The Portland daily press., 1895-07-24
A PECULIAR SQUAL L.
Light Breeze on Deck and Hurricane
Aloft.

New York, July 23.-Captain M. A.
Woodside of the American ship Sintram,
which arrived in this port yesterday from
Hong Kong, told of remarkable expe-
rience his ship had with the wind on
| Sunday, June 49, On that day there
being at the time only moderate breeze
on the level of the deck, the mizzentop-
mast and Observation-Disclosures and the
fore and main topgallantmasts were
blown off, f.
Captain Woodside stood on the deck
of his ship that Sunday morning at elev-
en- O'Clock. He was soon to take his
| noon observations. The Sintram was
1O8 days out from Hong Kong, in lati-
tude degrees north, longitude 42 de-
grees west. All sail was set and four
knot breeze was = blowing about two
points off the starboard quarter. The
ship was in the outer edge of the north
east trades. The sails were drawing
well. The sun was shining and the sky
was perfectly clear, except for few
scattered white clouds. There had been
ne deviation in the meteorological con-
ditions that day On Saturday it had
been cloudy, but on Sunday there was
A3Ou
OUT OF a CLEAR SKY.
Sudd emily, out of the clear sky, there
came from the stern terrific puff of
wind 1t sounded like a shell fred
through the air. And the result was as
if a cannon ball had been direct din to
the rigging. The mizzen topmast
was swept away at the mizzzen.
mast rigging, carrying with it the miz-
zen topgallantmast
The puff of wind or hurricane-Captain
Woodside doesn't know what to call it
then took an obHque course upward and
tore away the main and foretopgallant
masts at their caps.
In falling the mizzen topmast and top
gallanmast, with all their intricate sails
and rigging attached, fell on the cross
braces between the main and mizzen
mastS, carrying them to the deck. This
left the yards all loose and Tapping
about the masts. The wreckage Of the
mizzen topmast fell on board, striking
the deck house with terrific force and
blocking the companionway. The first
and second mates, who were below, were
startled by the crash and started up on a
run up the conpanionway. 1t required
half an hour to clear the way for them.
Captain Woodside vows that there was
not a beath of air on deck, except the or
dinary four knot breeze which had been
blowing all the morning. No part of his
vessel, except those parts already men
toned, were touched by that remarkable
whim of the wind There were no clouds
or any atmospheric conditions to indi-
cate whence the wind came or whittier
it, went. Captain Woodside calls it a
marvellous thing. y
NO LOSS OF LIFE, FOR TUNATELY.
Luckily, no one was hurt Had t he
incident happen ID on week day, when
there would surely have been some one
aloft Captain Woodside says there would
probably have been several fatalities
On Sunday, however, the men were on
deck or below. They were not mending
any canvass. The captain is confident
that If he had been close hauled, with
the wind on his beam, his vessel would
have been capsized. He never heard of
but one experience at sea resembling in
any way that of the Sintram.
After the diaster all hands were called
on deck to clear away the wreckage On
board were spare spars for TIE. fore and
main topgallantmaStS and rigging. There
were no auxiliary spars for the damaged
mizzenmast, so the Sintram came into
port minus her mizzen topmast and miz-
zen topgallantmaStS. The cross braces and
rigging, however, were repaired. Ten
days were occupied in these repairs
The Slntram when she arrived yester-
day was 135 days from Hong Kong. She
is loaded with general merchandise to or
der. The vessel is consigned to M. i.
Pickering & Co.