Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1906-12-18
AWFUL GRANDURE OF GREAT STORM
A Passenger on the Great Steamship Minnesota Relates
His Experience in Wild Pacific Gale

ger on board the steamship Mime
sofa, writes of the vessels behavior
in a terrific gale. The Minnesota is
one of the largest steamships ahoat-
a companion of the Dakota in the
launching and christening of which
a number of North Dakotans partici-
pated. The performance of this YES
sci at sea is of interest and the
description by Mr.. Andrus is most
vivid and thrilling. He says:
IF asked to say what was the most
magnificent sight I had ever seen I
should decide in favor of a full gale at
sea- Very few, barring sailors, have
had the experience of witnessing
full gale from the deck OF snip, for
there. are few ships afloat in which
the passenger is allowed on deck at
such time. Usually, during a full
gale at sea, all passengers are ordered
below and are kept prisoners in their
staterooms where the only glimpse
they can secure of the angry elements
is through small portfolio. Conse
quently, the indescribable glories, the
terrific grandeur, the wonderful
beauty, the exhilaration, the wild
abandon and the fierce delights that
accompany a full gale at sea fall to
oxporio-oo of ,,f raTr
zone day out from Seattle, the
Minnesota passed through a full gale,
and from 9 a. m. until 6 p. m.
rarely left my post on the lee side of
the promenade deck, aft, where was
securely fastened to the hand rail
| that extends around the cabins. The
experience shall never forget. 1t is
traditional for the oaptain to tell
| afterwards that the storm is the
worst he has ever gone through in his
many years at sea and thereafter you
are able to tell wonderful stories
| about your sea voyage. Oftentimes,
however, the storm really amounts to
nothing, but it would not do for the
officers to say so after it is past. II
you really want to know just what
kind of a storm you may be expert
encing, it is an easy matter to ind
out. Take a look yourself at the wind
guage and ascertain the velocity OF
the wind. Then ask one of the Of
| ficers to show you the storm chart
and you will find out what you are go
ing through. The chart shows twelve
classes of storms at sea. Each is
rated according to the velocity OF the
wind. A,rfull gale is No. 70 on the
chart and beyond full gale are the
hurricanes and the typhoon, the lat
ter of the China and the Japan seas.
AS No. IL never comes on the Pacific,
a full gale is next to a boss storm,
| which is a hurricane. Next to the
full gale is the half gale. In most
instances when travellers tell of ex-
| periencing gales at sea it was half
| gale, or perhaps only a heavy blow
and not full gale at all. If, how
ever, the traveller chances to witness
full gale he will know every minute
of the time that he is seeing one of
the biggest shows that travel on the
high seas. According to the seamen's
chart, the wind in a full gale may
have a velocity of as much as eighty
Or ninety miles an hour, but when it
passes these marks it becomes No. II,
or a hurricane.
Both the captain and the Off GERS OF
the Minnesota were curious to see
how the ship would behave in a full
gale. Ordinary storms do not affect
her enough to make walking on the
decks matter of discomfort and SO
| far as I could learn there has never
been case of severe seasickness on
board, except a few cases suffered by
people who would develop saesickness
| while riding on streetcar. This is
a peculiar fact about the ships for
which 1 have never heard a salts
| factory explanation. The most rea-
sonable one is that the unusual beam
of the ship causes her to have the
long and steady roll of battleship,
which seems not to be conducive to
seasickness.
! There is nothing, however, afloat, or
that ever will be floated, which full
gale will not toss, about as chip is
tossed in a millpond. In the event of
full gales the ordinary ship will head
into the sea, reduce speed and
partially ride out the storm. The
Minnesota did nothing. of the sort.
| Although for twenty-four hours the
full gale ragged over her starboard
| beam, not once was speed reduced
nor did she change her course. The
| only effect Of the gale was to smash
| a great deal of glassware, clean up all
Il - ~ 49,