Thursday, September 17, 2015

150 Years Ago: CSS Shenandoah Encounters a Gale-- Part 1

SEPTEMBER 17-30TH, 1865:  After rounding Cape Horn, the CSS Shenandoah ran into a northeast gale which forced her, according to Lt. Waddell, "to west longitude of 24 degrees 40' before she reached the parallel of 40 degrees S..."

Day after day icebergs and savage blocks of ice came near.  "We were without a moon to shed her cheerful light over our desolate path, and the wind blow so fiercely that the ship's speed could not be reduced below five knots.  It was more prudent to go ahead  than to heave to, for I was without observations for several days and in an easterly current.  Some of the icebergs were castellated...."

--Old B-Runner

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