Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1908-09-02
DIR. DOYLE IN SOUTH AMERICA.
He Writes Interesting Letter from
BOlivia-Had Rough Voyage.

La Paz-Bolivia, South America,
July 10th, 19OS.-Editors Keowee
Courier: When left home l was re-
quested by several friends to write
them something Of my trip, and have
decided that it will be much less trou-
BILE to write one letter for your col
umns, SO they all may read 1t.
In January last b. A. Lowery and
myself set sail from New York dur
ing the greatest blizzard they had
experienced during the past winter.
The sea was fairly smooth for the
first SO hours out. However, when
opposite Cape HatteraS we ran into
a hurricane, which lasted for SO
hours, and 1t was during this storm
that we fed the fish, Droperly-in
fact, any one to have seen us would
have thought that we were adopts at
the art, it being the only time that
either Of us was Sta-sick during the
entire voyage. Great pillows, the
height of which | would not attempt
to estimate--(w only say their
crests seemed to meet the tirmamenD
Game rolling over us, frequently
going entirely over the vessel. Each
time that this happened seemed the
last, for, Of course, the vessel was
apparently submerged. Though she
was an inanimate object, 1t appeared
that she was endowed with the intel
ligenCe Of some superior being, FOR
each time that she came out from
her burial Of water she seemed the
more desperate to ride the crestS OF
the waves, for there was a master
hand on the bridge guidh.g < her on
her course. The captain, not trusting
the destiny of his ship even for
short while to any Of his officers, re-
manned on his feet, clinging to the
railing, throughout the entire SO
hours, shouting his commands or
giving them by other signals used on
vessels. At the end of the time,
when the sea became less turbulent,
he came down a thoroughly drenched,
hungry and completely exhausted
man, and received the congratula-
tions and sincere thanks Of all pas
sengers on board for the mastery
manner in which he had managed his
vessel.
In the midst of the storm, how
ever, our Steerage was In some way
broken. We were Immediately toss
ed into the trough Of the sea, and
remained entirely at her mercy for
some two hours, until they repaired
the damage. Then 1T was that every
wave lHdI IL SVSihSN' "S"iN
dash her to pieces. She creaked and
groaned under their lashing. Now
pandemonium reigned among the
ships crew. The yelling of those
Dutchmen at each other could be
heard on every side. This, with the
rafting OF broken dishes, caused by
the rocking Of the vessel, would cause
one to think that bedlam had been
turned loose. 1t was during this
stage Of the storm that one could not
sit, stand or lie down without hold
ing fast to something stable. | was
sitting in the smoking room when q
gentleman arose and attempted 10
cross the room. The boat gave
lurch and sent him sprawling entire
ly across the room. through the
door, (taking 1T with him, though, of
course, he didn't intend to) across
the deck, and he was prevented from
going overheard only by the iron rail-
ing around the deck. ! proceeded to
crawl out to him in order to render
what assistance | could, for | was
certain / would find him with bones
fractured, from the force with which
he p rsed through the door. To my
utter astOnishment, end his entire
qualification, he was /. / Injured
other than some pretty severe bruises.
or course every one on board was
sea-sick, including the majority OF
the ships crew. In conversing with
the captain, after 1t was all over, he
told me that this storm was the worst
he had encountered within five years.
Two days later we sighted the Is
land of San Salvador, where Colum-
bus first landed, and doubt not but
that we were as rejoiced to see 1t as
he and his crew were, for this was
the first land we had sighted since
leaving New York, though We steam
ed by without stopping. Next morn