In a Typhoon.

Thames Star, Volume XIII, Issue 4321, 6 November 1882, Page 2

In a Typhoon.

A. Wellington telegram says :—Messrs Turnbull's barque, the Alexa, from Foo Chow, had a very narrow escape through encountering a terrible cyclone on August 19th. It came on to blow a perfect hurricane from the N.N. W, the ship being then on a lee shore. The rain fell in torrents and drove along with blinding force; the lightning also being terrific. Happily the wind shifted to the westward, and enabled the ship to run through a channel between Sandon Rock and the mainland, and but for this her destruction was inevitable. The Alexa scudded before the gale under lower topsails, bat the same night the tempest suddenly burst On her from the S.E., throwing the vessel on her beam ends. The topsail sheets were let go, but the sails.were instantly blown out of the boit ropes. At midnight the ship was still on her beam ends, with her lee rigging about 10 (eet under water, and only a small part of the weather deck visible. The weather backstays were cut to let the topmasts and top gallantmasts go over the side, but. the ship lying over so much the masts were almost flat on the water, and the wind had no power to carry them over. All the spare spars and deck hamper went overboard. The typhoon reached its height about 2 » t va. on the 20th, when the barometer had fallen to 28*90, after which it began to rise, but the storm did not abate till 4 a.m A strong sulphurous smell prevailed during the typhoon! One of the boats was blown off the skids, but caught by the rigging; The poop ladders also were blown away. At 5 a.m. tiie ship righted, and then scudded under bare poles. At daylight she presented a most dismal spectacle, with tattered sails, ropes broken and twisted round the rigging, and everything in disorder. The sea was terrible, but the Alexa behaved beautifully throughout.