WHISKY SHIP MUTINY.

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 254, 25 October 1919, Page 25

WHISKY SHIP MUTINY.

ORGY B_ MEMBERS OF THE CREW. A mutiny which reads lite a page torn Cohen Louis Stevenson has occurred on board the American ship ilariska, bound from Baltimore to Brest. Tee ilariska, ■which, is owned toy the Pittsburg Steamship Company, had t_c-sa_us of casks ot spirit on Iboard, and the temptation proved too much for the Mack firemen, who broke open some of the hatches and filled themselves -with good rye whisky. A nratiny followed, and tne officers -were powerless to deal with the situation, but before the wireless cabin -was Tvxecked the operator sent out an S.O.S. message, which was picked up by the British Standard oilship War Khan. The War Khan was 2CO miles off the South Irish coast then, and o_e of the crew who came ashore from the vessel at Castletownbere told a "Lloyd's News" representative the stOTy of how they went to the rescce. "It was about 2 o'clock In the afternoon when we picked Tip the distress signal, and immediately put about to the Mariska's position. After an hour and a-hall's steaming -we sighted her. "Her fires were out, and she "was drifting with apparently nobody in charge. An armed party of tks. w'fJb. an officer in charge, boarded the vessel, and on deck everything was in confusion. One of the hatches had been torn up, and broken bottles of whisky ""■ere scattered everywhere. "We met with no real serious opposition, and made our way to the men's quarters, where we found several of them in a bad sifete of drunkenness. We released the men who had remained loyal, and nhey &-Ipe_ us to secure the others, who were in-ined to give trouble. "The captain had been locked up In his room, and when <we released him he was In a terrible state. He met the attack of the mutineers without being awaTe of what was going on, and they knocked fcfan <3own with a bludgeon before he could draw Tiis gun. They then kicked him along- the fleck and locked Sim up. 'Jlost of the officers came in for a bad time, an _ weTe al] .__ en t___. awares. Some of them -were in irons. The wireless operator had been, canght hi his cabin sending onrt distress signals, and he got a blow on the head which rendered him unconscious- With the assistance of the loyal memb-rs of the crew we clearei up the mess, got fires going, and left onr second officer and three of our fireffien to help tn stoke on the remainder of the jonrnev to Brest. It was evident that the whole trouble started with the ni_vjer section, and we placed half-a-dozen of them in irons."