DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.33567#0084
30
twelve days out from New York, bound to Constantinople, with a cargo of petroleum. The following
telegram was delivered to the captain, with the request to send it from the first port he touched at :
SECRETARY OF THE NAVY, WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
Steamer "Dessoug," with obelisk, broke crank shaft July 6th, latitude 3/°, longitude 47°. Spare shaft is being
fitted ; probable detention ten days. Until repairs are completed will try to keep between parallels 37° and 38°.
The dispatch reached Washington about two weeks after the "Dessoug" reached New York,
having been sent from one of the Azores.
An incident occurred on July 10th which caused me more anxiety than any thing else during
the voyage, much more than the breaking of the shaft. The weather had been squally, with
heavy rain all day. Water-spouts were seen to form and dissipate without completing the column
several times during the day. One formed directly to windward of the vessel, and after appear-
ing to dissipate, it suddenly reformed much larger than before, and began moving directly toward
us. Every precaution was taken to cover the hatches and skylights and open the bulwark ports,
so as to exclude the water from below. After watching it closely it was evident that we were
in for a deluge unless the course of the vessel could be changed. This was impossible owing to
the lack of wind, which had in the meantime entirely died out. There was nothing to do but
to await the deluge calmly, for we had no cannon to fire and break the spout. It kept us in sus-
pense for about five minutes, and then abruptly changed its course, passed about fifty yards ahead of us,
and broke with some noise about a thousand yards from the vessel. The danger feared was in the
probable bursting in of our decks by the weight of the column of water which appeared at least
fifty feet in height.
On July 13th, 14th, and i5th we experienced a westerly gale, which blew very hard from S. W.
during the night of the 14th and day of the i5th, with a high sea that almost arrested our
progress entirely. The behavior of the vessel was exceptionally good, as far as her motion was
concerned, but she shipped two seas, among many others, which did considerable damage to boats
and skylights. Very close watch was kept of the obelisk and its fastenings, but not the least
motion was detected in any thing connected with them. With the fullest confidence that the vessel
was able to stand any weather, she was held to her course and driven through the gale as
hard as the boilers would permit, so as to reach port on the day set for our arrival—not later
than July 20th,—and to avoid the usual but needless anxieties experienced by landsmen when vessels
are overdue.
On the morning of July 19th we took on board Pilot Murphy, from N. Y. Pilot-boat A. M.
Lawrence, No. 4. On that evening we stood in toward Fire Island, and made a pre-arranged sig-
nal which caused us to be reported in New York. At 2 A. M. of July 20th we anchored off Staten
Island, at the Quarantine Station, and after having been granted pratique, moved up the Hudson
and moored off Twenty-third Street during the afternoon. The crew and officers were promptly dis-
charged, excepting three Arabs, who had been brought over, at their own urgent request, as cabin
servants. One of these, a boy named Hassan, was an object of as great curiosity as the obelisk. Dur-
ing the ten days from July 20th to 30th the " Dessoug" was thrown open to visitors. On one
day seventeen hundred and eleven persons visited the vessel between 7 A. M. and 8 p. M.
SELECTING THE SITE.
Before our departure from the United States in August, 1879, the spot on which the obelisk
was to be erected in New York had been selected, after due deliberation, by Mr. F. E. Church, Mr.
twelve days out from New York, bound to Constantinople, with a cargo of petroleum. The following
telegram was delivered to the captain, with the request to send it from the first port he touched at :
SECRETARY OF THE NAVY, WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
Steamer "Dessoug," with obelisk, broke crank shaft July 6th, latitude 3/°, longitude 47°. Spare shaft is being
fitted ; probable detention ten days. Until repairs are completed will try to keep between parallels 37° and 38°.
The dispatch reached Washington about two weeks after the "Dessoug" reached New York,
having been sent from one of the Azores.
An incident occurred on July 10th which caused me more anxiety than any thing else during
the voyage, much more than the breaking of the shaft. The weather had been squally, with
heavy rain all day. Water-spouts were seen to form and dissipate without completing the column
several times during the day. One formed directly to windward of the vessel, and after appear-
ing to dissipate, it suddenly reformed much larger than before, and began moving directly toward
us. Every precaution was taken to cover the hatches and skylights and open the bulwark ports,
so as to exclude the water from below. After watching it closely it was evident that we were
in for a deluge unless the course of the vessel could be changed. This was impossible owing to
the lack of wind, which had in the meantime entirely died out. There was nothing to do but
to await the deluge calmly, for we had no cannon to fire and break the spout. It kept us in sus-
pense for about five minutes, and then abruptly changed its course, passed about fifty yards ahead of us,
and broke with some noise about a thousand yards from the vessel. The danger feared was in the
probable bursting in of our decks by the weight of the column of water which appeared at least
fifty feet in height.
On July 13th, 14th, and i5th we experienced a westerly gale, which blew very hard from S. W.
during the night of the 14th and day of the i5th, with a high sea that almost arrested our
progress entirely. The behavior of the vessel was exceptionally good, as far as her motion was
concerned, but she shipped two seas, among many others, which did considerable damage to boats
and skylights. Very close watch was kept of the obelisk and its fastenings, but not the least
motion was detected in any thing connected with them. With the fullest confidence that the vessel
was able to stand any weather, she was held to her course and driven through the gale as
hard as the boilers would permit, so as to reach port on the day set for our arrival—not later
than July 20th,—and to avoid the usual but needless anxieties experienced by landsmen when vessels
are overdue.
On the morning of July 19th we took on board Pilot Murphy, from N. Y. Pilot-boat A. M.
Lawrence, No. 4. On that evening we stood in toward Fire Island, and made a pre-arranged sig-
nal which caused us to be reported in New York. At 2 A. M. of July 20th we anchored off Staten
Island, at the Quarantine Station, and after having been granted pratique, moved up the Hudson
and moored off Twenty-third Street during the afternoon. The crew and officers were promptly dis-
charged, excepting three Arabs, who had been brought over, at their own urgent request, as cabin
servants. One of these, a boy named Hassan, was an object of as great curiosity as the obelisk. Dur-
ing the ten days from July 20th to 30th the " Dessoug" was thrown open to visitors. On one
day seventeen hundred and eleven persons visited the vessel between 7 A. M. and 8 p. M.
SELECTING THE SITE.
Before our departure from the United States in August, 1879, the spot on which the obelisk
was to be erected in New York had been selected, after due deliberation, by Mr. F. E. Church, Mr.