The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-12-13
IN TWO HURRICANES.
Thrilling Experience in a Seat
tie Boys First Voyage.
BARK CARoNDELET's PERIL.
Bert TwichefI Writes of the Storm
From Australia Leaks Cause
Hard Work at Pumps.

News OF two narrow escapes the bark
Caro1delet. Capt. ". J. Stetson. OF Seat
tie had last October from being wrecked
by hurricanes in Australian waters, reach
ed this city yesterday in a letter dated Mel
bourne. Australia, November 9. received
by F. 8. Twchell from his son Bert The
bark was struck by towering sea, her
deck houses Quilted. the cabin flooded and
70 increase the danger she sprung leak.
For over forty-eight hours the crew was
AZ the pumps. and when Por; Phillips, near
Melbourne, was made. the worn out men
we're ready TO drop. Young Twichen, who
made his first long sea voyage on the Car
ondelet, says he is heartily sick Of the sea
Assaulted by storms and Curses.
In his letter young Twiehell says:
You vii probably think il strange 20
hear from me al this port, BIZ the :nuosed
clipping VIII explain the matter. / am
about used up with working night ard
day. bat We will have 20 stick 10 the pumps
until the cargo IL discharged and the ship
pat n dry dock. 4 she is not condemned
by the surveyors have had all / want OF
a sailors life. and | was the happ.est NOR
tai on earth when We tied up 10 the dock
and / was allowed TO go ashore. The ship
IS very cd and is considered by every one,
except the captain and mate, to be unsea-
worthy. The cabin hoy and myself have
led a regular dogs life OF it since we start
tl- W = nave DEtH CURSED b@ IElt mates anu
cursed and kicked and beaten by the sail
ors. Rather than TO run the risks Of our
lives in the ship and the shaving we have
mad 10 do. We are going TO leave here when
we get our money and try our luck ashore.
We have money enough to keep US four
months and as business is good I expect TO
get work soon. i have grown broad and
tall and weigh 15S pounds. ! an going TO
ask no one to help me home. but by next
June I will be in Seattle and pay my own
way there. too.
Melbourne is beautiful city. Most of
the buildings are brick. The only wood
they have here is brush, gum wood and iron
wood. all being 100 hard TO cut for build
ing purposes
In a Succession of storms.
The clipping Twichell refers 10 is from
one of the Melbourne papers, and gives
an account of the experiences of the bark
Carondelet in heavy gale. 1t says that the
bark cleared Port Townsend August IS with
a cargo OF l.000.Go feet of lumber. for Port
Pirie South Australia. The master. J. w.
Stetson. had every reasonable prospect Of
prosecuting his voyage with success. Cir
c1mstances, however, were against him,
for. on nearing the Australian coast the
weather became hostile. and the position
of the bark at one time became exceed
ingly critical.
October q. in latitude 81 degrees 27 min
minutes east, there came a sudden gale
and the sea at once became rough and
tempestuous. The sea continued 20 rise I'M
til II became tremendous. At o'clock on
the afternoon of October %. while the bark
was lying 10 under her lower maintopsail.
a towering sea came laundering innoard
on the starboard side. and played havoc
generally. The deckhouses were Quilted
and the cabin flooded. and ii was cause
Of amazement that the deck load OF timber
ped from being swept overheard. The
wind blew a hurricane for forty-eght hours
and the squalls were of almost appalling
force After the bark was struck. the
pumps were sounded and the uncOmforta-
bic fact ascertained that the bark had
sprung a leak and that the sounding rod
showed three and one-half feet of water
IN the hold This meant work at the
pumps, and the crew with a cheerfulness
which did II credit, accepted the inevitable
and stuck 80 the uninviting work deter
minedy Light northerly winds followed the
gale for twenty-four hours, but this was
followed by another gale from the south
west. almost as severe as its predecessor.
and for th.rty-siX hours squalls of tremen-
dous violence prevailed and there was
fearful sea. The bark was kept head reach
ing during the hurricane under her lower
topSaiIs Fresh westerly winds were next
met with until Kent's group of Islands was
made There being no prospect OF change
in the winds and as the crew was tagged
out with ,ncessant work, Capt. Stetson de-
cided TO make for Port Phillips. The cap
tain spoke in the highest terms of the
crews work.