SHIPS AND THE SEA.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 100, 27 April 1912, Page 12

SHIPS AND THE SEA.

IN A HURRICANE. WORST FOR THIRTY YEARS. Australian files to hand contain further information concerning 1 the kuonuous fafiht put up by tho barque JTuba in v hurrkauiG on 6UI "ipnl. Tho Yuba sailed from Port Victoria, with a cargo ot approximately 2G,OUU bags of wheat, shipped by the fcioutu Aubtralian Fanners' Union. When well clear of the land, an easterly course was Bhaped for Cape Horn. All went well until featurday, 6th April, when, in lat. 40dejf. touth and long. 136deg. east, a treah galo lroin the Bouth-south-west developed into a hurricane, "it blew with tremendous force," stated Captain Hansen, "and the ship bocaino the plaything of tho huge waves, which (swept the deck. The severe buffeting received caused the cargo to shift ovor to tho fiort side, and gradually tho ship listed dangerously. A few hours later tho port rail was under water, and at night the vessel heeled over until tho water reaching the coamings of tho hatch. "I have been at Boa lor thirty years, but I have never seen Bitch a storm," remarkod Captain Hanson. "I thought the ship would be lost, but my officers and crew behaved excellently. During the height of the hurricane the foretopniast stay parted, and several sails were ripped as though they had been tissue paper. Tho ship wrs hove-to, and some of the crew went below to shift the cargo. Entrance was inado to the hold from the cabin aft, and by morning sufficient bags had been moved to relievo the ship. It was dangerous work, but it was carried out courageously and in face of immense difficulties!. The hurricane lasted for thirty hours, and then gradually eased off. "With better weather further cargo was shifted, and at last wo were able to set a course. My first intention was to run to Melbourne-, but the vessel would not lay up to that point." Ha added that he considered they had a miraculous escape THE TITANICS KITCHEN. The kitchens of the Titanic stood in the front rank of tho culinary world. The -'cooking hall," as it was called, was a triumph of modern art. It was fitted up with a vast "island" range, and connected with it wore patent roasters, with glittering spits, electric mincers, batteries of stock-pots, steam ovens, electric trituraters or bruisers, toasters, salamanders, eleotric elicors, eto., and elsewhere were automatic egg-boilere, milk scalders, and bo on. Some idea of the kitchen eoene may be gathered from the fact that 100 waiters could stand simultaneously at tho "bar" of the cooking hall, waiting to take viands in oae iight into tho dining saloons. LENGTHENING LINERS. ' Two well-known vessels of the Aberdeen White Star fleet, the clipper-bowed Lllt!L llt! ? d . os and Marathon, will be switched off their regular service in a few months' tune, in order that they may bo lengthaned. ihis operation will bo carried out at Lmthouse, on "tho Clyde, by Messrs. Alex. Stephen and Sons, tho builders of the vessels. These two ships— they are practically sister boats— have, at present, tho following dimensions: Length 454 ft, breadth 55ft, and depth 50ft, their großß tonnage being 6795 tons. After they have been out asunder a new 50ft section will be added, and each will have, when this interesting example of "ship surgery" i 6 completed, a length of over 500 ft, and a gross tonnage of about 8000 tons. Tho Marathon, the first to bo dealt with, will go to Linthouse in June, and it is expeoted that she will be back again in service in September, while tho Miltiades, which will immediately follow her, will be ready to resume her running in November. At the time of these alterations each ship will be fitted with an additional funneL By thus increasing the sizes of the Marathon and Miltiades, each ship will be- able to cajrry 220 third and 30 first- 1 class passengers more than hitherto. WHEN THE TURKISH FLEET RULED THE OCEAN. It is difficult in these days of Turkish naval degeneration to imagine that thero was a time when Turkish sea-men and Turkish- fleets dominated the Mediterranean to the terror of the Christian nations that bordered it and traded upon it. Thero are many famous seamen, in the annale of the Ottoman Empire, and many naval actions of great magnitude; in fact, the most stupendous maritime conflict of historic times was the battle of Lepauto, lought in 1671, in which the Christian. League oi the nations at the western end of the Mediterranean finally overthrew tho Turk and practically put an end to the period of hia naval domination, says a writer in a London exchange. The first of the great Turkish eea-kings was Uruj Barbarosea, who was born on the Island of Lesbos, toward* the close of tho fifteenth century. For some time he cruised in the Archipelago," following the not unusual occupation of a buccaneer; but he soon grew ambitious, and, saijing with an increased force along the African coaet, he fixed up an agreement with the King of Tunis, under which h» had free usb of that port on condition that he handed over a. fifth of his booty. The first exploit of Uruj at this end of the Mediterranean was the capture of two richly-laden galleys belonging to the Pope Julius* 11., whose, orewa were so astounded at the eight of Turkish turbans in such western waters— the affair took place off the Island of Elba— that they made hardly any resistance. The Turk put his prisoners to work the oare and set out for more plunder. His next considerable capture was that of ' a Spanish galleon oarrying five hundred poldiera; but the unfortunate people were bo horribly eeaeick that they, too, could put up no opposition to the Turk. In the course of a year or two Uruj was_ at the head of a squadron of eight ships, and rttturallr began to turn hie thoughts to something better than tho paying of tribute to the King of Tunis. He th&re-forfe set out to assist the dethroned King of Buliva* to . regain hie country from the Spaniards, but thanks to a wound he himself received, and to the arrival of the great Geonese admiral, Andrea Doria, he failed, and hia power waa for the time broken. DEATHS OF SEAMEN. The returns relating the deaths of seamen and fishermen during the year ended 30th June, 1911, just issued by the Board of Trade, show that the lossroll for that period totalled 2204, or 1 in every 106 employed. Deaths by injury (accidental or otherwise) numbered 1233, or lin 190. Separating steam from sail, we find that in the case of the former the deaths from injury totalled 999, or i in 207, while on the sailing ship side they numbered 234, or 1 inr7s. Drink is reported as the direot cause of the deaths of 13 seamen, of whom 8 were British, 4 were foreigners, and 1 was a lascar, but it is believed to have been a contributory cause of the deaths of 130 persons. Furthermore, it is stated that ot the British seamen employed, 1 in 1617 lost his life from this cause; of foreigners 1 in 994; and of lascars 1 in 43,004. Particulars of the loss of the TllaWarra, the one-time famous cadet-ship, were available when the steamer Bengore Head arrived at Dublin a few days ago, having on board the- crew of the old clipper, which was at one period bo well known in Australian waters. It appears that almost from the outset of her last fateful voyage trom Loith to "Valparaiso tho ship had encountered bad weather. She ran into a fierce hurricane from the north-wost, and an immense sea broke over the quurter, washing away the man at the wheel and seriously injuring two otheis of the orew. The_ wheel was smashed, and the ship became completely unmanageable, whilst the sails she had set wero blown to ribbons. The cargo shifted, and the big seas which thundered on board washed away all ht>r boats except one, and sinushed tho apprentice-house. On th*> following day tho steamer Manchester Mariner opportunely hovo in sight, and, bearing down upon the storm-battered lllawarra, took off her crew, who wore subsequently transferred to the Bengoro Head, und brought on to Dublin. When last seen (ho old clipper presented v pitiublo night, and it was supposed that sho would soon go to the bottom.