ABLE FLT ASSIST BY ARTCC RADAR CTLR WITH ACR DC-9 EXPERIENCING AN ACFT EQUIP PROB ON 'A DARK AND STORMY NIGHT.'

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HOLDING FOR ATL (APPROX 1 HR DELAY IN HOLD) DUE TO TSTMS AND TFC. FUEL WAS BECOMING AN ISSUE; JUST AS WE WERE ADVISED OUR EFC WAS MOVED UP AND WE COULD EXPECT RELEASE FROM HOLD ON NEXT TURN. AT THIS POINT; OUR CABIN ALT BEGAN CLBING AT 200 TO 400 FPM. IT WAS NOT CTLABLE IN MANUAL; AUTO; AND EVEN WITH INCREASE PWR. CTR WAS ADVISED WE WOULD REQUIRE IMMEDIATE DSCNT; THEY RESPONDED WITH DSCNT CLRNC TO 15000 FT AND TIGHT TURN TOWARDS ARPT. CTLR DID GREAT JOB AS HE UNDERSTOOD OUR SIT COMPLETELY; HE MOVED TFC AND GOT US A CLRNC FOR LOWER AND TOWARDS THE ARPT WITHOUT OUR EVEN DECLARING AN EMER; WHICH I FULLY INTENDED TO DO. DURING OUR RAPID DSCNT AND MANEUVERING TOWARDS THE ARPT AND AWAY FROM TFC; OUR WORKLOAD WAS VERY HIGH (COMMUNICATING WITH ATC; FLT ATTENDANTS; EMER CHKLIST ETC); THEREFORE ONR TSTM AVOIDANCE WAS NON- EXISTENT. WE WERE FORTUNATE THAT NOTHING SEVERE WAS IN OUR PATH. WE DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS LUCK OR IF ATC PROVIDED US WITH A SAFE PATH. ALL THINGS CONSIDERED THIS INCIDENT WAS HANDLED REASONABLY WELL. ATC COULDN'T HAVE PERFORMED BETTER; MY LIMITED EXPERIENCE ON THE DC-9 (1 MONTH 20 HRS) DIDN'T HELP; BUT MY 12 YEARS AS A CAPT PROBABLY DID; AS I WAS ABLE TO KEEP FOCUS ON IMPORTANT ITEMS AND MAINTAIN COCKPIT DISCIPLINE. THIS REALLY WAS A DARK STORMY NIGHT. WE WERE ABLE TO MAINTAIN THE CABIN ALT BELOW 10000 FT (BARELY) AND LEAVING 6000 FT; WE REGAINED PARTIAL CTL. OUR LNDG WAS NORMAL.