The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-04-16
EXPERIENCES AT SEA.
4 Huge Tidal Wnve-A Submarine
EruptiOn-SIrovers of Fishboues.

Pittsburg Dispatch.
Sailors have more than their fill of
strange sights and strange experiences. The
fact that we on shore hear so little about
them is owing to their absolute common
ness-from the mariners point of view;
and IL is only when some accident accom-
panies the occurrence that, as a rule, we
are treated 10 any details about ii. big
waves rank among these experiences. We
immediate consequence Of high winds. ard
atmospherical disturbances, but to those
single waves OF immense helght whlcn snow
themselves suddenly in the midst OF sea
comparatively smooth. A vessel may he
sailing along, in fine weather, and with
no swell on worth mentioning. when. with
out the least warning, comes sweeping
along a wave that towers like mountain,
falls on the deck, and carries away every
thing movable, members or he crew
among the rest. the steamer San Fran
cisco was once struck by tidal wave of
this sort in the Gulf stream, and 119 Per-
sons swept into the sea and drowned, In
March last all the crew save one of the
barque Johann Wilhelm were washed
overheard by single wave. In June last
year the ship Holyrood encountered an
up suddenly like a WALL" and to have
Cupa riders Etruria and Umbria have both
encountered the phenomenon, and the
former had one man killed and several
others injured. The case of the Pomeranian
will be fresh in the minds of all. Some-
times these waves are the result of sub
occurring in close proximity to the ssa.
An English barque crossing the north
Pacific met with one of these big waves,
seemed to be boiling, and the sulphur fumes
that emerged from the water were so pow
erful as to drive the crew into the rig
ging. Clearly there was an eruption here
as the ship sailed over, and the wonder is
that the great wave did not do more in
jury. Again, the American schooner Dar1
j. Ward. while on voyage to Seattle.
Wash, from Copper Island, was sailing
quietly along when suddenly she was lifted
-6ola bod tolr hpr-. hot ION nd
then experienced a succession of shocks
which cast everything loose about her decks
and knocked the crew off their feet. There
were a few big waves succeeding the main
one, and then everything was smooth again.
The biggest solitary wave ever known
was that caused by the Peruvian earth
stance, we are assured, has it been known
that well-marked wave of enormous
largest ocean, tract OF the globe by an
earthquake whose action has been limited
to a relatively small region, and that re-
gion not situated in the center. but on one
side of the area trayerSed by the wave.
At africa it fifty feet high, and en-
veloPed the town. carrying two war ships
nearly a mile beyond the railway to the
north of the town. The single sea Travelled
northward and westward. las height at Jan
Pedro in California, was sixty feet. 1t
inundated the smaller members of the
Sandwich group. $500 miles away, and
reached Yokohama, in Japan, in the early
hours of the morning, after taking In New
Zealand on the way 1t spent itself finally
in the South Atlantic, having traversed
nearly the whole globe. a singular occur
renee Says the Pail Mall Gazette) was re-
ported recently by the English ship Luci-
para. She was about midway between the
Cape and Australia when she encountered
a hurricane. About midnight of Aug. last
the sea suddenly fell almost calm 1T ap-
peared as if the sea was affected by some
tremendous pressure when suddenly the
whole vessel, fore and aft was envelopeC
in sheets Of flame that rose half way III
the maStS and overran the decks for three
quarters of an hour. 1t was an electrical
storm, and the crew, never having encoun-
tered such a thing before, were panic
stricken, and very naturally SO. They eX.
pected every moment to see the masts &C
very cheerful forty-five minutes the flames
snuffed out suddenly. and left darkness SC
thick that it might have been cut
Another singular occurrence was that OF
the bark Peter Prdell, which was off Val
paraiso when whirlwind passed over her
stern, taking away everything movable
sails and ALL on the after part of the ship
leaving the forward end untouched. Here
was the sharp end of a storm with a venge-
ance Almost as surprised at their good
the crew of the barkentne Fortunate
Which, while on a voyage from Rio Grande
to Liverpool, felt a tremendous shock that
could not be accounted for until the yes
sci was put into dry dock, when the SWORD
of a swordfish found to have pene
trated some feet into the wood of the hull
Yet another OF the curiOSitieS OF the sea
is the occasional shower of fishbones or tn,
like falling the deck when many mile:
from land. These showers are easily eX
planned The fish are taken up In water
spouts and come down in a more or les:
rarified condition. But perhaps the mos
awful Of all things that can happen at ses
| is fire A severe Squan breaking over
vessel unprepared for it, and with all he
sails set, is bad, but the experience is short
| sharp and generally decisive; but for long
| fire, especially if il is among coal, and Their,
| is also dynamite or gunpowder in the cargo