The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1895-12-03
THE STRATHNEVIS
No Hope for Her Safety Enter
tanned.
THRILLING ACCOUNT OF STORM
Weathered by the "Tacoma"-Ter-
rible Battle With a Pacific
Hurricane.
THRILLING ACCOUNT OF STORM
The Colonist of Thursday says:

The arrival yesterday from Yokohama
of the Northern Pacific steamship Taco
ma, Captain Crawford, practically dis
pels the last hope cherished as to the
safety of her companion liner, the Strath-
nevis. which left here for the Orient,
llsla laden and with her machinery work.
ing poorly, on October u. AS the Tacoma
would naturally pass the missing steamer
which has not once been spoken since
her departure from this port-her coming
was anticipated with exceptional interest,
not to say anxiety. But not only did the
Tacoma neither see nor hear anything of
the Strathnevis-she had herself encoun-
tered a typhoon on the 14th and 18th,
which came within an ace Of sending her,
staunch ship as she is and well officered,
to the bottom with all on board. In such
a storm a crippled steamer, laden as the
Strathnevis was when she left here, would
have no possible chance for her life.
"Of course" said one of the Tacomas
officers yesterday, "there is bare possi-
bility that the Strathnevis has been driv-
en- safely into some of the harbors of
the Russian islands and there awaits bet
ter weather before pushing on to Yoko-
hama There is, however, but one chance
in q thousand of this being the case, and
a very slim possibility, am afraid, of the
Strathnevis being still afloat. That is If
she was in our hurricane"
Forewarning of the storm was received
about noon on the 14th, when" according
to memorandum kindly prepared for the
Colonist by the first officer, Mr. w, ].
Smith, 1.-THE weather became overcast, a
fresh gale from the southeast sprang up,
the sea began to rise, and the steamer
shipped water fore and aft. The glass
was falling fast, and at p. m the barom-
eter showed 29.5S. everything was extra
secured to meet the gale. At p. m,
it became evident by the increased atmos-
pheric depression, the confused state of
the sea, the 'hurrying' nature of the wind,
with other signs known to seamen, that
the center Of the revolving storm was
fast approaching, almost in direct line,
towards the vessel There was now no
time to lose, so the ship was at once
hove to, heading southeast, or at right
angles to the storms path, in order to
avoid the vortex as much as possible.
At midnight the barometer showed 2S.72,
wind S. S E., squalls with hurricane force
awful sea, ship laboring badly, decks
flooded, and engines dead slow. By this
time, according to the well known law of
storms, the center bore west by south,
moving northeast The Tacoma was.
therefore, in the advanced quadrant of
the right hand semicircle Of a cyclone,
the most dangerous position to be in,
except the vortex"
Then the brave fight of the ship with
the storm commenced in terrible earnest,
the tempest seeming compete in its fury,
and clouds and sea appearing hopelessly
mixed in one sheet Of drift and foam. Mr.
Smith tells of the crisis simply but effect
lively. After detailing the incidents of the
battle all through the day Of the 18th. he
says:
"At p. m. the barometer was &.49, and
the sea seemed to have complete charge
of the decks, fore and aft. One sea swept
from stem to stern, taking with it the
last two boats and bursting in the saloon
skylight, flooding both saloons Immediate
ly over the silk room. The work Of Sc
curing the skylight was accomplished af-
ter many strenuous efforts. A staysail
was cut from the main stay at moment
of extreme emergency to fill the horrid
gap, through which the sea was pouring
into the vesesl. At II: 30 p. M, although
the decks we're almost completely stripp-
ed fore and aft. the slip was still left
and the engines moving, proof Of the
care Of the engineers. Up till this time
the officers hoped to weather the gale,
but Just at that time the steering gear
became jammed with wreckage, which
meant, as far as could be seen, that the
last prop had fallen.
"The ship now became unmanageable.
and began to fall off into the trough Of an
awful sea. The order was given, hands
below deck and the engines were stopp-
ed. expecting every moment that the
beam sea would break on board and stase
in decks and matches. But here king Prov
idence intervened at the most needful mo-
ment The helm, which had been put to
port when the gear fouied. helped her
/ to fall of quickly with her port quarter
to wind and sea. Never win those who
experienced that night forget the feeling
Of satisfaction and hope which took pos
session Of them when IT became known
that she would ride the stern in this un.
usual way. the propeller and ru1der
combining 10 do duty az drars. or sea