A VESSEL IN A CYCLONE.

Globe, Volume V, Issue 587, 6 May 1876, Page 3

A VESSEL IN A CYCLONE.

A vessel named Oneida, which recently arrived at Port Philip, from London, experienced some fearful weather during the voyage. While in lat 42deg 27min S, and long llldog 3Smin E, on March 12th, a terrific gale arose. At 3 a.m. the sea was lashed into ungovernable fury, and tremendous bodies of water came thundering inboard, the sea over-running on both sides, and almost burying her. At half-past three a m she was struck on the port quarter by a lump of a sea, which burst in the windows and filled the saloon. The door of one of the second cabins was also stove, and the apartment filled About twenty minutes to 7 a.m the sea, which had continued to rise in its might, rolled in over port and starboard bulwarks with irresistible and almost appalling force smashing in the doors of the midship house on deck, and forcing its way through and through, completely gutted the cabins, to the utter consternation of the passengers, who were all washed out of their berths and were knocking about amongst the wreck of smashed partitions, broken chests, bedding, stores, &c, and in an agony of terror that they would be washed overboard. It was about this time that an infant of some 14 months old, named White Bell, son of one of the passengers, was torn by the sheer violence of this disastrous sea from its mother’s arms, who was suckling it, and carried right through the cabin overboard beyond all hope of rescue. The unfortunate mother was nearly sharing the lamentable fate of her child, but was seized by the arm and firmly held by her husband, just as she was being carried away by the same resistless wash of water which swept away her infant. The father was also struck by a sea, and driven foremost through a partition into the next cabin. Tb< baggage and effects of the second cabin passengers were also washed overboard. Ultimately the cyclone abated, and the vessel, in somewhat shattered condition, proceeded on her voyage, and reached Port Philip on sth April. Captain Clyma believes that the ship was caught in the end of a cyclone, beginning at N. N. W, and taking off at w.s.w.