Elder Fred W. O. and Company's Deliverance from a Tempestuous Sea Voyage
Published October 12, 2026 at 6:21 AM
Contributed by
Millennial Star Research
While traveling by steamship from Liverpool, Elder Fred W. O. and a company of Latter-day Saints encountered a violent storm with high head winds and heavy seas. During the storm, the vessel's shaft broke, leaving the ship helpless and tossing in the water. President Anderson and the Elders held prayer circles, asking for divine protection and for the elements to be quieted. Shortly thereafter, the sea became calm, allowing the ship to remain steady until repairs could be completed three days later.
In Their Own Words
“We left Liverpool on the 14th of April, on the steamship 'City of Berlin,' with a company of Saints numbering 135 souls, all in good spirits and feeling that the Lord would bless us on our journey. We had a very pleasant time until the 18th, when the wind began to blow and the sea to rise, and by the 19th it was blowing a gale. The storm had abated very little and we were allowed to walk the deck, when an accident occurred which made most of us faint of heart, for while the wind was at its height and the sea had been lashed in heavy waves, the vessel shaft broke, and we were left at the mercy of the waters and just about as helpless. On board we called President Anderson & council together and we held a prayer circle with the brethren aft, while I held one with the other brethren forward, asking our Father in heaven to protect us and to quiet the elements in our favor, that we might be safe and rest in peace. In less than an hour our boat was riding calmly and the passengers were heard to say, 'What a wonderful change has come about!' and many wondered what had happened. We knew it was through the power of God, and we felt to thank our Heavenly Father for His kindness to us. We lay in this condition for three days, when the break was repaired and we again started on our journey westward.”
— Fred W. O., The Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star
Sources & References
The Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star (Manchester, later Liverpool, England, May 1840–1970), 13 May 1897 (Vol. 59, No. 19). https://archive.org/details/per_utah-and-the-mormons_the-latter-day-saints-millennial-star_1897-05-13_59_19 (account extracted verbatim from the issue's Internet Archive OCR text; research confidence: high) Full first-person account: The Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star, Vol. 59, No. 19 (13 May 1897), p. 299 https://archive.org/details/per_utah-and-the-mormons_the-latter-day-saints-millennial-star_1897-05-13_59_19
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