WHISKY SHIP MUTINY.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 1208, 19 November 1919, Page 2

WHISKY SHIP MUTINY.

OKGY BY MEMBERS OF THE CREW.

A mutiny . which reads like a pag6 from Robert Louis Stevenson has occurred on board the. American ship Marisku, bound from Baltimore to Brest. ■;' •

The Maxiska, which is owned by-tho Pittsburg Steamship Company, had thousands of casks of spirit on board, and .the temptation proved too much for tho black firemen, who broko open , ono of tho hatches, and filled therasolsvc with good rye whisky. A mutiny followcd, and tho officers were powerless to deal with tho situation, but before the wireless cabin was wrecked the operator sent out an S.O.S. message, which was.picked up by the British Standard oilship War Khan. Tho War Khan was 200 miles off the;. South Irish coast then, and One of tho crew who camo ashoro from the vessel at Castletownbero told, a 'Lloyd's News' representative the story of howthey went to the rescue.. ./"" 'lt was about 2 o'clock in the afternoon when we picked up the distress signal, and immediately-put about- to the Mariska's position. After an hour' 1 and a-half's-steaming we sighted her. 'Her fires were out, and she ■was „■ drifting with apparently nobody in charge. . .An armed party of us, with an officer in charge, boarded tho vessel, and on deck everything, (was in confusion. One oftho, hatches h&d been torn up, and broken bottles of whisky wore scattered everywhere.

'We met with no real serious opposi- - tion, and made our way to the man's quarters, where >' we' . found several cf them in a bad state oi. drunkenness. Wo released the men. who had; remained loyal, and they helped.us.to socure tho ... others, who w%r o '-inclined Wgivo trou- J* Jble. ■' ■■'.: .•'-'. • .- •":"

/'The captain had been locked up in his room, and when we released Mm he was in a terrible state. He met the attack of tho mutinees without being aware of what was going on, and thoy knocked him ,down with a biludgeon before he could draw 'his gun. Thoy then kicked hiin. along the -deck, and locked him up. • 'Most of the officers came in for a bad time, and; wrore all apparently taken unawares. Somo of them were in irons. "•■..-', *,' '■''■" •":';' ... ' ' -.. ■

- 'The• .wireless, operator had. been eaught in his cabin sending but distress signals, and lie gdt a Mow on the head which, rendered him unconscious. With the assistance of the loyal members of.the crow wo .cleared .up the mess, got fires going, a':dd*loft our second officer and three or bur firemen to help to stoke ou'-tho remainder of the journey to Brest. It was evident that the whole trouble sidrte'd with "tab nig' ger section ,juid we placed half-a-doaen of them in irons.' ; : •,