The Ocean Waves. Travels by land and sea

Front matter

The Inman Company's Steamship "City of Chester." THE OCEAN WAVES: TRAVELS BY LAND AND SEA. BY CAPTAIN CHARLES CHAPMAN, Author of " AIL ABOUT SHIPS," " LIFE AND DUTIES OP A SALLOB," " VOYAGE TO THE CAPE OP GOOD HOPE," " TBAVELS THBOUGH AFBICA TO TnE DIAMOND FIELDS," "OPENING OF THE SUEZ CANAL," ETC. LONDON: GEORGE BERRIDGE & CO., 37, EASTCHEAP, E.C. MDCCCLXXV. LONDON : GEORGE BERRIDGE AND CO., PRINTERS, EASTCHEAP WORKS, E.C. THESE PAGES &re rcsnertfiulo Ijeoicateo TO THAT GENEROUS AND FAR-SIGHTED SHIPOWNER, WILLIAM I IT 3sÆ .A. IsT , OF UPTON JIANOF. AND WINDEBMEBE, AS A MARK OF RESPECT. HE WAS THE FIRST TO SEND THE POOR EMIGRANT ACROSS THE ATLANTIC AT A CHEAP RATE BY STEAMER ; AND ALSO THE FIRST TO SEND STEAMERS TO IRELAND TO TAKE ON BOARD POOR PASSENGERS, THEREBY SPARING THEM THE EXPENSE AND MISERY OF AN EXTRA CHANNEL VOYAGE ; BY THE AUTHOB, A SAILOR.

MEMO. The public, not knowing better, may accuse the writer of "Ocean Waves" of having taken hints from Mr. Plimsoll, but he wishes to inform them that he was the first to write on overloaded vessels, about eight years ago. Mr. Plimsoll took his key and information from the book, " AU About Ships," and took the credit to himself as well. All the good that Mr. Plimsoll has disseminated in his book was obtained from a work of the present writer, all the blunders and mistakes are his own. Mr. Plimsoll's agitation has done good, if in no other respect, in obtaining a Eoyal Commission, and proving that his accusa tions were unfounded and his remedies impracticable. A Sailor, and Author of " All About Ships," &c THE OCEAN WAVES. TRAVELS BY LAND AND SEA. -<?«vSB»>3r>.

Chapter I. The Ocean Waves

WHAT THEY DO, HOW THEY DO IT, AND WHY THEY DO SO MUCH DAMAGE ; LOOKING AT THEM FROM A SAILOR-POINT OF VIEW. It may not be necessary to mention here, because it is so well known, how beautiful a river, a lake, or a sea is in appearance when it is smooth, and even when there is a ripple on the water ; it appears so inviting (especiaUy in hot weather) that every one of us seems to. wish to get on it ; there is something so cool, so refresh ing about its appearance, that you think you could live, on it and be happy always. " I do love the water so," is an expression that has fallen from the lips of many, and those who have uttered those words meant what they said ; but, whde they were so speaking, they pro bably did not caU to mind what that smooth sea could do when ruffled by a heavy gale of wind ; and still more what it would do when disturbed by a hurricane ; and still further, what terrible powers it had when its waves were sent rolling along by the same wind blowing hundreds of miles away to windward.

Too many of us look at it and admire its exquisite beauty, and, tempted by its placid coolness, venture on it without thinking B much where we are going, and what risks we are about to run. Some go on the water in ignorance, some are fool-hardy and chance it, and others must go for a living ; too many go knowing well that they are running a terrible risk — from the captain to the cabin boy they are perhaps poor — the former with a large famdy to support ; he cannot afford to say that he will not go ; if he does, his bread is lost, some one else is soon found to supersede him. The dangerous ship puts to sea, perhaps by — almost a miracle she arrives safely, and the poor fellow who refused to go has lost his berth and his reputation, and his lot is to go, perhaps, as mate, and perhaps, before the mast again.

The small boys and others will go because a captain can be found to go. For the present, however, my business is, as I note above, with the ocean waves, what they do, and how they do it. I was writing of the inviting, smooth sea, when there was scarcely a ripple on it. I must now ask my readers to watch it as the breeze freshens, and the dark blue takes the place of the dull green, and the small waves begin to run and try to break, but cannot, because the wind is not yet strong enough ; but as the wind gradually freshens, the tops of the small waves com mence what sailors call to " spit." Then, as the breeze strengthens more and more, the waves run on, getting larger, and begin to show their little white tops with a tiny mite of froth tumbling over from their small height, and the white disappears, and another wave comes after it and does the same sort of thing.

But these waves keep on increasing in size, so gradually that you can scarcely discern that they are getting big and heavy. Standing on the shore the small wave runs playfully up the beach ; you may put your foot down to the place you see it coming, and you may take it away in time to save your foot from getting wet, and you may play with it so, and it is a very pleasing sight to the eye. You may stand and watch a boat that is, perhaps, anchored a short distance from the shore, and which has been hitherto laying still. As the breeze freshens she begins to move slightly, she gets head to wind, and, as the waves grow, she begins to pitch, and she taughtens her mooring as the waves begin to curl over at their tops, as above mentioned, they strike the boat's bow and make splashes against it. And now, whde you are playing with the waves with your feet, you find they come on quicker, and the little boat has a quick motion ; and while you are looking at her you feel a little sick.

And the waves are getting higher and higher as the wind freshens, and the wind is freshening gradually. You go down to the beach and feel inclined to play with the waves, which are rolling in quicker after each other, and you find you have to be more nimble than before, or you will get your feet wet. You notice the little boat is pitching more, and the water is splashing more against each bow. You have all along noticed a large ship laying in the offing, and at first she was laying broad-side on to you, but now she has swung stem-on, and her flags, that were (when you first went to the beach) hanging down, are now blowing out at their full length. But the ship is not like the boat, pitching and rolling about. She seems as steady as a lamppost, although the waves are getting stronger, and their tops have a heavier foam on them every few minutes.

The sky had hitherto been clear, in fact, it was a beautiful autumn day, and everything seemed fair, and you were in a good, kindly, and happy way of feeling ; and stdl you watched the sea as it rose to a greater height, and you noticed the large ship, not long ago as steady as a lamppost, had now begun to have a kind of motion, not rolling, but pitching. Then a boat came round from the pier, with three men in her. They came and put one of the three into the little boat, and whde they were putting him into the little boat three other men came running along the beach. He in the smaU boat pulled up her anchor, and the other two isulled away to the pier again. The one man having pulled up the anchor and placed it down in the bottom of the boat, he put one of the oars over the stern, and steered her before the wind to the beach, where the three men were standing.

You noticed the easy way in which he managed the boat, and as soon as she touched the shore he jumped out, and the other three helped to carry her up far away from the water's edge, so far that they had to take two or three spells, and having taken a spell they took hold of her and carried her still further. You wondered why they took her so far ; you thought you would ask them why they did so — and you did ask them — and they said, with a shake of their heads, " "We are going to have a gale to night, or we are very much mistaken." At the same time they looked towards the large ship, and you could not help doing the same. You noticed she was pitching a little, and you went down to the beach again. The waves on the sea-beach shore came in stronger, and ran ever so much further up than when you first began to play with them, in fact, you had now to run out of the way of them fast, or they would catch you and wet your feet.

You again looked at the ship, and saw all the flags were hauled down; you saw also that there were men up aloft on the top gallant mast, and in a short time you saw the three royal yards top over end all at one time ; and then you saw them being lowered down, and in a short time they were out of sight. You noticed that there were two men still aloft, and they were doing something for some time after the yards were sent down. And you saw the vessel had increased her motion, and was pitching heavdy; the waves were stdl getting stronger and higher, and the wind seemed to begin to blow you about. All of a sudden you noticed that the sky had changed ; instead of being of a clear blue it had changed to a sort of lead colour, and there had gathered, right in the wind's eye, a bank of dud white and grey clouds.

Then you saw many black specks on the horizon, you wondered what they were — there were a large number of them. You watched them, and you wondered they did not attract your attention before. And now you could see them so plain, and there seemed to be more and more of them. Now some of them appeared larger than the others. You wondered what they could be. You thought — are they spots in the clouds ? No, they were too well defined for that. At length they became quite large, and of a triangular shape. All at once you said to yourself, " Oh, it is a boat, they are all boats I" And very soon after you could see the hull of the nearest, and then hull after hull came in sight, until you saw a sort of mosquito fleet ; and, as they neared the pier, they began to shorten sail, and then took aU sad in and ran into the harbour under bare poles, and were soon hidden from your sight by the headland and the pier, which formed the harbour.

O41 they come, one after the other, each doing the same thing with their sails, exactly in the same spot as did the others which had preceded them ; and there were now hundreds in sight running: into the harbour, at times three and four deep. Whde you had been watching the fishing boats (for fishing boats they were), with their tanned sails, making for the harbour, the wind had been freshening, the waves had risen considerably, and again you noticed the men on the top -gallant mast — they were there in greater numbers than before ; and shortly after you noticed all three of the top-gaUant yards top over end, and they shortly disappeared. A quarter of an hour after, down went the top-gallant and royal mast ; shortly after that the lower and topsad yards were braced sharp up, the main and mizen to port, and the head yards to starboard.

The wind and the sea were stiU increasing, and you could see that the large ship was pitching heavily, and the surf began to break on the beach and run far up it furiously. The sun by this time was getting low down in the west, and almost in the direction from which the wind came, it was getting near the heavy bank of grey and dull white-headed clouds. It had a greasy sort of appearance, it had a cold appearance, and seemed as if it was only giving warmth to a sort of circle round itself. Below the tops of the clouds above mentioned there was a deep black, as black as black could be, and the sea had turned a sort of lead colour, and the evening began to have an awful appearance. All the fishermen were in port, at least, there were no more to be seen, either close to or in the distance. The solitary ship lay there plunging into the sea fearfully.

The sun was now behind the bank of clouds, and the wind had increased to a gale ; the sea was rising higher and higher, and the tide had risen to about half-flood. And, as dusk came on, the light on the headland was lighted, the sea-gulls and the ship were all that were to be seen to seaward, and the former seemed to keep on the wing with difficulty, and were screeching fearfully. In order to show what the ocean waves will do practicaUy, I must transfer the reader to the scene on board that ship on that awful night. You had seen from the shore the movements made to make the ship snug for the night, and, when you found yourself on the ship's deck, you saw the people in charge were alarmed, the captain walking the deck, cool and collected, and every now and then you noticed an officer in uniform go to him, receive an order, and away again ; lights every now and then were to be seen forward, and over the bows when a smooth came, but it was impos sible to be over the bows at aU times, as she was pitching bows under every now and then.

The crew, however, managed to get the third anchor over, and it was let go under foot, the order was then given to bear away the other two cables to the end, and at the same time to bear away on the third anchor. AU was done in a quiet, seamanlike manner ; no confusion, everything that forethought and good judgment could suggest. The cables were at length veered away to the end, the ship having 120 fathoms of cable out on each of the bower anchors, and 60 fathoms on the third anchor, all, in that respect, that could be done. Stdl the gale was increasing in violence, and the sea came tumbling in dreadfully over all and each cathead. You watched the cables as they stretched out far away ahead, each cable taking its share of the strain, when a tremendous roller would strike her on the bow, she would rise to it, at the same time getting stern-way on her, untd the cables, as above mentioned, would bring her up all standing.

She would then forge ahead again, until the bights of the chains were hanging down under her forefoot. So, as the gale increased, she forged ahead, and then ran astern again, as above mentioned. At this time the captain was, with a quick step, walking the poop deck, and every now and then feeling the deep-sea lead-line which was over the ship's quarter, in order to ascertain whether the ship was driving. Now we must have a look down below on the lower deck of this noble ship. There were 375 emigrants on board ; about 100 single girls, about 100 single men, and the remainder married couples and their families. A great many of them were undressed and in their berths fast asleep, in happy ignorance of the dangers they were in. The ship's bell was kept going every half-hour, and, as soon as the sound was out of the bell, the sound of the voices from forward were to be heard on the starboard cathead, then on the port cathead, and from the man on the nightheads, " All's well."

At length the sea became so heavy that it was impos sible for the men to remain forward without a risk of being washed away, the midship look-out was ordered to go into the foretop, the other two were ordered into the fore rigging. And shortly after, the doctor was seen, in company with the chief officer, in the married men's quarters ; and their mission was to ted the married men to get their wives and children dressed, but on no account were they to leave their quarters until they were told ; they were to remain quiet, and leave themselves to the care of the captain, officers, and crew, and whatever they were told to do, to do it quietly, and above all cheer each other up. The single girls and single men were in due course ordered to get up and dress, but to remain in their quarters, and not to leave until they were ordered, and to be calm and hopeful.

Let us begin aft, and see the motley group of girls ; they had soon done as they were told, and were all dressed. In No. 1 mess aft, three of them, friends, held each other by the hand, and with the other arm round each other's neck, their faces as pale as death, listening, but could hear nothing. See a few of them in a sort of ring, praying quietly among themselves — no ranting, no loud exclamation ; some, as before stated, in quiet prayer, and others clinging to and loving each other. In the married quarters there were to be seen several knots of friends doing their devotions, also among the single men ; but all were resigned and obedient on that fearful night. Shortly after midnight, just as the tide had began to ebb, the sea rose up with more fury than ever, and it now made a clean breach over the vessel, and it seemed as if the ship would really go down at her anchors.

At times the sea would strike her on both sides of her bow at once, and the spray would go far above the foretop. The crew were about in different parts of the deck, and the captain, with his first and second officers with him, were on the poop still. At length the order was given for the look-out to lay down from aloft ; they were down during the first smooth. Shortly after this, just by the chainlocker, might have been seen a lantern en each side, and the sound of the hammer tapping at the pin of the shackle ; at the same time there were a dozen stout men watching a chance to get at the foretopmast staysail sheet, while two brave fellows are on their way out to loose it ; in spite of her dipping her bowsprit under almost every sea, they loose it and get in safe. The captain is heard to say to his first officer, " Go and look at the barometer and lot me know if it is falling or rising."

" Aye, aye, sir," was the cheerful reply, and he was soon back. "It has fallen half a tenth more since you set it at eight bells, sir." " Thank you," was all the captain said in answer. The next order was, " Call all hands aft ; bring the topmast staysail halyards aft ; see everything clear of the chains ; when I give the word ' Hoist away,' knock out both pins at the same time ; the second officer and two quartermasters aft to the helm, put it hard-a-port; carpenter, as soon as she is before the wind, cut away all the lanyard of the back stays on the starboard side." " Aye, aye, sir." The captain was now on the break of the poop, with speaking trumpet in hand. He watched the ship's head until he saw her give a yaw to port. The order was then given, "Hoist away the foretopmast staysail, knock out both pins at the bower anchors, and slip the third chain.

Now's your time, nry lads, she is casting the right way." Ad was done in a very few seconds, the ship was free from her chain and began to ride over the sea easy, in fact, she was aU adrift in the hurricane, and on a lee-shore. The storm or hurricane was at its worst, the sea running mountains high, it needed all the nerve of a British seaman to keep the command of that ship in hand, as wed as to keep the command of the crew. But the crew knew their captain as well as their officers to be good sadors, and for that reason, and being good sailors themselves, they respected and obeyed their superiors. As above mentioned, the foretopmast staysad was set, the chains were all shipped, and the ship was adrift on a lee-shore. No one on board knew what the captain's plans were ; he kept his own counsel, and all were ready to obey him.

His first object was to get the ship before the wind. He had long before spotted the place where to run her ashore, and his first desire was to run her as high and dry as it was possible ; therefore, as soon as the ship's head was pointed to the beach, several rockets were sent off in quick succession, and the moment they lighted up the fearful sky a blazing fire appeared on the beach. " Send the second officer aft with me to the helm," was the next order. " He is there already." " Where's the chief officer ?" said the captain. "Here am I, sir," was the reply from the officer named, who was close to him. " I am going to the helm, take charge, and see the lanyards of all the starboard backstaj^s cut, as well as the after shrouds ; only leave the four foremast shrouds fast, and take care to get all hands aft on the quarter, as the masts are sure to fall to port forward."

All was done as the captain desired, and by the time it was done, the ship was rushing on at a terrible rate towards the place where the fire had been lit by the people on shore. On, on went the noble ship, and fast as she was going, the tremendous heavy sea would catch her, strike her hard on the stern, and send her on still faster. That sea would pass her and go foaming and roaring away in front, which would make the noble ship's bow dip down into the hollow and send the foam far away in front of her. "Send the doctor down below, and tell the people to prepare for a shock, and not tobe frightened. All hands who wish it may drop down the skylight," the captain called out. By this time the ship was getting into broken water, and the scene was something fearful. " Let go the helm, and hold on for your lives," said the captain, being the last to let. go himself.

The next moment one of the crests of the waves lifted the ship forward, and now the whole of the people who were on deck had mustered aft on the starboard Mde of the poop, and the next moment the ship's bow dropped into the hollow of the sea, still going on at a fearful rate, stem on to the beach. She was obliged to stop, but the masts did not — they went, as the captain wished them, all three of them right over the port bow. •^ The tremendous shock of the ship being brought up all standing when going at the rate of twelve miles per hour, and the crash of all three masts going over the bow at once, together with the roaring of the breakers, was something fearful. It was at this time the poor people could not bear it any longer ; some began to call out, " Oh, save my child — for God's sake, save my child !" others, " Oh, let us up, let us up!" and others, "Where is the captain, is he safe ?"

By this time the vessel had turned broad side on to the sea, and had a strong list towards the beach, and every heavy sea that struck her went flying right over her deck towards the beach. Now the screams and panic below were awful ; aU the poor girls were huddled together in a heap as close as any flock of sheep could be, and the married ones were all clasping their chddren to their hearts, and seemed as if they were determined to die together. The sea was stdl flying over the ship fearfully, and the panic became more and more fearful. Some began to tear the long hair out of their heads ; some began to threaten to put their chddren out of misery at once, and the single men began to call out loudly to be aUowed to go on deck, and threatened to burst open the companion. The screeching, the crying, the begging, and the imploring was terrific, and stdl the sea was hammering up against her starboard side incessantly, every clap of which made the timber in the ship tremble from forward to aft.

The noise and confusion down below became so great that it was pitiful, and more than those on deck could stand. At length the captain, who was lashed to the I rail on the starboard quarter, with the doctor, and several others of the crew, caded out, " Let us go down and com fort the poor things, they have been very patient; follow me, doctor, when there is a smooth," and with these words he disengaged himself from his lashing, and in a moment he lifted up the skylight and slipped down, and the doctor and the chief officer followed him very quickly. The scene below was something pitiful ; the poor girls were all huddled up together, as before mentioned, their faces as pale as death, and whenever the sea struck the ship, they, fore and aft, gave a most fearful groan — at least some groaning, and some screaming fearfully.

The moment they saw the captain drop down amongst them a charm seemed to come over them ; they looked him hard in the face, and putting their clotted and matted hair from over their eyes, they called out (many of them in one breath), " There is the captain !" and they were aU silent again. The captain, still holding on to the stanchions, by which he had slipped down, said, " My good girls, you are all saved, be as good now as you were all through the danger ; the ship is on the beach, the tide is fast leaving her ; be comforted, you are safe." They were too grateful to reply, there was a dead silence amongst them. " Once more, girls, I beg of vou to be composed ; you are, I assure you, saved. Now, doctor, let us go to the married people." They were in much the same condition as the single girls, but were soon comforted ; and the single men, by that time, had been told that the ship would soon be left high and dry.

At that time there were many hundreds of people on the beach, with torch-lights in their hands, some as far out as they dare go, with a string of others holding each others hands, until the cutBr one was up to his chin in the water, all calling out, " Don't attempt to leave the ship, you will be able to land easdy in an hour or two." Wonderful was the change amongst the poor people below after the captain left them ; they listened, every sea became weaker, and they believed the captain ; he had said they were saved. The sea was stid hammering against the ship, but not so heavily as before. The women began to put their children down, and to look about them. The ship was laying over on her bilge, and it was difficult to walk about, or to get up to the other side, and every now and then a sea would hit the ship hard, and make her tremble aU over ; but somehow they did not seem to care about it, after what the captain had said.

The single girls had separated from each other, and some of them began to put their hair straight, as well as they could, and graduaUy to arrange their dress. They appeared to forget the sea, as each succeeding one seemed to hit less hard than the other. And so they became composed, and some of them got into their berths, and, without intending to do so, fed into one of those sweet sleeps that only they who are in good health, and, who are quite exhausted, can enjoy thoroughly. The hazy grey of the morning broke about a quarter past five, the revolving light on the headland stid threw its rays far and wide out to sea, and on the headland, on the opposite side of the bay, as weU as on the wrecked ship in the bight, and on the beach, all was life; all the inhabitants of the two towns close by were down to lend a hand — carriages, cabs, vans, carts of every conceivable kind were there to help.