had she not foundered in
the gale, but the commander in his re-
port to the secretary Of the navy said
that she behaved finely all through
the storm, and proved to be a good sea
boat.
AS yet we of the Nahant had not had
the experience of our ship in gale,
but we had the opportunity shortly
after, during Il passage from Hamp-
ton roads to Port Royal
With our coal bunkers full, and we'll
stocked with ammunition, bearing our
ship down to her loaded line about
four inches free board amidships, her
bow and stern according to sheers be-
ing a little more OUT, with tug ahead
to tow, and pilot, we passed the capes,
shopping Our course for Hatteras.
Everything as to wind and weather
was favorable until we reached the
cape. When abreast of the light. about
five miles off shore, and just before
dark, l asked the sailing-master how
he was going to steer, being now
abreast of the cape and clear of the
shoals. He said he should keep the
course south during the night.
l told him that as the coast from the
cape trended well to the southwest,
and the Gulf stream setting about
east-northeast at the rate of three
and one-half knots an hour, [ thought
it advisable to haul in for the land,
but he thought differently, and said
he should keep the course south. The
res ult was, as the stream runs close in
to the shoals off the cape, we ran into
it and across and during the night the
wind came on to blow from the south
east, causing an ugly cross sea, which
boarded us from all directions, keeping
the deck at times completely under
wafer.
Now, on board other sea-going YES
sells the watch is on deck, but to be on
deck aboard the Nahant that night and
the next day was impossible. But as
there was nothing to do on deck, the
matches. ventilators and portfolios of
the turret all secured, the people who
could not find DON on the turret
stayed below. To stay below at that
time would be comfortable enough, SO
far as rolling and tumbling in a sea
was SAS dSu, lux Gil CoSICI Vessel III
a heavy sea would be hard to find, but
with the heat in the engine room one
hundred and twenty degrees and in
other parts of the vessel in proportion,
the only ventilation being through the
turret by means of steamblowers cir
culating the air through the ship, it
was anything but pleasant. At times
through the night there would be two
and three men hro,1nht IN from tho