The morning call., 1894-08-11
a GREAT TYPHOON
The City of Picking Was
Caught in 1t.
NOTES FROM A SHIPS LOG.
How the A. q. Ropes Was Nearly
Wrecked.
NOTES FROM A SHIPS LOG
SHOWER OF BIRDS AND INSECTS.
A Steamer Manned by Americans
and English Deserted by a
Chinese Warship.

The typhoon that swept down upon the
steamer City of Peking, nearly wrecked the
American ship A. G. Ropes, blew over the
Indo- China steamer Taisang and did dam
age 10 a half dozen other vessels, is de-
scribed by the officers of the Picking, that
arrived yesterday morning from Hong
Kong and Yokohama, as very peculiar
example of the force of the wind.
Mention has been made briefly of the
storm, of its terrific violence. of the Ropes
experience, but not of the difficulties en-
countered by the Picking, Tor the dangers
in detail to which the Ropes was subjected.
On the 2Sth of June the acting director
of the Formosa Observatory reported
typhoen moving slowly toward the north
west At Ii o'clock A. III. on the 29th it
struck the coast near Foochow. turned and
sped out to sea. AT 2 P. NJ. on the same
date the storm struck the City of Picking.
Inbound from Yokohama to Hong-Kong.
with roar. The steamer rolled over IN
til her deck rails were almost in the water.
China ratified and crashed in the pantry
and movable objects were tossed about In
the cabins.
A big southeast swell caused great in
convenience and compelled Captain Searle
to order the fore lower topsail and fore
trysail set to steady the ship.
The sea increased in height The sky
turned Pitchy black and the howl OF the
wind drowned the noise Of the tremen-
dous waves that continuously broke over
the vessel, flooding her decks so that 1t
was impossible to move about on them.
The engines were slowed down and the
Peking was hove 20 for three hours In
breaking sea.
Captain Searle explained that this was
done TO avoid e3countering the storm GEN.
ter of the typhoOn. The Peking was taken
off her course, but the loss OF time was
better than losing the ship.
What seemed to be the "starter" of the
great storm that overlook the Peking
nearly caused the loss OF the A. G. Ropes
on the morning of the Oath.
Captain Rivers said that the typhoon
ragged with such fury that no man could
get aloft. AS result several sails were
blown away.
The maintopgallant yard, though the
sail was furled, was snapped from the
mast In twinkle and carried into the sea.
The big yard scurrled away over the
tops of the waves like a whisp of straw,
and dropped into the water several huG-
bred yards from the ship.
The fore lower topsal and main lower
topssil yard next gave way, part Of the
yard being broken into splinters by strik-
ing the mast.
IL
OF the wind had caused cross sea TO run,
and the vessel was constantly boarded by
waves.
The spanker. the only sail of any i'm
portance left, was torn into shreds. and
it was with the greatest difficulty that the
ship could be managed.
While the dSrk storm clouds were
gathering, the ocean getting lumpy and
ugly and the wind marshalng its forces to
beat down the vessel, the crew mutinied
and refused 10 do duty because the captain
insisted on proceeding to Kobe instead of
HongKoug. Captain Rivers mapped out
hts course for GAP Rock, and when the
storm subsidized sufficiently be rugged new
sails and made all speed for land.
The steamer Taisaug ran into the big
blow on the 27tn. She was in company at
the time with a British ship and saw her
companion lose several sails. careen over
on her port side until her yards touched
the water, but finally right herself
1t was az awe-insp iring sight to witness
the typhoon exert its energy TO destroy the
sailing vessel, and almost before the crew
of the Taisang could recover their SELF
cOmposure The storm overlook them.
Captain Hogg. the vessels English off,
Ger. ordered his steamer headed toward
Lotsin Bay, where he anchored outside in
ten fathoms of water for two hours, out
riding a sea that constantly buried the
steamer and washed everything about the
decks as clean as a whistle.
The Taisang got we'll into the harbor at
$50 P. NJ. but so severe was the storm that
the great rollers caused her to dip from side
to side until it was feared her spars would
be slung out of her.
Quietly as death calm came over the
waters at 6 O'Clock. and few minutes
lateI strange phen OmenOn occurred.
Birds by the thousands. flies and butter
flies in millions fell to the steamers decks
until she was completely covered by them.
The sun came out then and the sea got
smooth.
Scarcely score of leagues from where
the Taisang ran into the blow the Chi
nese-owned steamer Woosing, a China
man-of-war, name unknown, an Ameri-
can ship and Chinese vessel, the Taian,
were tangled up right in the storm center.
The Woosung left Cheefoo on the 9th
for Swallow. but despite the fact that she
was close to where the Taisang was struck
she did not feel the effects of the storm
until the Goth at 2 A. NJ, when she sud-
denly pOked her bow into the typhoon,
shipped tremendous sea, which stove In
three boats, carried one away, smashed in
the forward end of her saloon and deluged
the cabin with water.
Part of the ships rudder was carried
away and the craft left to the mercy of the
waves.
In attempting to repair the damage the
chief officer had his leg broken and the
captain and bOatswain were severely in
jured.
Luckily the steamer Fidelia hove in
sight and took the Woesung in tow.
The Taian was nearly wrecked by the
blow. The Chinese warship tried to get
line off to her. but failed.
The gunboat stood by for some time and
watched the Taian go to pieces. Little by
little she commenced to break up and
drag her anchors, which had been let go,
toward Cliff Rock. Most Of her crew were
Americans and English. and for that rea-
son it is thought that the warship would
not give proper aid
Once cable was got off from the war
ship. but some one of her crew cut it.
Then the vessel sailed away.
On the morning of the I'd of July the
Taian was still helplessly anchored off the
Cliff Rock, but the sea had become calm.
Ate A. NJ. the Chinese man-Of-war Yuen-
Kan was sighted. and promptly answered