The Irish standard., 1898-09-10
An East Indian Hurricane
BY GEORGE II. c0OMEp.

NM - w 'SA''' '.'o'N't'S F." lIOII
w Snmarang, i'll the island of Java,
to Singapore, which, as most readers
are aware, lies close of the southern
extremity of Malacca, and is one of the
greatest commercial cmporums OF the
world.
Our ship, the Lion. vessel of about
7eO tons, was loaded with coffee and
pepper, large quantities of the articles
being carried from Java to Singapore,
and thence reshipped to other porta
upon demand.
we mad as passengers an American
physician and his wife. who brought
with them a large number of beautiful
Jaranesc birds, which they hung in
cages about the deck cabin In a large
cage, placed in the open air, they had
wild peacock, with its mate, these sll-
perb fowls being very common in tho
deep forests of Java, where they must
often, one would think, meet with un.
pleasant neighbors.
On leaving Samarang we were able to
head directly for our place of dcstiuu,
ton, with the northeast monsoon
squarely ON our broadsile, blowing
gentle breeze OF five or six knots an
hour, which, in about five days, brought
us within sight of the tall treetops of
Singapore that looked, as seen through
our glasses at IL distance of some 20
miles. as If they sprang directly out of
the water.
Here, however, there fell II dead calm,
the monsoon being entirely gone. The
Skv had
not like; for, although not a cloud was
visible, the whole heaven assumed
strange, brassy look that WAS reflected
on board the ship.
The captain and mate conferred anx.
iously together; the hands forward
squin1ed at the Sky and shook their
heads. nnu the two passengers, DIR. AL
ton and his wife, were evidently not n
little startled. The very peacock failed
to cry out that day, ns was his custom,
and the birds in the cabin were more
than usually quiet.
On the other hand, cut which we
had on board became strangely rest
less. darting hithcr and thithcr, and
staring about her in such Il wild mnu-
ncr as led the second mate to remark
that it must be high water, if there WINS
anything to be told by cats eyes.
1Iurriedly the lighter spars were sent
down to the deck, and while this work
was in progress there came sweeping
toward us three prodigious rollers in
close proximity TO each other, the ccn-
tral wave being, us we Judged, 20 feet
high, while those which accompanied
1t. and were merely its consequent ad-
juncts. We're considerably lower.
There was something almost super
natural i'll the appearance OF those
three broad nndulntionS, as they
conrsed heavily along upon an other
wise smooth sea. The ship, lying total
ly becalmed. received them "broadside
to-" and it was our fear thattley would
sweep the decks; but, with three tre-
mendous rolls, which threw the very
pcncock off his legs. she snrmomted
them in safety: The moment thew
had gone by the surface OF tho China
sea resumed It's ordinary appearance.
At the end Of an hour. however, ws
received second visitation, precisely
like the first, except that the swells wero
somewhat heavier. They struck the
ship upon the bows, and, !, as her position
for the moment was the most favorable
one possible. she received no injury, al
though pitching "bowsprit under"
Again succeeded the ordinary aspect
OF calm at sea, where the gentle I'M
dulations. although nearly impercepti-
BILE, arc never entirely absent.
Another hour, and we saw Il third nd.
vancing column, which. like the first
and second. consisted Of trio of waves,
but with an increased weight and ter
ror. The shi p was now "stern on" and
we awaited the result with great anx.
iety.
There was terrible grandeur in tho
appearance Of the rolling deluge. Tho
middle wave could not have been less
than 80 feet high, while those in front
and rear may have lacked some eight or
ten feet Of this altitude. The combined
line illustrated the military Idea OF q
column Of attack, formed three deep.
The silence with which this mighty
avalanche gldcd onward was, in itself,
fearful. Upon the top there might be
an occasional break and growl but be-
low was an utter noiselessncss, and
the whole bespoke n weight and power
to mock any effort Of the Imagination.
The foremost Of these combined seas
swept under the ships counters, throw
ing her stern in air till the deck lay ata
most unusual angle. Then the bow cor
respondingly rose. while the stern sank.
and now the middle wave hung like n
moving mountain close to the tatfrail,
The good old Tion-nr excellent sea