170 years ago today - Dec 12, 1844

[Apostle Wilford Woodruff] 12th Thursday It blew a gale from the South West. We shiped some heavy stern seas. Broke in all the Stern windows. Filled the first Cabin with so much water that the trunks & baggage was all afloat. Destroyed much of the baggage of the passengers. Some water came into our cabin but no damage done the first & second cabin. Was on deck towards evening. The sea was piled up like mountains. When we were in the troth of the sea waves would arise at our stern as high as the top of the mizzen mast & seemed almost impossible for the ship to arise soon enough to save the sea from breaking over her. But she was 1,000 ton ship & a clean & fast sailor. She carried at this time little or no sail.

We were all vary sick, yet we would spend a few moments in viewing the wild, romantic, terrific, grand & sublime scenery that surrounded us in the wonders of the deep. Elder Holmes was quite sick & said he never beheld such a sight before.

[Source: Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]

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