The morning call., 1894-10-04
SHOOK THE OCEAN.
Earthquake Felt at Sea
by Vessels.
HEAVY WEATHER FOLLOWED
For Several Hours Big Waves
Ran High.
SOME sUN-SPOT OBSERVATIONS.
Mate Osmond of the Therese Turns
Scientist-A Big Rudder Found;
Notes.
HEAVY WEATHER FOLLOWED
SOME sUN-sPoT OBSERVATIONS.

The Schooners Lila aud Matte, from
CoQuille River, and Excelsior, from Red
fish Bay, arrived yesterday after few
hours delay outside the heads OccaSioned
by the fog. Both vessels had an exciting
experience on September 80. when about
thirty-five miles southwest OF Shelter
Cove. They were caught in tremendous
seas occasioned by an earthquake at sea,
and for several hours battled the waves
that threatened to swamp them.
IL was at $50 o'clock in the morning
when the shock was felt. The sea was
perfectly calm, not breath of air stirring.
Here and there in the horizon were DARK
clouds that threatened rain, but the
schooners' masters were not uneasy, be-
cause they did not think that any danger
need be anticipated.
Suddenly the vessels commenced to rock
violently. On board the Excelsior the crew
were much frightened and could not re-
frain from showing their anxiety. The
sailors of the Lila and Matte were like
wise much wrought up over tue phe-
nOmenon.
The ocean commenced to rise in angry
cross seas, though the wind did not bio W.
The vessels were tossed about wildly,
their spars rafting in their steps in
dangerous way. For nearly an hour the
heavy seas continued to break, and for
some time after that the water was by 10
means calm. The actual shock lasted only
thirty seconds.
Mate o. Osmond of the sealing schooner
Therese is something of scientist. he
takes interest in astronomical phenomena
and has peculiar curiosity about sun
spots. The Therese is a sealing schooner
that arrived yesterday from Behrlng Sea,
where she has been hunting for seal peltS.
md hat hn q N
25th of February of this year he was TAX
ing observations of the sun through his
| seXtant when he noticed large spot
almost directly in the center OF the sun.
| On June IS in latitude Al deg. AZ sec.
north, longitude al deg. east. he saw
! three spots near the lower limb or old Dol
| in the shape OF triangle.
| On August IA, when 10 latitude SO deg.
north, longitude 172 east, he saw still an
other single spot on the center or the sun.
The Therese had rough passage down
| from the north. She went within 40
miles of st. Paul Island, and when at that
| distance from land on the Japan coast she
ran into typboon.
About 800 miles off the Japan coast a
rudder was picked up by the schooner. 1t
was a fine piece of workmanship. evidently
| belonging to some American vessel. 1t
had been sawed off near the top and must
| have been cast off from some wreck, the
identity of which is not known.
During the typhoon the Therese lost
three boats by having them stove in. She
| also lost several sails.
Yesterdays arrivals were ahead in mat
ter Of number of any day of last month.
| Eleven steamers, mostly coasters, nine
schoOners, two parks aud one ship came
into port. Nearly all are light draft YES
sells and none brought foreign cargoes.
The sealing schooner j. EDpnger is back
from the sealing grounds off Copper Isl.
and. Just before reaching port she en-
countered heavy weather and had pretty
lively fight with the storm. She was
| twelve days from the sealing grounds
with good cargo of skins.
A Chinese Gamer on board the Ex-
celsior died of dropsy some days after the
vessel sailed for San Francisco. The
| comrades of the heather hid his remains
between decks, and but for the terrific
odor that eman ated from The remains they
might never have been discovered.
The steamer Piedmont narrowly escaped
colliding with the British ship Dunstaff
mage yesterday in the fog. The Piedmont
had just pulled out from the slip and wa:
proceeding very slowly on account of the
fcg. The DunstaffDage was in tow of the
tugs Vigilant ana Active, proceeding dowr
the Day. The prompt action of the tus
captains in letting 60 their lines prevented
an accident
Steward Tointon, who was said to have
been dismissed from the steamer Oceanic
for accepting tips from passengers, denies
the story and says that bis dismissal haC
nothing to do with Mr.. Schwerin's lat,
| orders.