The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-01-19
THE DUFFlELD
ARRIVES.
Captain Lowe Reports that
lie Never Had Such An
Experience Before.

The British steamship DufIleld arrived
at Marcus Hook yesterday from Shields.
England,
1t was the toughest passage in the his
tory Of the steamship and genial Captain
Lowe hopes be will never encounter its
equal again.
The DuiIieid was five days overdue she
having left Shields on December 20 In bal
last.
The ship trembled frem stem to stern
during her trip on the first few days.
1t seemed that the storm would blow
the tanker to pieces. The seas ran high
and wave after wave swept the decks car
rying of every thing that was possible to
be carried of. The men were removed
from the forecastle to the high bridge dur.
int their watches but even there they were
not safe.
On January tho heaviest seas Of
the voyage and some of the heaviest squalls
were encountered. Waves swept every
thing clssr on the ship. The lower bridge
was completely wrecked by the large
waves. Despite the fact that the upper
bridge is twenty seven feet high, and the
boat IL eleven feet out Of the water, the
waves nearly forty feet high broke COM
pletely over it, and the tons Of water fall
ing on 1t broke 1t In. Tho officer and the
watch on the bridge had to be constantly
from being swept into the ocean. The
waves broke over and struck every part
Of the ship and In addition to wreoking
the two bridges, also carried away part Of
the deck fittings.
On the following day the weather was
more moderate, although the fearful
squalls continued The waves were rot
quite as high built was unsafe for any
one to be on The dock or bridge without
being dashed las some seas swept over
the steamer. On January q tremendous
gale was experienced and with 1t came q
binding snowstorm. Captain Lowe says
that 1t was about the heaviest snow storm
be has over seen. The squalls were also
moro frequent, tho gale frequently getting
hurricane force. The atmosphere was
intensely cold, and all the rigging and the
deck work were solid mass of Toe. Cap
tain Lowe says that the ship continued to
be covered with ice for four days, aud
whilo the Duffield in her white coat looked
very pretty he would have preferred her
without the ice. Captain Lowe says that
the ship looked "a If she had been oil some
voyage to the Attic regions, instead Of just
making an ordinary trlp across the ocean.
On January 70 In latitude Abb north
and longitude 56-57 west, the Duff cid
spoke the steamship Keemun Of London
IL. W. S. H. The Keemun showed sig
nails OF not:being under command. Cap
tain Lowe ascertainsd there were some
trouble with her machinery. or steering
apparatus, and by signals learned that no
assistance was required The Duf1ield
then proceeded on her way. The heavy
sens and gales continued until January is.
when the Duffisld began to near the Della.
ware capes 1t usually takes the steamer
thirteen days to reach the Delaware capes'
but this trip she was eighteen days and ton
hours. thus making her more than five
days overdue.
Customs Inspector Allen yesterday af-
ternoon went to Marcus Hook and in
speoted the Duffieid. She will take ON
part of her cargo Of oil at Marcus Hook
and then proceed to Philsd elphia and re-
ceivc the rest OF her cargo.