TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 36, 6 November 1917, Page 5

TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING

TOKPEDOED-AND THE BAY AFTER.

"One Who Has Been Torpedoed writes amusingly of his experiences in the "Daily Mail":I have been torpedoed (he eayß). i ■waa torpedoed about midnight. Oi course, the experience was unpleasant, though we nearly all survived it, tnanKe to one of those inconspicuous «"mn a .ry ships that now belong to' the British Navy. But I will maintain that the Sensations of being torpedoed are not nearly so bad as those reserved for you on shore. People who have not oeen. torpedoed do not Tealise how submarines and mines and explosions and torpedoes have developed in these days as a subject of general conversation and meditation, ii When you have had personal experience Of- being torpedoed and want to get the disagreeable recollection of it out ot your mind as soon as possible, you suddenly find yourself brought.up against this genoral obsession. Listen to this narrative of fact While we were in the boats we naturally talked about tho torpedo that had just struck us._ When the patrol-ship picked us up we discussed with her officers, while enjoying their •generous hospitality, the technical side of this particular torpedoing. We landed at X —, a certain port. ' Ah. been torpedoed?" said the harbour officials cheerily, as our bedraggled, odd-garment-ed throne crawled down the gangway. They said it in much the same tone as you might Bay "Missed your tram? Wβ drove to an hotel. By this time we were sick of our adventure in all its aspects, sensational, technical, sentimental—even financial (and we had all of us lost all our kit). Wo wanted to hear nothing more about torpedoes, submarines, oi kindred instruments of marine frtghtfulness for a very long time. But the people in the hotel insisted on having every detail of the story out of us— not, as we 'heard later in sympathy for our woes, but 6o that they might compare it with the story of the survivors of the • —, torpedoed earlier in the week, and explain to us how, much less thrilling our experience had been than theirs. "Passengers from tho torpedoed vessel wishing to send telegrams can hand them in at the reception offico, and they will be sent free of announced the manager of tho hotel in a routine sort of voice.

"You will be wishing to get somo clothes, sir?" inquired the hotel porter, rather unnecessarily, as tuoso I was wearing at the time—high noon—consisted Of pyjamas, dressing-gown, and a lifebelt. 'I can recommend Messrs. So-and-Sn. Gentlemen who tiavo been torpedoed usually go there." So there wo went in a olosed cab to hide our unusual dress. The shopman smiled as if wolcomino; old, familial , customers. "Good morning, gentlemen," he said. "Been torpedoed, I see. Just so. Now, I have a nico lino In ready-mado suitings hero which I find invariably gives satisfaction." _ Hβ even showed ua the names of distinguished victims of previous torpedoings wlio had been hie patrons. And meanwhile, of course, every elnglo topic would lead back somehow* to the eamo infernal subject, the event of tho previous midnight. "Submarine—lifebelts—l saw it coming-«uettoii-one; no; I am sure it was two—surfaco explosion —boats—bailing."