The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1895-12-26
THE ACCOUNT OF A VOYAGE OF
A BLUFF BOWED SHIP LONG
AGO.
IN OLD SAILOR TELLS A YARN.
First There Came Terrific Storm, and
Later There was a Bad Fire in the
Hold-Rescuing a Plague
Ship.
If Henlopen let's you pass
Then look out for Hatteras.

| uDlly uuUlcu IuC OluCI uuy ny Ulu
sailor, in beginning to spin a yarn about
Il voyage to South America. I'VE left
Boston for Buenos Ayres," he said, 'in
August, 1858, on the old ship Richmond.
There were on board the captain, his
wife and crew of 20 officers and men.
The captain and his wife had been mar
ried only about two weeks, ana were
making their bridal tour. They were u
remarkably handsome couple.
For a day or two we sailed through
sunny seas, but when in about the lati-
tude of Cape Henlopen we were suddenly
| struck by a piping eaSterly gale. The
wind increased so rapidly that by the
| time we were halfway down to the lati-
tude of Cape Hatteras we were compell-
ed to heave to. Fortunately we had plenty
of searoom. The Richmond was one of
those old-fashioned bluff-bowed Ships
| bnllt down in Maine, years before the adj
vent of the famous California clippers
which sprung into existence when the
gold fever of the Pacific slope was at it's
height. AS the old salts used to say, she
was built by the rod and sawed off square,
to order, just as a dry goods clerk would
cut off certain number of yards of mus
lin straight across the piece. She was
steered with a travelling Wheel if you can
wind with strong breeze the best helms
man on the ship could not compel her to
keep her course within less than from
two to three points on either side.
SHORTENING SAIL.
while the old Richmond was not only
a hard ship to handle under ordinary cir
cumstances, she was perfect terror in
such Il storm as we had run into. Her
ShpnIlIG n md hpn .n- man nI1tS
were old, decayed and Enthusiastically, so
that, while it was not only necessary to
shorten sail almost as quickly as light
ming, we had to get up preventer back
stays and braces, fore and aft, Just as
quickly, or lose our spars. We kept on
shortening sail till the only sail left was
new goose-winged mainstopsail, made
of extra heavy canvas. Meanwhile pre-
venter stays and braces, relieving tackle
on the tiller, and lifelines fore and aft
and athwartships had been so profusely
strung allow and aloft that it seemed as
if the venerable Richmond was engaged
in game of cats cradle with the ira
ditionally rude and scarcely more ancient
Boreas, who not only whistled but fairly
howled through the rigging.
wind and sea Ominously increased,
and suddenly, before one could say Jack
Robinson that goOse-winged topsail was
blown to shreds, and the ship began to
fall off into the trough of the sea. I've
heard Il good many old sailors laugh at
the idea of a goose-winged maintopsail
being carried away. 1t was a peculiar ac
cident, and one that | have seen only on
that single occasion.
a FEARFUL BLOW.
"When that goose-winged maintopsail
was carried away, some of the crew jun
ped aft and set a tarpaulin in the miZzen
rigging, which brough 1.-THE ships head
again fairly to the wind. Others lay
aloft to pick up the remnants of the top
sail. The wind had then increased to Il
terrific hurricane, the strength of which
may be imagined from the fact that those
of the crew who went aloft were COMPEL
ed to keep firm hold of the shrouds and
push hard to keep from going too fast, in
stead of pulling upward to assist their
ascent of the rigging, while those who had
not been sufficiently provident to take a
turn of spunyarn around their waists lost
their oilskin jackets, which filled from
the bottoms and were torn to tatters.
Night came on, with increasing wing and
sea, and huge waves swept over the ship
so frequently that her flush deck was filled
with water to the level of her high
monkey rail much of the time. Spare
spars broke from their lashings and were
washed about the deck, to the imminent
peril of both crew and craft, but fortunate
ly were either secured or launched over
board before they had caused serious
harm. Some hogsheads of coal broke
adrft and in washing fore and aft and
from side to side holystoned the deck as
thoroughly as it could have been done by
the crew of man-of-war.
while the gale was at its tiercest, about
midnight, a heavy sea was shipped, which
filled the cabin and kept the captain and
steward busy in saving the captains wife
from drowning. She was helplessly i'll in
her stateroom. The snip rolled ana pltch-
ed terrifcally For several hours the YES
sci was practically given up as lost, and
was expected to founder at any moment.
1t was finally decided to attempt to wear
ship under her foretOpmast staysail. The
first mate and most of the crew, by hold
ing fast to the lifelines stretched along the
deck, managed to work themselves for
ward to the break of topgallant forecastle
and man the staysail halyards and sheets.
The captain, with the rest of the crew, re-
manned aft to shift the helm at the proper
moment by means of the wheel and reliev-
ing tackles. 1t was then so dark that
those of the crew who were forward could
not be seen by the captain, who was near
the wheel, and the wind rOared so Justify
through the rigging that men OF most
stenorian voices could not make them
serves UeuTu ny cASCpl W
their hands as speaking trumpets, and
loudly shouting close into the very ears
of those with whom they wished to COM
municate. 1t was necessary, therefore,
to have a messenger to pass the word from
the captain to the mate when to hoist the
staysail, and being one of the youngest
and most active members of the crew l
was selected for that purpose.
"At the proper moment, placing his
hands to his mounth and close to my ear,
the captain shouted his order to run up
the staysail, but notwithstanding his pow
erful voice it was barely audible. |
started on my difficult errand, and by dlnt
of pulling and hauling myself along by the
lifelnes. being a good part of the time
under water, managed to reach the mate
and shouted the captains orders into his
ear. at the same time throwing my right
hand upward close before his eyes as
precautionary signal for him to hoist the
sail lest he should fail to hear my voice.
The sail. which was brand-new one and
of the heaviest canvas was hoisted i'll Il
iiffy. but no sooner had it been run up
than it was blown from the boltropeS with
loud report, and as if by magic swirled
away to leeward. high up in air, disappear
ing in the obscure darkness as if borne
from our sight by evil genii.
DAY BRINGS RELIEF.
can unsuccessful nttpmnt was then