The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-01-01
TALLEST WAVE OF TIE YEAR.
THE SEA WAS WAIST HIGH ON THE
RHFNL4ND's BRIDGE


Broken Thishs-Rau Smashed. Cargo |
shifted, Funsei startsd-And II All Hap |
peard on a Clear, MoorItEht sight.
Among folks who follow the sea the last |
month Of the year Just vanished will be mcm- |
ornble for its tall waves and the tall yarns
spun about them. Several shellbacks declare |
that they have seer within q few weeks in the |
yeasty North Atlantic cliffs Of water forty feet
high 1t was left to Capt A. Il. Mills Of the He'd
Star liner Highland to see. with his officers. |
the biggest wave of all.
The Rhynland got to her pier In Jersey City |
yesterday with the marks OF her encounter
with the giant She had a heavy list to star
board. caused by the shifting OF her cargo
many feet OF her mort rail forward were miss
ing. and the stanchions Of her bridge were
broken and twisted Worst of all. she had
three men In hospital, each with n broken
thigh and many cuts and bruises They are:
A. Castelyn, carpenter; Henry Moortgat. sea-
man, and Seraphim Correwyn. cabin boy. They
were taken to Christ Hospital. All will recover
The Rhynland left Antwerp on Dec liz
Just after she had left Lands End astern the
tumult began. on the Banks OF Newiouud-
land. in the early evening Of Dec 10. the wind
was bowling with hurricane force from vest
southwest. and the lhynland was diving into
the highest rollers the skipper ever saw. And
here 1t may be remarked that he really means
It this time. although he merely put II this way
In his log: The seas were rolling mountain
high"
Whenever tho Rhynland stuck her nose into
the riot she skipped lots OF spray. and, now
and then, sheets Of green water leaped
over her bows and swept the length of the
ship. The shipper who was on the bridge
could see miles ahead. as the moon
less 1t was fair-wcathcr gale. but it
Was nercer than the murkiest cyclone the
Rhynland ever encountered. The moonshino
M AIDE the spume and spray CLEAN like snow
but non. Of the passengers was anxious to
Just before midnight the seas were SO high
that Capt. Mills became fearf9l that they
shp THE tsf rst watch s1nssns Of fE oureos
men, was Just going OIL duty The fourteen
Re o. csp Nils opdood T ali haSaS
eight men. to fasten the storm doors on the
prom enHde deck through which access is had
to the saloon aud staterOOms. The storm doors
are sheathed ON tho outside with steel and
are bolted over the MN, hard wood doors COR all OF
son, second OFFICER W; kenny, Third Officer
Just then the phen omenal wave arose over
the port bow, as. the ship plunged down into
water, the men on the bridge may have
thought it really taller than 1t was. They
estimate of its heig ht-tifty feet or more-will
have to be accepted, 1t rose suddenly. some
skipper says lowered above the ships funnel,
That it was going, to break aboard was appa:
rent to everybody on the bridge. The first
promemade deck making ready to holt on The The
. Hold fast Big sea ahead"
Then every man on the bridge wrapped him
self around II stanchion and held on for life.
The thought Of all who saw the wave toppling
The wave broke thunderously over tho rort
bow, smashing rails and carrying away, a big
MN aItfa hfa m nd n IN nTt
and, catching up all the men on the promenade
deck who had not been able To get to shelter
others into the shrouds, and dropped two down
on the main deck. The ship gave 4 mighty
| and then a reactionary roll to starboard. Sho
! did NOT return to an even keel, for her cargo
| the bay rs IL she had been celebrating the de-
parture o. the old year by getting slant on.
when the big wave came aboard. 4 few who
were in the saloon We're startled to see y cat
OF the wave had smashed in the doors that tho
crew were about to protect with outer sea
weighing " several Hundred "y po S ' we're
picked up and sent flying to the stern OF the
shp' The funnel was s started 9y The tfe wave;
broken. 1t was mad fast by ropes The
Others refer To- tn IamaSe to the funnel as
mention that the water was waist deep on the
bridge. and they Just nanaged to hold on;
| ship unable to help themselves; BESIDES the
injured men already mentioned there were:
r klugor. seaman: Cornelius Won Custein
boatswain; Chas. Messiant, boatswaln: Theo-
dore Nerryck, quartermaster; Idward Brys-
saert. seaman; Joseph Huygas. seaman. and
George bakers, seaman.
The ship was slowed down. and the shin.
mates ri the injured men picked them VI and
took them into staterooms in the second cabin.
DIR. Lucien OrtegHt set the broken thighs OF
MoOTtgat Correwyn and tastelyu, aud dressed
the less serious wounds. mostly about tho
head and back, OF the other men. Only few OF
the twnnty-eight mon who were on the prom
enade deck escaped without any injury. Be
fore the wounded were taken down into the
second cabin the cabin passengers were sent
TO new and dryer quarters att,
The tumult kept up for seven DAYS, and the
Rhynland scooped up deal OF water, but was
not damaged more.
The North Garmnn Lloyd steamship Darn
stadt. from Bremen. also met some high waves,
the biggest OF which carried away part OF
her port rail The Darmstadts CAPTAIN reports
that he passed on Thursday last a large mail
steamship bound east showing night signals |
that he could not make out. lie complains
thar she and the lhaetia ~ the Hamburg
American line, which he passed ON Nednas-
day. were directly in the route OF STEAMSHIPS
bound to New York.
The big freight steamship Nirginan arrived
from Liverpool last night and dropped anchor
huge sea boarded her on Dee - OF the Banks
and carried away the starhoard side Of her
bridge rail- ON Christmas Day q sea bigger
than the first came over the weather bow and
rearing its crest above the bridge, smashed Il
some more. and swept the first aud third Of
hceTs down on the main deck. They were
badly hurt, and are still In the ships hospital.