New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-08-23
STEAMER FOUGHT
WAVES TWODAYS
In 85-MILE GALE
Liner Arapahoe's Saloon
Turned Into Mill Race by
Indian Hurricane.
WATER WAIST DEEP
FILLED STATEROOMS
After-HouSe Picked Off and
Sailors Leg Broken-Oil
Kept Ship Afloat.

After weathering n hurricane in the
Gulf that almost sent her to the bot
tom, the Clyde Line steamship Ara
pahoe, temporarily switched TO the ser
vice of the Mallory Line, came TO port
yesterday from Galveston with much
evidence Of the drubbing she had re-
ceived on the journey north.
She had sixty passengers, and when
they came ashore many declared that
they had never expected to set foot on
land again.
According to these weary coastwise
travellers it was nothing short OF
Providential protection and the good
seamanship of Captain William T..
Davidson that the vessel managed to
work her way through a storm that
carried her entire after house away
and flooded her staterooms and dining
saloon waist deep Furniture was
overturned, bedding and baggage
soaked and the frightened passengers
had to seek the highest part of the
vessel amidships to avoid the terrific
combers.
Some Of the passengers declared that
the Arapahoe dropped at times be
tween such huge mountains of water
that they thought she would never
come up. but the vessel was handled
so skilfuny that she always arose
without mishap.
Many women were panicstricken and
some Of the men would have been in
the same plight had it not been for the
coolness Of Captain Davidson and his
officers, who appeared to take the
storm as : matter of course and as
sured the frightened ones that there
was no danger.
Great Wave Strikes.
BY the;- tact .he officers were able
to calm the timId ones and make them
feel that the storm was an ordinary
one. The ships officers declined to
discuss their encounter with the hurri-
cane. though admitting that it was
"some blow"
The wreckage fore and aft on the
A-apahoe was mute witness OF the
beating she took on the second day out
Of Galveston. The vessel left the Texas
port at p. m. on Saturday, August IA.
She had good weather until noon Sun
day. when the glass began to drop.
Captain Davidson, who has had expert
ence with West Indian hurricanes, gave
orders to make everything fast and re-
q. stcd his passengers to keep within
doors There was nothing TO suggest
a storm to the lay mind, and the pas
sengers did not understand the re-
quest. They knew later, when an So
mile-an-hour gale came up from the
northeast and began to toss the Arapa-
hoe about like a cork in a millrace.
Captain Davidson made an effort to
run away from the hurricane when his
glass began to fall, but found it impos-
sible, and kept his little craft head on
to the blow.
On Monday the northeaster swung
around the compass, kicking up a ter
rife sea. ard at 1890 a. m on Monday
a cumulative wave struck the vessel
am.dships on the port side, broke into
the companionway and drove a flood
through the messroom Timbers crashed
as if they had been made of paper,
and steel rails and bolts that held up
the companion ladder were twisted into
curled scraps.
Sailor Has Close Call.
Hans Mathiason, a Norwegian sailor,
attempting to go forward, was caught
bv one Of the combers and swept
half the length of the ship. The port
railing saved him from the sea. When
he was found his left leg was broken
and he was badly bruised.
The oil that was played out forward
frCn the vessel helped much, and II
was the opinion Of the officers, the
passengers said, that had 1t not been
for this strategem the vessel would
have foundered.
Up to ? p. m. on Monday no exterior
part of the vessel had been damaged,
but at 2:l0 p. m. three huge waves
rushed at her with terrific force and
hit her hard aft The first piled up
af without damage, merely flooding
her as the others had been doing; the
second smashed every pane of glass on
the promenade deck aft and along the
port side. and the third, curling high
above her, crashed with its enormous
weight upon the deckhouse aft, smash
ing il into splinters. About 900 square
feet of timbers were ripped from their
supports and fell in a jagged mass upon
the wheelbOx of the emergency hand
steering gear. 1t was the boxing that
saved the mechanism, for a day later
when the debris was cleared away II
was found that the t;mbers had pro-
tected the gear.
Every stateroom ana public room
was filled with swirling water. The
glass panes that had kept out some of
the food lay powdered on the state
room floors, and despite the efforts of
the ships carpenter TO patch up the
damage the waves made their way IN
side.
On Tuesday morning the gale mod
Grated. The passengers attempted 10
dr., their clothing and the crew patched
up the damaged parts. The Arapahoe
mt into Fey West, where her broken
windows were replaced and minor re-
pairs made.
RAT POISON KILLS CHILD
Mary Byrne Victim of Sample