Fight To Save Ship In Southern Ice

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28450, 3 December 1957, Page 15

Fight To Save Ship In Southern Ice

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright)

(Rec. 11 p.m.) LONDON, December 2. The crippled British survey ship Shackleton is moving slowly through the iceberg-filled Antarctic seas toward land more than 500 miles away. The underwater gashes, made in the ship’s side when it hit an iceberg at speed two days ago, have been roughly patched.

The “Daily Telegra front page lead story an correspondent with the SI

ph” used as its Monday eye-witness report by its laekleton.

Escorting the 1100-ton Shackleton is the Navy guard ship. H.M.S. Protector, which arrived last night and took on board the 28 scientists the Shackleton carried. The “Daily Telegraph” correspondent wrote: “Immediately after breakfast on Friday the ice began to open up and Captain Brown decided to break out. "In the early evening, we negotiated the Lewthwaite Strait between the South Orkneys and gained open water north of the group. “It appeared for the time being at least that we had seen the last of the pack and were headed for the next port of call, Hope Bay, at the northern tip of Graham Land. “There was clear water ahead except for large icebergs and the smaller bergy bits which are infesting Atlantic waters this year “The crew was relaxing in the wardroom and the scientists were celebrating in a spontaneous party after the period of frustration in the ice pack, the correspondent said. “Fearsome Crash” “Several of us got to our cabins by midnight and were asleep when we were awakened by a fearsome, high-pitched crash which shook the vessel. At the time, we were going ahead about six knots. ‘‘lt was some time before anyone realised that the Shackleton had received a blow which had nearly sent her to the bottom of the icy South Atlantic,’’ he said. Within a quarter of an hour the ship had begun to list to port where she was holed in two places. The Shackleton had been following the pack around when she took a swing to port. The captain had ordered hard-a-starboard to counteract the movement. It took so long to answer the helm that it was evident that the ship was on top of the ice. The captain had reduced speed, but failed to get way off the ship. Jets of Water Immediately after the collision, water began to enter the forward hold in powerful jets. The hold was filling rapidly. The pumps were set in motion to check the inrush of water. There was no sign of panic and

the ship became alive with purposeful activity. Parties of men began to shift the cargo, some of which was dumped overboard to lighten the ship. A human bucket chain was formed below decks, clear of the water which was flooding into the storeroom. Lifeboats had been swung out for the “abandon ship” order and those crewmen not engaged in salvage operations were stood by on deck. Slow Rsply The radio operator ..had sent out the general alarm followed by 5.0.5., but it had to be reported that response was slow in coming through, said the correspondent. it was some hours before the Protector, stationed for patrol duties around the dependencies, had answered the distress call. The Protector was at 1 South Georgia, where the Governor of the Falkland Islands was paying an official visit, said the correspondent. The Southern Harvester had answered the S.O.S. simultaneously, but her catchers were at least 15 hours away. Meanwhile, the battle in the hold had gone on. The water was within inches of the ’tween decks. “Lengths of timber were sawn and handed down to those working by the almost fatal hole. Slotted between the frames of the ship, the timbers formed a box into which cement was poured.” Efforts to check the rush of water from outside with canvas sheets failed, and the captain had decided to try for Laurie Island beach, but the ice was too thick, and he was unable to get near. Collision Mat But another and successful effort to check the water from outside was made with a collision mat. The holes were then caulked with sacking, tallow, and bitumastic putty. All that could be done had been done. The water level had been reduced and the Shackleton listed over to bring the holes above the water. By Saturday afternoon the water in the forward holds had been reduced to the bilge. The list had been almost corrected. But, while the worst of the crisis had passed, a most careful watch had to be kept over the Shackleton. She was heaving to a long swell, and pack ice was

lurking only a short distance away.

The gravity of the situation was not without its human side, said the correspondent. One man working in the waters near the gaping hole in freezing conditions was handed a cup of tea in a plastic cup. “Just like being at ruddy Blackpool,” he observed caustically. Last night, H.M.S. Protector transferred shipwrights and sal-

vage equipment to improve the Shackleton’s patches. The first vessel to reach the Shackleton, the 728-ton whaler Southern Lily, left last night to rejoin the factory ship Southern Harvester. The Argentine Navy transport. Bahia Aguirre, which had headed for the Shackleton, returned to duty yesterday.