The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-05-04
MIXED UP WITH A wATERsPoUr.
Stirring Episode in the Voyage OF
n Schooner in the Pacific.

A Stirring Episode I'm the Voyage of
Schooner in the Pacinc.
ut swayed and zigzagged over the ocean
like the staggering gait OF drunken man.
then swept with roar Just under our
stern and carried away the splnnakcr boom
with It,"
That was the way Capt Rice described
the encounter his vessel. the schooner
Metha Nelson. had with a waterspout on
the morning of October 49, about thirty
miles northwest Of Point Reyes while she
was making for this port. The schooner
was bound frcm Ms kaweli, Hawaiian ISL
ands. with cargo Of sugar. She had fair
weather during all the voyage until the
capes which mark the entrance to the har-
Dor were almost in sisht. when the wind
began to freshen and come IN fitfuI gusts.
The schooner was holding well up to the
northeast to get a good slant of wind for
the port after taking bearings from the
Farallone light. The wind, which had been
pretty brisk at the break of day. kept in
creasing and few hours after the sun
broke through the banks of fog clouds In
the eastward II was almost blowing q hur-
ricane from the northwest.
When nearly abreast of Point Reyes the
vessels course was changed and she was
bowling in toward the harbor, with the
wind almost astern.
Suddenly and almost directly ahead of
the vessel there arose great. tall column
of water.
For moment it stood almost directly
in the track OF the schooner and only
few yards in advance Of Its jibboom. Just
as the vessel seemed about to pierce II. II
moved slowly from the schooner, then
swung off to starboard. Capt. Rice order
ed the helm hard over, to- pass to port of
the column, and at the same time jumped
down from the poop deck to give the men
hand in hauling up the sheets.
The work was hardly half done and the
ibis and mainsails were Tapping In the
wind. when the great column OF water
changed its course as II to strike II almost
amdships
This time II came racing over the ocean
with a rear and with the speed OF an ex-
press train The sailors dropped the ropes
on which they were hauling and sought tne
protection OF the heavy beams of the FORE
castle head from the spars OF the rigging.
that they expected the next moment would
ne torn from the vessel and come tunihling
down a mass Of wreckage. on the deck.
Almost before the men could reach the
shelter the vessel was caught In the vortex
of air which accompanied the mighty twist
ing column OF water. and she spun al ound
like a top. lurching her port side under
the water as she went The vessels stern
swung into the t~ir,ing base OF the water
spout and Il was lifted high In the air
while the bow sunk down into the waves
and the water l.-ished In on the sailors over
the bulwarks forward.
IT was only for instant. but in that
instant there was n cracking OF tinlbers,
and the little heavily laden vessel groaned
as though the life were being choked out
nf her There was loud report ~ smash
ing timbers In the midst OF II all. Then
the vessels bow rose and with quick roll
to starboard that put her almost on her
beam end the vessel sprung around. the
waferspout travelling almost parallel to her
inclined decks. The point OF the tibbocm
all but poked into the twisting column az
the schooner twirled around.
Slowly the schooner rigbted and when
she came 10 an even keel the waterspout
was well off to starboard OF the vessel and
travelling rapidly away. All danger 10 the
vessel was past. and the greatest surprise
TO the crew was the little damage that
I'd heen done san Franclsco Chronlole.