MAGNETISED SHIP.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 13683, 17 March 1910, Page 6

MAGNETISED SHIP.

Weird in the extreme was the story told by Captain Davies, of the Cardiff steamer Trafalgar, on putting back into Falmouth a few weeks ago, with his ship disabled hy an unaccountable magnetic visitation that rendered the compasses useless. "We have been struck by a comet or a thunderbolt, and our ship is disabled," he said. "We were bound from Port Talbat to Bastia with coals, and when about ten miles southwest of the Wolf Rock, the vessel trembled violently, and there was a loud sharp report like tho explosion of a cannon. The foremast seemed a mass of flame, and the whole ship became aglow. At that moment we saw a large fiery body, with a tail about 30ft to 40ft long, strike tho sea about 20ft from us. Its appearance was accompanied by a loud hissing noise, and as it disappeared a column of water rose in tho air. Directly after the men came running out of the forecastle, saying it was on fire. The whole ot the interior was glowing with a brilliant light. The effect of tho phenomenon in the engine-room was mp6t aweinspiring, the whole place glowing with a faint violet light, from which millions of sparks emanated. All the men rushed up on deck. Tho second mate happened to be rounding the well at tho time, and received a violent shock from the steel rod which he held in his hand. The phenomenon did not last many seconds. When we had recovered from our surprise we looked at the compasses, and found them all demagnetised and awry."