The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-02-24
THE BORE IN noocLY RIVER.
Travellers Description Of the
Curious Phenomenon.
New York sun.

New York sun.
Seated beneath the awning at the stern
Of our ship. moored by the rivers bank at
IT was strange and stirring tropical
scene that spread before our eyes. Up and
Hoogly putting tugs 1 We're towing ships up up
or down the river and its surface was alive
with innumerable native boats, pulled by
light oars in all directions. Moored along
the east bank in tiers four deep lay the
long column of hgh-masted merchant ves-
as far as the eye could reach. Between
the ships and the shore was the ceaselesS
OF the lighters discharging and loading car
goes and the plying to and fro of bateau-
shaped dingy wallahs, with their queer.
sengers between the ships and the shore.
The shelving bank rose to the Strand, CAL
cutta's great commercial street, with it's
living panorama of carriages, buffalo carts.
palanquins and hurrying people or every
nationality; beyond spread the white-washsd
walls, temples, dornes and mnarets of the
great East Indian metroplis. Far away across
the river. was Howrah, with its shops. and
in jungle clearings below. All the scenes
and people We're bathed in the fierce light
and neat or the adtan sum- wdoS Sro rays
pale, brassy sky.
Famed by the pleasant breeze that blew
talked, I languidly noticed that, with the
tide still swiftly running out, the water
rising. The breeze blowing cooler told
that the tide was on the turn down the
river, and, looking about, / noted with
surprise how clear 1t had become OF the
many moving craft that SO recently had
dotted its surface. Upon the Howrah side
scarcely boat was to be seen, and the
ships were all coming in toward the Call
cutta shore as fast as oars could bring
spy and u the the ahoTe ere
with oars in hand, and aboard the ships
mates and sailors were looking carefully
What does it mean? I had begun to
ask, when Captain Holyoke pointed down
a The bore's coming he said. and
they're getting ready for 1t: / forgot that
you had not seen one It's the great wave
three of them in succession rather-thae
comes up the river at the spring tides
Watch for it as 1T rounds the point below
up the river, with the speed Of a. mill
race, a great wave was coming; which on
the Howrah side rose in a high. c colIa
lively higher, rolling onward as stormpreak-
ers roll in upon beach. Below the city
steam tugs and ships at anchor were rocked
as in a heavy sea. Then at the lower end
of the long column or ships at mOorfngS
came swaying Of masts from s IT tossing ne
the progress of the wave. The breakers on
the Howrah side outstripping the wave upon
the rivers breast, caught some native craft
afioat engulfing, then tossing men and boats
like cookie shells amid their foam.
Our ship. like its three companion ves-
sells in the tier, struck by the foremost
wave, was lifted by the stern and shaken,
and with the coming of the second and
third was dashed and pitched about that
we had to catch at pinrail and .stanchions
TO keep our feet, while the straining haw-
sers threatened to part, throwing her head
long among the vessels alongside or ahead.
The native craft inshore of the ships were
see-sawing about in all directions, the brown,
naked boatmen yelling and gesticulating as
they piled their oars to keep head on to
the swell.
THE white combers ran up the Howrah
side of the river to disappear in the dis
lance. leaving a heaving wake, densely
muddy, where they had washed the bank
The three great waves, moving diagonally
from the comberS were shaking the ship
ping ahead long after our ship had settled
to her bearings again in smooth water.
Two ships in our sight had gone ashore.
and several more with parted hawsers were
swung in a tangle among their companion
vessels. Here and there swimming natives
We're Engaged in righting or pushing ashore
craft that had overset. Everywhere native
boats in swarms were putting out upon the
river, which, with incoming ships, soon
presented it's former appearance of activity.
The bore had passed, and, except for this
chance of black squal1 or a cyclone that
might come with the change of monsoons.
the river was due to be safe and tranquil
for another month";