New-York tribune., 1908-10-08
Thursday morning, October l.

Thursday morning, OCTOBER !.
on hoard the schooner Mayf1ower, bound to King
ston, Jamaica TO carry operations for the
Southern Research Company in the Carib-
bean Sea:
The port watch were on deck at sunrise admir-
ing its beauty. To them it exquisite in
colors and tint, but to the mate Mr.. Perham,
it was as he expressed it, ''the damndest wild
thing ever saw The wind was squaly and
strong E.S.E.. but the port watch was carrying
sail to beat our records. 1 was awakened by a
commotion on deck and the mates voice an
nouncing that the windward topping lift had
parted. All hands were Immediately called on
deck and ordered to lower away the sail This
did and set to work Immediately repairing
the topping lift with wire.
Toward noon the wind hauled TO Sc. and
freshened We hoisted the storm trysail and
continued the port tack till the barometer
began falling by leaps and bounds. When it
reached 296 inches wore her around to the
starboard tack, were unable to tack The
wind had freshened to a fifty mile gale. squaliy
and threatening. The mate stated that we were
in the close proximity of a severe hurricane.
We took in first the storm trysail, then the
jib and about $50 p. m, single reefed the fore
sail. All night the gale increased, the heavy
rain squalls being more and more severe. 1
had never experienced such frightful blast.
We hung to the deck. seeking what shelter we
could, shivering from the cold and wet. At
about II p. m. the foresail parted its sheet, and
with reports equalling those of a 3-1nch gun
blew itself to ribbons. Our fOresail alone re
manned to help weather the hurricane. At
1870 a. m we noticed that the lashing on the
gaff of the foresail had parted. 1t could not
long stand the strain and in half hour it
blew off the spars. broke the gaff, and the large
part of it went off to leeward. The glass had
fallen to 2S.7 inches, and the wind was blow
ing at least ninety miles hour.
There was but one thing left for US to do, and
that was to her off under bare poles She
turned down the wind and tore along at rate
I was unable to estimate Nothing visible
but flying scud. There was but one dominating
sound-the high, ominOus shrek of the hurri-
cane The salt water scud cut our faces. and
we were unable to breathe unless we covered
our mouths with hands
At daybreak she running furiOusly and
making fair weather of it. During the night the
pinnacle lights and the side lights blew out. and
we were unable to keep them lighted; conse-
ouentIy we were unable to that course
was constantly changing and we were running
into the very centre of the cyclone. At about
4:3O a. m. the rudder must have carried
awav for she broached to and lay staggering
in the trough Of the mountainous seas The
severe blasts knocked her down time after time
IT seemed inevitable she must CapSlZe unless
we cut away the spars. The captain refused to
give the order. though the mate was standing
by the main rigging with Three times
she actually dipped her mastheads into the seas
the water coming up to her skylights. From
none of these knockdowns did it seem that she
would recover Finally we got that. to all
intents and purposes was the last of US. 1
was lying on deck TO windward and my legs
were afoat When down so far that gave
her up, to the marvel of all she recovered. The
captain then gave the much belated order to
cut away. It almost too late.
The mate severed the main rigging to wind
ward and then began TO hack away the mast
1t seemed ages. and he made no apparent prog
ress; the steel still held Suddenly got
other knockdown-the most severe of all. Her
mastheads buried the water covered the
matches. Her decks perpendicular The
mate laid down his and said. IT'S all up"
We prepared ourselves for death. When she
seemed about 10 topple over, by some miracu-
lous power she halted and then slowly righted
We gave cheer and flew back at the work of
hacking away the mast.
All hands were on deck but the cook, who was
imprisoned below. Finally TO intense de-
light the mainmast cracked tottered and finally
fell to leeward, the broken foot going through
the deck just by the lee rail. It still held aloft
10 the foremast by the spring stay. II was plain
that the foremast must go too. The mate cut
away the fore rigging to windward Immediate
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