SHIPS AND THE SEA.

Evening Post, Volume LXX, Issue 13, 15 July 1905, Page 12

SHIPS AND THE SEA.

A recent komew.-vrd bound passenger, writing to New Zealand, says there are many elements which go to constitute an enjoyable trip across the ocean waters. These elements were not found to be lacking on the R.M.S. Athenic, which sailed from Wellington on Thursday, 30th March. The writer makes special mention of th© fine sea-going qualities of the big ShawSavill steamer. The ship's machinery is fitted with a "governor," which prevents the usual vibration in rough weather caused by the' racing of the propellers. The excellence of the commissariat is also referred to. Regarding the Hospital tho writer says : "It has been witib no small degree of appreciation that we have witnessed the attention to sanitary arrangements generally and to sick cases particularly. The Hospital is secluded, and to it the doctor (Mr. J. C Hines, surgeon) pays regular visits. The genial bearing of passengers is an element necessary to an enjoyable trip. Captain, officers, purser, engineers, and chef, and weather may do all that is possible to please, but if the passengers will not try to meet matters half-way then a trip will give neither enjoyment nor rest. "I must bear witness to the marked goodwill that has existed among us, and this I attribute in a great measure to the personnel of the officers." A series of entertainments was organised and carried out with the utmost success. Advices to hand from London contain accounts of the prolonged voyage of the French barque Francois, which recently arrived in the Mersey — 202 days out from San Francisco. At one time she was practically given up, and re-insurances ■were effected as high as 90 guineas per cent. Then came the reported speaking of a French barque, THMB (the signalling letters of the Francois) by the titeamer Carolua, near the Azores. The re-insurance rate immediately dropped from 90 guineas to 5 guineas. Then a reaction set in It was discovered that another French vessel, L'Hermitte, whose signalling letters were JWMB, was in the same vicinity on that date. This fact, coupled with the improbability of a vessel bound from San Francisco being off the Azores when 190 days out, caused doubts to grow as to the accuracy of the reported speaking As a result, re-insurances took a rapid turn, and in less than a day the rate ran fronrlo guineas to 70 guineas, then to 80 guineas, when further re-insuring was stopped by the vessel's safe arrival at her destination. It was subsequently ascertained that the speaking by the Carolus wag correct. Practically all hope fpr the safety of the British ship Glenburn — a well-known visitor to Australia — has now been abandoned,' and the vessel is uninsurable. She sailed on her last voyage from San Francisco on October 26fch last, for the United Kingdom, with a cargo of general merchandise, valued at 283,000 dollars. When she was 200 days out re-insurances were effected at a minimum of 70 guineas per cent., but since then wreckage identified as belonging to the Glenburn has been washed ashore on the English coast. Her master, Captain Robert Johnston, was well-known and highly-esteemed in Sydney, where he had spent several years ashore. In May of last year the Glenburn, while bound from San Francisco to Liverpool, put into Sydney short of water. The opinion is entertained that the Glenburn foundered with all hands during the heavy gales which raged along the English coast in the middle of March last. This tempest was i«sponsible for the loss of many vessels, including the wheat-laden ship Khyber, from Melbourne, on the Cornish coast, with 23 lives. Five out of seven motor-boats which started to race across th© Mediterranean to Toulon are at the bottom of the sea, having met with a squall which swamped them. Fortunately warships which accompanied the "race" rescued those on board after terrible peril and hardship. There is great indignation in France at so many lives having been endangered in the cockle-shells for so little purpose. For several days th© boats were lying at Port Mahon (Minorca), waiting for a favourable sea. When they did set out, however, on their 250 -mile voyage the sea was very rough. Good headway was made for some hours, until, on th© wind freshening, the Fiat X., th© 30-foot racing boat which had made a name for itself at the Monaco meeting a month previously, signalled for assistance, and was lifted on board tho French warship La Hure. The Cainille of Mme. Dv Gosfc was then leading, followed by the Quand Heme of the Duo Decazes, the 60-foot Mercedes-Mercedes yacht, and the fishing-boat Heracles 11. The other boats were behind. Eventually the race lay between the Camille, the Quand Meme, and th© Heracles, and in this order the boats advanced through the day. Towards nightfall the weather changed for the worse, and the sea became so rough that the crew of the MercedesMercedes were transferred to a destroyer. Three of the were taken in tow. Shortly afterwards a storm brok© over the boats, the sea, was lashed to fury, and waves 2Q feet high threatened destruction even to the torpedo-boats themselves, which, at great danger, succeeded in rescuing the crews of the motor-boats. The work of rescuing ' the crews was a difficult task. Tli© hnwsers of the three vessels in tow very quickly parted, and the little motor-boats were swallowed up in the darkness of the night. M. Lazare Olive, the captain of the Malgre Tout, had hits leg broken in the rescue work. The saving of those on board the Camille proved very difficult. After several vain attempts by a whaleboat, the warship Kleber managed with difficulty to hoist all the passengers on board. Madame Dv Gast fell into the sea again, but was saved. She was nofc badly injured. The torpedoboat destroyer Sarbacane made ten attempts to save the passengers of the Heracles, and hardly had the work of rescue been accomplished when the motorboat, overwhelmed by the furious waves, brok© her hawser and was engulfed. In due ceurse the various vessels, having on board the men rescued with so much difficulty, reached Toulon. It was found, however, that the voyagers on the Quand Meme were missing. Great anxiety was felt as to the fat© of tlie Due Decazes and tlioso with him on the Quand Meme. Those fears were sot at rast by the arrival of the torpedo-boat-destroyer Arbalette- at Oagliari, with the Due and the^crcw on board. The Due sent the following telegram to the captain of his yacht, tho Vellada: — "I abandoned tlio Quand Meme a hundred miles from here, having run short of petrol. Three unsuccessful attempts were made to toko her in tow." Exciting accounts arc given of the rescue of Mm©. Dv Gast, who told on interviewer the following story : — "Having been strained by the heavy sea, the Camilla's bolts gave- way, and she started leaking. Wo naked to be towed. W© were 50 miles off Toulon, and w© had Avon the race. For more than two hours the Dard was making efforts to take ub in tow, but unsuccessfully. Meanwhile the water was getting into tho motorroom, which was soon flooded. We had irreparably broken down, and were quite unablo to do anything to help our rescuers. I shook hands with all my companions, and we awaited our salvation. The Klebor brought ifc us, though we thought at first she was abandoning us when ehe steamed off a liltle, currying out tho manoeuvres which wived us. For th© moment wo were in despair, and I thought tho end had come. Bub now I am very happy. Everybody Ims beea-sayed. That ,is .tho essential -point,'%