Democratic Sentinel, Volume 15, Number 11, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 April 1891 — RACED WITH A WATERSPOUT. [ARTICLE]

RACED WITH A WATERSPOUT.

Thrill! i< Experience of Hteaine.' In Weat Indian At New York, tho little NorWJkn steamer, America, came In from the West Indies with a story of a race with a gigantic waterspout. The steamer was 100 miles oft Hatteras on March 23, making Imr way north tn a moderate sea over whiAjntng low and heavy' clouds. Suddenly from tho northwest, tho direction of tho land, a gieat waterspout was seen approaching. Tho America was headed In tho direction that would give tho spout a wide berth, but it came down on tho steamer so rapidly' that tho captain put the' vessel on a northeasterly course and signaled the engineer to crowd on all tho steann Then It became a race between ths waterspout and the little steamer. Tlie former was shaped like an hour-glass. Its base was 1 abojjt thirty foot In diameter, and ft tapered up ffiOfi’fenly feet, where It became seemingly no more tljgn q foot In thckness. Then ft spread out again, and its top was ibit hi the clouds,-.Th waterspout was fovoTvlKg from'rlght'tly iUOflt rapidity and rearing like [ a small Niagara' 'Tho signal cannon of tho America was loaded and run out, ready to flro at tho approaching monster, 1 but tho steamer won the race and ttra spout passed fifteen feet astern of the’ n. k .. 4 I - * 1 motion of the water caused by tITT waterspout as it whirled by the* America lifted the vessel’s stern completely out of water. .j,.