The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1896-02-19
rescue and neatly and mysteriously
obliterates every trace of times
handwriting Ellen Harrison tn
| Micduu Record.
The Great Maelstrom.

Off the coast of Norway, between
two islands of the Lofoden group, is
the largest whirlpool in the world.
It's name, Maelstrom, means "whirl-
ing stream and the title is well
earned.
Between these two islands the cur
rent runs for six hours from north to
south, and then for six hours it re-
verses its course, producing an i'm
Iaense vertical whirls The water in
this strait is twenty fathoms deep
one hundred and twenty fcet-while
Immediately to the west of it the
soundings are from one hundred to two
hundred fathoms.
THE poetry Of ancient Scandinavia
centres around the terrible gulf of the
Maelstroml, which expressed the SUI
preme height and mystery of the SUI
pe%rnaturaI. Fearful enough in itself,
It's location in close proximity to the
widest part Of that rock. bound coast,
added not a little to the awe with
which it wasregarded.
At high and.at low water the whjrl
lie at its greatest velocity. When the
wind blows directly against the cur
rent it becomes extremely dangerous,
the surface of the sea for severalmiles
around being SO violently agitated that
no small boat can live in 1t for a mo-
me6t. Audyet there are times when
that same small boat can cross with
out danger the very mouth Of the erst-
while raging monster.
The old.time stories of ships having
been drawn into the vortex by some
mysterious power that they could not
resist, which acted upon them even
when they we're miles away, are mere
fables. The only detailed account we
have of such an occurrence is that
given by Edgar Allen Poe, who tells
| Of a ship that was drawn into its CEN
| tire, only one of it's crew being pre-.
served, a youth of22, who, after be,
ing tossed about by the whirlpool like
a wisp of straw, was finally cast upon
distant beach, his hair as white as
spow and his whole aspect that of a
wizened old man, That, however, is
only n of Poe's weird tales.
At The. same time there can be no
question that if's ship were once to
getfairly under the influence of the
central current it would either be
drawn into the depths or dashed to
pieces: on the rocks. Whales are
sometimes drawn into that terrible
funnel, and many have been found
stranded on the coast, cast there. by
the irresistible current. Trunks OF
trees that have been sucked into the
vortex, tossed about and finally cast
up on the neighboring shores, are
found SO finely split up that the Nor:
Wegians termthem "mermaids' hair.
The great Maelstrom is no longer
lheld5in snuperstitious fear, aud mari.
time, charts have taught the sailors of
the world where the danger lies and
how to- avoid it,, 30 Chat accidents
| rarely occur, never, except through
|ignorsnce or a previous disaster that
has renderedia vessel unmanageable.
Several years ago an American cap
tain, DESTROYS of seeing. the famous
whirlpool at close quarters, was as
sured by his Norwegian pilot that he
might venture near enough for exami-
nation without danger. And here is
what the captain saw:
IT went on the maintopsail yard
with q good glass. had been seated
but few moments when my ship en-
tered the dish Of the whirlpool. The
velocity of the water altered her
course three toward the center.
This alarmed me extremely for a mo.
ment. I thought destruction wal in
evitable. But she answered her helm
nobly and we ran along the edge, the
waters foaming around US in every
FORM n,s ~
The sensations I experienced are
difficult tosdescribe. Imagine an i'm
uense circle running round, Of a d.
ameter ofsone a half miles, the veloci-
ty increasing as it appropriated the
center, and gradually changing its
dark blue color to white, foamiug,
tumbling, rushing to its vortex, very
much concave, as much so as the
water in a funnel when half run out.
The noise, too, Kissing, roaring, dash
ing, depressing on the mind at once,
presented the most awful, grand and
solemn sight I ever beheld. We were
near it about eighteen minutes and in
sight of it two hours: It is.evidently
subterranean passage. From its
magnitude I should not doubt that
instant destruction would be the fate
Of a dozen Of our largest ships were
they drawn in at the same moment.
The pilot says that several vessels
that had become unmanageable have
been sucked down, and that whales
have also been destroyed"
Where does it go, this wonderful
whirl? None can say-as yet.e There
is a theory, generally, accredited, that
the Maelstrom is subterraneously
connected with the Gulf Of Bothnia.
It is only a theory 80 far, but the
time is probably close at hand when a
positive knowledge may take its place.
philadelphia Times. azGE