WARSHIP ASHORE. CREW RESCUED BY ROCKET APPARATUS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIX, Issue 71, 26 March 1910, Page 15

WARSHIP ASHORE. CREW RESCUED BY ROCKET APPARATUS.

The destroyer Eden went aground on the east fide of Dover early on the morning of 28th January, having broken from her mooringE through the combined force of the galo and the heavy seas. All her officers and men were got safely ashore by tfto coastguard with the breeches buoy. Ihe ga'e had been raging furiously al' through the day before, and at high tide there were terrific seas running. About an hour after high water rocket 6 were fired from Dover Bay, and through the darkness tho coastguird look-out saw the lights of a vessel di if ting rapidly ashore. Tho firing of guns which followed from the drifting steamer showed that she was a warship. Chief Officer Bernard had, in the meantime, assembled all hands at the Kast Cliff Coastguard Station, and they came at the double down the cliffs to the rocket apparatus house, and went smartly along the sea wall at East Cliff with the life-saving gear. The warship diove clean on to the sea wall of the reclamation works, grinding heavily as she came, ashoro. i>ho at once took a very serioi'a list seawards, and there appeared great danger of the ship turning turtle. She had been lying moored to one of the Admiralty buoys when the violence of the teas caused her to break from the moorings. Thero was no time to lose, and the rocket apparatus was rapidly got h\U> position on the sen wall, under the direction* of the c-hiof officer, the coastguard being nmisted'by a few of the local boatman, who had turned out on hearing the warship's guns. Amidst intense excitement n line wus got aboard the stranded destroyer, the hrecche* buoy sent along it, and tho work of rescue commenced. Despite the terrible conditions and tho huiricuno force of the wind, every one was safely got pshore, fifty-three officers und men be ing saveH in the breeches buoy. Theie was no panic. One bluejacket on land■ing, while divesting himself of his lifebelt, was singing : "I shan't go home to-night.'-' ihe Admiralty tug Herculanouni and the Dover Harbour tug Lady Vita ranie out to give assistance to the stranded destroyer,- but tho seas were so violent that they could not get near the vessel. Under the instructions of Admiral Sir Colin Keppel, parties of teamen were also landed from his battleship the Albemarlo and from the cruiser Venus to render assistance. Ai midday the vessel was full of water and her position was critical. A whuler boat, assisted in the work of salvage, and having aboard 14 men from t lie Albemarle, wa« upset by tho wave*, and ono uf tho sailors was removed uucoucuious, but, fortunately, he was only stunned. Heavy seas continued to break over the Eden, and her torpedoes- were at last removed by the salvage men, and, after continuous work, earned on at great peri' to human life, the vessel was towed oft and got into Ue«i» watet Here, lioweviu, •he sank, and became submerged from -the stern to the biidge. . her bo\\6 were badly damaged where *he struck the sea wall, being opened out below the waterline down to the keel. Her propellers •were also damaged, and the rudder badly twitted. 'Lite rescued crew ol the Eden were taken on to the cruiser Venus, which was alongside the Eastern Pier, and were there provided with breakfast. The Hag-captain from the battleship Albcmarle superintended th'c salvage operations, and Admiralty officials arrived from the Sore to inspect the Ldeu. The salvage operations were carried on until fcjunduj , when the vessel was refloated and tov.ed into Dover Harbour. The Eden is one of tne River class of destroyers. She hus an indicated horsepower of 700U, and a displacement of 650 tons. She is fitted with Parsons' bXeam turbines, and has attained a speed of 26 23 knots.