The San Francisco call., 1897-11-30
ENCOUNTERS
GALES OFF
MEND0CINO.
Rough Experience of the
Ship LleWellyn J.
Morse.
BIG WAVES SWEEP
HER DECKS.
Seamen Thrown About Like
SO Many Corks by the En-
croaching Seas.
ONE MANS NARROW ES-
CAPE FROM DEATH.
After Having Been Washed Over
board He Is Hauled Back
Upon the Vessel.
Seamen Thrown About Like
So Many COrks by the En-
croaching Seas.
ONE MANS NARROW ES-
CAPE FROM DEATH.
After Having Been Washed Over
board He Is Hauled Back
Upon the Vessel.
Special Dispatch to The CALL

SAN DIEGO, Nov. 29-The ship
Llewellyn J. Morse from Nana1mo for San
Diego has arrived in leaking condition.
She was caught in the heavy gales that
ragged along the coast from Novembe 16
to 10.
The Morse LETT Nanaimo on Novem Der
y, with 2100 tons of coal. Everything
went along smoothly for four days, when
she was caught IN the gale off Cape Men
docino, which nearly settled the fate of
the vessel and the entire crew. The Off
GERS and sailors this morning expressed
themselves as thankful that they reached
their destination in safety.
when off Cape Mendocino," said Cap
tain Anderson, ~ thought our time had
come The storm had been raging for
twentv-four hours. The decks were
flooded and everything movable was
washed overheard.
"The men were thrown about the decks
like so many corks. Sometimes we were
on deck and at other times we were SIM
ply swimming on the crest of waves that
rolled over the ship. AT one time when
the second mate was forward, the vessel
shipped a heavy sea and he was washed
from the forward part of he vessel again st
the after hatch. The force knocked him
senseless, but we managed to get him and
carried him below.
The gale increased in fury. piling up
mountainous seas that swept US from
stem to stern. The weather was bitter
cold, which added to our discomfort. We
had no hot food, as every body, even the
cook, had to get out and help man the
vessel. The ship strained and labored
heavily, but she proved pretty staunch IN
view of the terrific battle.
While the seas were running their
highest, one OF our forecastle hands, John
Anderson, was swept over board on huge
wave. He yelled like pirate and we pre-
pared to do what we could to help him,
but before we could turn around another
sea swept by and deposited Ander safe
and sound on deck. He grabbed a hal
yard and hung on.
''The vessel, after fighting the gale for
over fourteen hours, sprung a big leak
and we kept the donkey engine hard at
work. Il was bad prospect, but fortun.
ately the pumps kept unclogged and We
kept the water down. Another sea came
down on US at $3.50 A. NJ. on the 17th,
which put out the fires in the engine
room, and the vessel sprung a new leak.
She was filling rapidly.
'"fhere was then ten feet of water in her
hold. Every man of us gave up all hope,
and we thought the time to make peace
on earth had come. Able, the japanese
cabin boy, with pistol in hand. said:
"'As soon as she goes down l will blow
my head off,
The storm subsided in about two
hours. Then We got the pumps to work
again, and they have been working twen-
ty-four hours day since. trying to keep
the vessel afloat. She is leaking like
basket and will have to undergo repairs
before another voyage is made"
The l.. J. Morse is an old wooden ship.
flying the American flag. She is COM
manded by Captain Anderson, one of the
best-known ship-masters of the Pacific