The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-10-04
THE MACON IN A HURRICANE.
s,vANNAH PASSENGERS EXPERI-
ENCED A SEVERE GALE.

THE Macon Proved Herself a. Good
ga Vessel, and WithstOOd the
storm NObIy-SOme of Her Expert
epces at Santiago and Porto Rico.
The passengers by the steamship City
of Macon, which arrived from New York
,.xsrday morning shortly after O'Clock,
will ever remember Oct. 2, 1885, 1t was
with them a day of doubt and hope, but
Principally one of seasickness.
The City of Macon left New York be-
ing lust off the dry dock, on Thursday,
Sept. 90 She was due to arrive in Sa-
yaunah early Sunday morning, at the lat
est. il being expected that she would
make the dock by 2 or o'clock. But all
the way from New York she had heavy
sea to contend with. First, there was the
pitching north of Hatteras, and after the
course was changed she rolled continu-
aly. AS a result of the rough trip nearly
all Of the passengers, many of whom were
savannahians, were quite sick, and spent
nearly ALI of their time in their state
rooms
The Macon reached Martins Industry
hghtship about 1880 o'clock Sunday morn
ing Tybee light could then be plainly
seen. There was still a heavy sea, with
quite gale blowing, but about every
body who was up retired with the expec-
tation of being at the dock in Savannah
Sunday morning by daylight. Instead of
that, however, they spent all day Sunday
in the storm, and one of the worst storms,
apparently, which had been seen off the
coast There was no doubt about its quail
itv in that respect, so far as the majority
Of the passengers were concerned.
As the Macon was approaching the sea
buoy Sunday morning a terrific squa1 de-
veloped, and all of the shore lights were
shut off from view. Capt. George c.
Savage, who has been with the Macon for
some time now, decided that it was best
10 heave to until morning. and this he did.
When morning came he found himself still
head to the storm, with a terrific gale
blowing from the northeast, and land was
nowhere in sight. 1t was impossible for
him to get any location except by the
soundings and they showed that the Ma
con was fifteen or twenty miles off shore.
All day long the gale blew with terrific
force, going sometimes 70 and 80 miles an
hour, and in gusts as high as 100 miles
according to the experience of the best
mariners on the coast. The northeast
blow continued until u o'clock noon Sun
day. when the wind changed around to
the southeast and blew with more terri
fc force than before This can be judged
from the fact that when the ship was first
turned head to the wind she was directly
off Tybee The northeaster naturally
took her to the south but after her eX-
perience with the southeaster she found
herself yesterday morning, north of Mar
tins Industry Lightship, and only about
thirty miles out TO sea- Those thirty
miles had been made against the gale in
about % hours.
The Macon pitched and rolled until the
sea washed over her on all sides, Almost
all of the passengers remained IN their
berths during the entire day. In tact IL
was dangerous to walk about the vessel
or on deck even if any of them had been
well enough to do So Some of them so
far despaired that they said they would
he satisfied if the vessel ever got to shore.
One passenger said what principally wor-
RED him was that he feared his life IN
surance would be. contested by the com
panies if he was lost at sea- Others hop
ed and prayed that everything would come
out all right and sure enough il did, and
sooner than many of them expected.
About O'Clock Sunday night The wind
moderated somewhat and the vessel rode
more easily. But the gale freshened ana
blew hercely again for a couple OF hours.
Shortly before midnight there was another
iuu and this time it seemed as If every
thing would be all right. Capt Savage
then turned the Macon about and started
In for shore. She rolled considerably at
first in the trough of the sea, but soon
became riehted, and the course was made
almost direct to Tybee. The passengers
who enjoyed this experience which they do
not want to repeat are: Miss F. r. Has
ken Mrs w j. Edwards, /. A. Solomons,
H. G. solomons, Miss s. Nj. Black Mrs
Carpenter Miss J. Judge, @. e. Van Horn
MIs. illiam Hunter and daughter, MIS-
j. Sommers, Flora Mergel, Mrs. j. A
Black and daughter, Mrs C. h Olmstead
and daughters, Mrs. f. M. Hull, j. R.
Finn, Miss Katie Finn, Mrs. a. P. Adams
ana son. Miss l.. Pierpont E. A. Kohut
Miss H. G. Hyson, r. G. Roesser, Leon
Hebb, Mrs. F. A. Well Mrs F. Angel
Miss H. Platsheck, e. Moyle and niece
D. w. Travis, s. j. Galpin, J. f. Lewis
and Miss Lewis.
The Macon rode through the storm nobly.
She has new wheel and is In first-class
shape. She responded to every slight turn
Of The rudder, and kept her course across
the seas remarkably well.
In such a gale Capt. Savage was nat
urally anxious. He was without sleep for
two nights, and was almost constantly in
the pilot house. Sunday night, just after
supper a light was seen Oft the starboard
BOW. The Macon was then turned 10 the
+'Ni NliNdSl anu SOl AltO lllG AiOuSl VI tHt
sea. So heavy was the sea that she rolled
some 40 degrees or more with each wave
but as soon as the light disappeared, to
DE seen no more, she was again put
Isansr the sea, and responded at once TO
her rudder.
Capt Savage considered it a most severe
gale but he still thinks the storm Of 1893
lle worst that has been seen on the coast
l.i years. Al that time he was in command
o. the City of Savannah which went
aslote off Hunting Island. on that occa-
Sion heavy sea. first carried his pilot
rouse away and threw him into his room
L''h of il. Another sea broke across the
savannah and carried off her smokestack
dpt Savage mas had all of his storms
~" sunday, and he is beginning 10 think
'he} are made especially for him. The
S."i'n 20 which the Savannah was washed
gS""fe was on Sunday. He was in another
qq'esefous storm in harbor at Montauk
','' On Sunday1when Two vessels drag
across his bow, and this one came
I IN Sunday morning. But with it all