Waterbury Democrat., 1900-11-01
AN ATLANTIC STORM.
Vivid Pen Picture of Scenes That Terrify Landsmen, But Do Not
 Disturb Sailors.

 sibly southeast. The officer in charge barometer falling. Down, down goes the barometer and the whistle calls the messenger, who knocks at the cap tain's cabin door with ''Mr. - wanted me to tell you, sir, as how he thinks we may Nave a nasty blow" says writer in the Home Magazine. The wind is coming up. Does this feaze the captain? Not much. He puts on his big boots, wraps his wooden conn forter around his neck and goes on the bridge. Perhaps he never says word during the whole trouble and the offi- cer directs everything, as usual-but he is there, and when he gets there he takes the responsibility for everything, and Mr. may feel little easier. The wind picks up from stiff breeze to a moderate gale, then to gale (5o miles an hour), then to a hurricane (65 to 75 miles an hour). It howls so a man must shout to be heard ten feet away. It blows strips of paint off the funnel and deckhouses. The crests of the seas are whirled into spray and the sides of the waves Iurrowed with little ones. A man cannot stand against it without clinGing with both hands to some support, and seaman ordered to make fast some ropes on the deck is blown against the rigging and held there for ten minutes.
 Finally he manages to creep on hands and knees to the shelter of deckhouse The air is so full of spray that it seems as if a heavy rain were falling The waves roll higher and higher. In an hour they are ten feet from trough to top and in three hours are nearly on a level with the first deck below the bridge. An hour later they are rushing from the southeast 40 feet careful measurement-from trough to crest. The clouds are rushing over in such masses as to almost touch the ship. "Stop the engines and let her drift" comes from. the captain.
 "Clang!" goes the gong and the pro- pe1ler, which has been half the time i'll the water and half the time beating the air as wave lifted it, ceases it's revolu- tions and gradually the great hull swings broadside to the sea. Then be- gins battle royal between the handi- work of man and the elements. The best artisans constructed the former out of the best steel in Britain's most noted shipyard. Every bolt was screwed home and every rivet clinched tight. The ship begins to roll from side to side. The seas lift this 1C,C00 tons of weight so that a third of the bottom is entirely out of water, then let her down with thud that makes her tremble, but never finch. Up and down she goes, the deck-sides playing see-saw with each other. First one will be high above the water. Then it goes down. The waves seem to grow higher and higher, and as the bulwark is within a few inches of the foaming water you look up and up at liquid mountain, g1 een-topped with white. It seems hundreds of feet high, but you are looking obliquely and thus the dis tance is maGnitied.
 It is a sight never to be forgotten, and few care to see it a second time, as they cling tp whatever support offers itself to keep themselves from being washed into the water or thrown against the upper works. Miniature whirlwinds branching off from the hur- ricane twist the spray into little water sprouts, whicling them over the decks,
 
 in the crow's nest. Farther and farth- CT rolls the vessel, until the foaming water runs along among the cattle, washing through the compartments and soaking them to the knees. But it is a healthy bath.
 Is there any danger? None so far The green hand might expect that every minute the hull would turn com VI 4o1x, s. d. 1xx. sible. Now the reason for trimming the cargo properly is seen. It acts like a foundation in holding the ship. The cooks department cannot be trimmed and suddenly the kettles, pans and dishes start for the door in an ava lanche, as the deck tips more than usual, accompanied by flow of "cuss words" from the chef.
 For six hours the roar of the wind continues with scarcely a seconds in termission. Then it lulls bit and the sky lightens a trifle. This is the begin ming of the end, but for two hours longer it continues before the lulls be- come more frequent. Finally the en- zine starts again and the vessel is headed on her course, victorious at every point. She has not shipped sea. Not a wave has rolled over her, and not a gallon of water has entered her hold.
 Finally the captain comes down and changes his clothes. 'Yes, it was quite a blow," he says, lighting his pipe. What the captain does has been a mystery unti! now. He seems to write little, smoke considerably, take nap in the afternoon and have plenty of time to be s1cia ble, but does he draw his pay merely for this? No, it is for being in the right place and doing the right thing at the right time.
 MAME GOES WITH IAIINDRY