The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-04-22
QUEER ExPERIENCks At SEA.
Immense Tidal Waves, Submarine Upheav
ais, and Shower. OF Fishbones.

PROM u. Pih.sursh D.pith.
Sailors have more than their I'LL q strange
sights and strange experiences. The fact that
We on shore hear so little about them 10 owing
to their absolute COMMUNICATION the
mariners point OF view; and It Is only whom
some accident accom- panies the occurrence
that. US rule. We are treated to any details
about It
Big waves rank among these experiences
We do not refer to those waves which are the
i'm m ediats consequences Of high winds and
atmospherical disturbances. but to those single
waves OF immense height which show them
selves suddenly in the midst OF q Sea COM
parativsly smooth. A vessel may be sailing
on worth mentioning. when. without the
'ssss tsst eewefs '4f Ike @ouat.in o0 s.:
on the deck, and carries ,awsy every
s h0s e.. TSs Steamer sss Fran.
,Srs IL The Gull Id stream and swept
the crew save one OF the bark Johann VIII
helm were washed overheard by q single wave
tered dan saqiSs! such sea Which Z said 70 have
risen up suddenly like q wall" and to have
EtruriA and u bris have both encountered tho
phenomenon. and the former had one man
the Tomsranisn viii be fresh 10 the minds Of
all. Sometimes these waves are the result OF
submarine eruptions and land, earthquakes
occurring In close proximity to the sea-
met with one OF these big waves. and imme-
boiling, and the sulphur fumes. that emerged
from the water were so powerful as to drive
nS PG the here E q .n a there
DO more Injury. Again the american schooner
Wash. from Copper Island. was sailing quietly
along when suddenly she was lifted as II Z
perlenced a succession OF shocks which cast
everything loSse about her decks and knock cd
waves succeeding the main one. and then
everything was smooth again.
, The biggest solitary wave ever known was
Aug. l3 1868. In no other Instance. We are
assured, has 1t been known that weIl-marked
Sested over the largest ocean tract OF the
globe by an earthquake whose action has been
region not situated IN the eentrs, but on one
side o. the area trAysrsed By the wave At
you'd the railway 70 the north OF the town. The
angle sea travelled northward and westward.
sixty ieet. itinundatsd the smaller Members
OF the Sandwich group, q, 800 miles away, and
RoSrs Of tas Morning sss faEnE IN ' Ssx
Zealand on the way; II spent itself finally in
the south Atlantic. having taVsrssd nearly
A singular occurrence was reported recently
by the English ship LueiDara; She was about
midway between the Cape and Australia when
she encountered hurricane About midnight
Of Aug last the sea suddenly fell almost
calm. Z" It appeared as II the sea was Affected
by some tremendous pressure" when suddenly
the whole vessel. fore and aft was enveloped
In sheets OF fame that ross half way up the
mAsts and oVerran the decks for thres-auAr-
ters Of an hour. II was an electrical storm.
and the crew. never having encountered such
naturally so They expected every moment TO
see the mAstS 90 by the board. After what
must nave been very cheerful forty-hVs min
utss the hames snuued out suddenly. and left
darkness so thick that II might have bsen cut
Another singular occurrence was that Of the
when . whirl wind passed over her stern. tAk-
ing AwEy 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 vengeance Almost as surprised
At their good fortune and narrow escape must
nate, which. while on . voyage from Rio
Grands to Liverpool felt atrsmendOus shock
that could not he accounted for until the
vessel Was nut into dry dock. when the sword
OF sYOTdhsh vas found to have pene-
tTated some test into the wood Of the huh.
the occasional shower Of hshbpnes or the Ike
falling on the deck when many miles from
land. These showers are easily explained.
The nah are taken up IN EatsTspouts and come
down In more or less Iarened condition But
perhaps the most asiul Of all things that can
Ing over the vessel unprepArsd for IL. AID with
AL her sails set y bad, but the experiences IL
short. sharp. and generally decisive; bat for
long draHn-out agony there u nothing like =
IRE, especially II 10 Z among coal and there
= Also dynamite % sanDoSdsr n the cargo