The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1897-05-29
THE FIELD OF ADVENTURE.
rHRrLLINc5 INCIDENTS AND OAR
ING DEEDS ON LAND AND SEA.
Shot a Waterspout to save the snip
Pathetic Story OF the War-h't
Carson's Valor.

Shot a waterspout to Save the snip
Pathetic Story OF the War-h't
Carson's Valor.
'THE American ship W. +. Bah
: cock recently arrived IN San
Francisco from New York.
The Babcock had an eventful
trip around the Horn. She was IN
storms and hurricanes and beset by
waterspouts. The sea serpent was
sighted, and on one occasion the YES.
sci was on her beam ends.
When talking about the voyage
CAPTAIN Graham remarked: 1--WE were
in latitude 1856 north. longitude 81
west. when we encountered q severe
electric storm. The wind blew SO
hard that we had to reduce the ship to
three lower topsails and foresail. The
thunder came in succession OF peala,
and il seemed as though oil the artll'
lery OF the heavens was OF work.
Flash after fash of lightning played
around the Babcock and made the
scene ms light as day. The rain came
down in torrents" concluded the cap
tain, in a matter of-fact Nay, "alto
gether making one of the most dis
agreeable nights 1 have ever expert
enced."
Tor two weeks all went well, ant
then the big clipper had another ex
uerience. In latitude 9.16 north
longitude 90. 43 west, she was chase'
:)y two waterspouts. Says Captain
Graham: "rhey made up right asterl
and were rapidly approaching tn
ship.
s:They extended from the water +
the clouds, thelargest one apparenti.
being about fifty feet in circum
terence. I at once ordered all sai
taken in, because il one of the spout
struck us with sails set then the mast
would have gone by the board; an
even If the spout had struck rs and "
had had all sail furled think the shl
would have been dismasted.
"The largest one came quite near
us, when roaring sound could |
heard, Just then I remembered
have heard that the conclusion cause
by o rifle shot would break the column
of water. 1 ordered rifle brougl
from the armory, and two shots WEI
fired into the advancing column
water in quick succession. Sudden
it began to tremble at the base, al
: finally disappeared. Whether 1t W
+ the reports of the rifle that caused
! to break or whether it was from nat
q raj causes I do not know. l do kno'
however, that the Babcock had We
narrow escape. The smaller waite
4 spout took a different direction, al
. went away to the leeward OF the Vi
> sell"
One day later the Babcock encou
tered the sea serpent. 1t was
latitude degrees " minutes mort
. longitude % degrees 40 minutes We
h and the vessel was somewhere IN t
d vicinity of the mouth of the Xiv
- Amazon. ''It was about 8 a. M
d said Captain Graham, "when
3 passed close to large sea serpent.
2: was apparently asleep. 1t was OF
dirty green color, mixed with spots
black. 1t was.partially coiled and,
ia near as l could Judge, was from thil
to forty feet long and about two +
in circumference. 1t had long,
a, head, and, outside OF its size, a
st length, looked like an ordinary la
20 20 snake. 1t may have been washed
~ of one of the rivers on the Allan
- coast of South America. but thai
.. cannot youch for. All that l Know
that my wife is willing to swear OF
Is stack of Bibles that che saw the OF
inal sea serpent"