The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-10-04
LOOSE SAFE BATTERS
AS GALE RIPS LINER
Mass Of Iron Rolls in Cabin
While Almirante Fights
Through Storm.
WAVES LEAP OVER SHIP
Vessel Wins Struggle, Though
Sea at First Outfights
Crew and Engines.

An unheraIded West india cyclone
Of phenomenal force came pretty near
wrecking the United Fruit steamship
Almirante. In yesterday from Caribbean
ports. h encountered tho twiSter
about 100 miles south Of Kingston. ia
maica. on the afternoon OF Friday. Sep
TENDER -. The barometer earlier in the
day had dropped more than an inch and
capt. Fsrquhar Grant had instructed
the wireless operator to call steamships
and ind out what sort OF a blow he
might expect. All the vessels he got
In touch with said there wasn't any
storm. He decided then he was going
to have just an infant swirier. In .
few hours II turned into a prodigy.
The blast became so fierce on FRI
day evening that the ships engines
could not keep her head to sea. While
she was still striving to lay to a pom
derous comber swept over her bow and
ripped off the covers OF matches . and
3. forward. About eighty deck passen-
gers. all blacks from the ana Zone,
including many women and children.
were sent to shelter. the women and
children going to the cabin and the men
to quarters with the crew.
OutfouGht by the Sea
Officers and able seamen made vain
efforts to crawl forward to close the
matches. They were driven back by
breakerlike PUSHES Of sea and wind that
came in hurricane gusts at 100 miles.
according to OF the officers.
The Almirante drifted into the trough
and the skipper. from the bridge. looked
at crested giants whose foamy names
doomed higher than the truck Of the
foremost. Sometimes the ship rolled
at an angle OF seemingly less than
~ degrees. and naturally everybody
not on duty and all Of the passengers
chung to stanchions and other things
safely anchored. II they were not trying
TO hold themselves In their berths. OIL
mas used TO cut down the crests and
prevent them from breaking aboard. but
II had little effect.
The wireless operator. true to the
tradition Of his plucky class. stuck TO
his job and made an effort to tell his
woes to somebody anoat or ashore. But
the gale had swept away his aerial out
ut. A little later he heard a crash
close by and about half OF his house
cracked and creaked and bent In his
way. II was the starboard accommoda-
ton ladder finishing a remarkable stunt.
A mighty wave lifted the ladder. which
Is a regular stairway. from its lashings
and sent IT flying sternward alongside
the ship. 4 wave just as big and power
full grabbed the ladder when 1t was
about half the length OF the Almirante
and tossed it back aboard again. on
the way 1t smashed a lifeboat and then
smote the wireless house. The operator
temporarily left his post. As his ap-
oatry had hao, an,aabAI tbera yS.aa mn
reason for him TO tarry.
About this time the purser. s. II.
Frantz, who was holding on In his berth.
p heard something give way In his room.
A few seconds later he found that II
was the ships 500 pound safe, and he
Thought of Victor Hugo's tale in
"Ninety-Thrce' of the wild cannon that
threatened the destruction of a Freno
sailing vessel. The safe has rollers and
tho sea started them working In all di-
rections. The purser noted that the
mass Of steel tried to roll up the bulk
heads OF the room. Then 1t turnbled to-
ward the purser's bunk.
He climbed into the upper berth and
olung to oars and stanchions like a
Gagged creature while he watched the
safe on its fearsome spree. He did not
care to risk death by making a scoot for
the door. 30 uncertain were the moods
o. the lurching, darling, jumping. rolling
menace
Safe Matters Down Door.
Finally the door OF the room went
down under the hattering force Of the
safe and thus help. officers
and men brought sticks and blocks and
wooden things from the wreckaGe 10 use
IN the battle will the safe. Ono OF
the crew who had had experience as a
~cowpuncher laseoed it as 1t was about
80, eliza tra YlA Nod an-,a
down from his perch. There was a rush
OF 81 fehreakers. The safe was subdued
and dashed. nailed down, blocked and
otherwise secured. n the purscr wen,
back To his berth.
Daylight Of Saturday. September c5,
came with tho outer world in tumult
unparalleled in the experience of m
BODY on the liner, The women and
children of the blacks from the Cana
Zone were praying in the saloon and the
officers and crew were wondering why
the seas did not fill the ship through
tho two open matches forward Later
they noted that the wind drove tn,
breakers with such marvellous force thai
thcy made a CLEAR breach over the ship
Pumps had been SGT going and relieved
the hold OF some OF the water.
Officers OH duty on the bridge noted
when at dawn on Saturday the heart
OF the cyclone had passed. that the sky
IN inc Qulcscent centre OF tne DloN wa
swarmins with tropical land and sea
birds. thousands of brilliant hue, The,
screamed in terror and the strong for
got FOR a while TO prey on the weak.
The officer who told the story OF the
frightened birds said II seemed to him
that there we're millions OF them, Thu
birds instinctively seek the calm centre
Of the great spiral storms that carr,
them from whatever islands may he II
it, course.
In the galley tho cooks also were
having an unhappy time. The sea
crests flooded the place and for twenty.
four hours nothing could he cooked
Tho ships company, consisting OF 23t
all told, had TO be content with canned
stun.
on SATURDAY. evening the blast besar
TO moderate and the ship was headed or
her course TO Kingston. Can't. Gran.
marvelled at the unprecedented drop In
the barometer while the Almirante wa.
IN the hub OF the cyclone. lie saws hi
glass is faithful and he cannot recall
ever having seen Il. or any other glass
so down TO the phenomenal record o
1850. which the navigators and marin,
folk OF Kingston were inclined 4
question.
The skipper says also that the fore
OF the wind was more than 100 miles.
In all OF the perilous rolling nCeod,
was seriously injured, although man,
were bruised BY tumbles from berth
and in falls.