LIEUTENANT LODWICK'S SHIP DEVONPORT, IN A CYCLONE.

Southland Times, Issue 905, 24 February 1868, Page 2

LIEUTENANT LODWICK'S SHIP DEVONPORT, IN A CYCLONE.

The following narrative of the disaster which befel Captain Lodwick's last ship will be read with interest :j- _ Snip Devonport, with the left wing of the drd battalion 60fch Eoyal Eifies on board, from Kangoon and Port Blair, to Madras. —Friday, November 24— At about 11 a.m. anchored well out in Madras Boads. Fresh wind from northward, set down royal yards, and setupall the backstays, fore and aft ; towards night wmd freshened, with a "strong sea setting in from eastward. At daybreak, masterattendant's flag flying, ' cut or slip ; got a spring on the cable, with hawser buoy rope and buoy, so as to find our anchor on our return ; set the fore and main lower topsails; slipped at the 90-fathom shackle; set the lower mizen topsail. Foresail and spanker were set after wo cleared away. Barometer inclined to fall ; preparing ' for bad weather, wind north. At 4 p;m. reefed and furled the foresail, took in and furled the spanker. Gale increasing; several ships about us, but after about 5 p.m., did not see them on account of rain and spray. By 8 p.m. I began to think that we might be running into a cyclone, which would probably be passing from the E.S.E. to W.N.W., and in which, case we would be nearly in the track of its centre ; and as we were not more than thirty to forty miles from the coast, we dare not run ; besides ships were all around us, and we could not see the length of the ship ; keeping her clean full, making a course about S.E. or S.S.E. At 11 p.m., gale increasing to a hurricane, barometer falling fast. At about midnight, the maintopsail blew away, and was soon followed by the mizen and foretopsails. The squalls were terific; everything seemed to be in danger of being blown away. At about 2 a.m. the weather maiubrace bumpkin was carried away, leaving the after-yards all adrift, and could not be secured, as by this time no one could stand in the wind without being blown away. At about 11 p.m. I called the chief and second oflicers together, and explained to them our position and danger, as the cyclone was ahead and the land on the quarter; that we liad no room to run, and must therefore prepare for the worst, as we could no* expect to pass far to the southward of the centre. I told Major Biggs, ' commanding the troops/ that we would be in some danger, as we, were between a cyclone and the land, and that its centre must pass very near us. Squall increasing, blowing with terrific violence. November 28. — At about 8 a.ml the foremast blew away by the deck; mainmast about 12ft over the deck, and mizenmast about 10ft above the poop deck; main and cross jackyards each striking the poop deck and tearing up several plnnks of toe starboard side, exposing the poop and cabins to the sea ; broke the skylight, compass, barometer, &c, &c. The masts broke three boats to pieces in their fall ; only one remained on the top. of the deck-house-sea making a heavy breach over the ship, filling the cabins, and carrying away everything in its course. As soon as the masts were gone, all axes were at work cutting away the rigging, in order to get the wreck clear of the ship. Both pumps were set going, at which the soldiers worked most gallantly, never ceasing all day, excepting on one occasion when an ofiicer gave a false alarm by reporting seven feet water in the well. The fireengine was. kept constantly at work all day pumping out the 'tween decks, as well as all the buckets in bailing. As soon as the main rigging was cut away, the ship passed right over the mainmast and its wreck. "We found it very difficult to get at the lee fore-rigging, as the foremast had blown quite clear of the ship and dragged all the chain-plates under water. The mizenmast lay across the poop, the upper yards and mast doing much damage over the quarter ; but until it moderated no one could stand on the poop, especially to use an axe or knife ; however, with the assistance of some of the troops and officers, all the wreck was cut "away before night. The foremast and its wreck hung to the ship by something I could not find out, but as it made the ship ride better to the wind, I let it remain. It cleared itself in the night, and I saw. no more of it. The fall of the barometer, November 25, at 8 a.m., 29*85; noon, 29-80 ; 4 p.m., 2975 ; 8 p.m., 2960 ; 10 p.m., 29-50; midnight, 2935; 2 a.in., 2910; 3 a.m., 290; 4 a.m., 28*85; 5 a.m., 2860; 6 a.m., 2845. At 7 a.m. barometer seemed to rise, but was very unsteady ; then fell at 7.30 to 2825; when masts were carried away and broke the barometer. Aneroid began to rise about an hour after the masts were gone. The wind liad not veered very fast with us. It began to blow north at about 4 p.m. November 25 ; at 8 p.m., the wind the same; at 10, wind N. by W. ; at midnight, N.N.W. ; at 4 a.m., N/W".. by N. . W"hen the masts went away} wind N. W. by W. When the report of seven feet of water being in the ship was given, I found my way down to the forehold, and managed to get near the bottom of the ship, then lowered a lantern on to the skin, then found there was very little water — -say one or two inches over the skin. As soon as I reported this, the pumps were set to work again with a will. The soldiers on deck had nothing on but their trousers, and all worked very hard. When below I found the tarpaulins wash-: ing off the hatchways. I exhorted the men to get them battened down afresh, to take anything they could find— canvas, hammocks, blankets, sails, or anything ; only to get the water stopped from coming below,- as -nothing else could save us. This was all done, and in a few hours the pumps sucked. At 6 p.m: more moderate; Saw a large ship about a mile to windward with lower masts standing. Another reported astern, totally dismasted, but I did not see her. The. ship to windward came so near to us aa%o place us both in great danger — she drifting down on us, and both of us quite, helpless. I got two boat sails on the gtump^of the mizenmast. in order that we

toight go astern; he pot a jib on his mizenmast and forged ahead. Just cleared us forward, hailing us as he did so. I could not see what ship it was. Kept the pumps going all night, sucking after every spell. The second mate went down with me through the chain -trunk into the pump-wells, and found that one pump, which had been reported chocked, was sucking and in good order. November 22. — Next morning moderate : several Bhips in sight, all dismasted more or less; prepared all our spars for jurymasts, getting them up the best way we could. On examining the hold, I found several bags of troops' bread all wet, and so hot as to be nearly on fire. Had them sent on deck and thrown overboard. Next, I examined the afterparts of the ship, and found all the blankets, hammocks, &c, which had been in use, all heated and wet, and they were next to the powder magazine. All were handed on deck immediately , tried to dry them, but found it could not be done — all were therefore thrown overboard. 28th. — Pine •weather; got up a jurymast, set two jibs on the bowspirt. 29th. — All day employed getting up a 90-feet spar for a jurymast. Found the current setting in from 40 to 55 miles per day to the southward. 30th. — Set a foresail and top-gallant-sail above it on the mainmast ; also, a large jib and topmast studdingsail between the masts. December 1st — Lashed two boats booms together, and got them up for a mizen-mast ; set a spanker as a lugsail and two stay-sails between the main and mizen masts, and a boat's sail on the flagstaff at the stern. This was all we could muster. 2nd. — Still drifting southward and eastward. Light wind— N. to N.O. Stood out to the middle of the bay to get out of the current. 3rd. — Standing eastward ; fair weather. 4th — Made 40 miles northeastward. sth.— Made 106 miles northward. Light winds south. 6th — Made 103 miles north-westward. 7th. — Made 108 miles westward. At noon saw the high land of Pulicot west by south from us. "We were fortunate during our sad disaster in not losing any one, excepting about ten natives, some of whom died during the night of the cyclone. Others were literally blown overboard out ot the longboat. December B.— Anchored in the Madras Eoads at 1.30 a.m. — all correct. I cannot close this paper without expressing my thanks to the officers and men of the troops on board, who were at all times ready to assist, in every possible way, for the safety of the ship and all on board, and especially Lieutenant Robinson and Ensign Lindsay, who acted more like thorough sailors than anything; else, and led the way wherever anything was to be done."