SHIPS & THE SEA

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 144, 19 June 1915, Page 13

SHIPS & THE SEA

GROUNDING OF THE MARSINA. The annexed report and finding lias boon received from tho Court appointed to hold an enquiry at Cooktown into the circumstances attending the grounding of the p.p. Marsina on Deo Reef on 11th February, 1915 (says the Sydney Shipping List) The board, whilst accepting the roport of the Court, cannot concur with, tho finding thereof, as the ovidence of tho master clearly shows that he ignored tho Sailing Directions by steaming along a course leading to danger instead of crossing into tho whito sector as shown both on the chart and in the • Sailing Directions, and the board therefore, consider the master deserving of severe censure, and he is hereby severely censured accordingly. Tho Court's decision was that the master committed an error of judgment in altering his course when off Indian Head before having made certain that he had crossed the gTeen sector and entered the white sector of Archer Point light, or, having followed that course, in not taking cross bearings when abeam of Grass Hill light and verifying his position. Tho prompt and careful measures tak&n by Captain Wetherall after the accident occurred, tho safe landing of the passengers and successful refloating of his vessel aro to bo commended, and, taking into consideration, this is his first offence, wo 6onsider that a caution to be moro careful in future will bo sufficient to meet this case. LOSS OF THE KARLSRUHE. The Danish paper Ribe Stifstidende says: — "We can supplement our communication of 17th March concerning tho destruction of tho German cruiser Karlsruhe by information from our correspondent in Berlin. He states that the Karlsruhe escaped on 6th August, and subsequently was very active in chasing merchant ships on the route between South and North America. Sometimes the vessel was fighting. On 4th November, when tho Karlsruhe was in the Caribbean Sea, while part of the orew were taking tea on the foro part, all around being quiet, and no ships being visible, a terrific explosion occurred, breaking the ship in two. -The members of the crew to the number of 250 or 300 men, among them the commander, who wero in the fore part of the ship, went down with the vessel, but the others about 120 men an all, succeeded in getting on board a steam collier which was escorting the Karlsruhe. The rescued orew managed to reach Kiel on 21st December on this steamer, after suffering great hardships, tho fear of meeting British warships compelling tho boat to sail along tho Amorican coast, then round Iceland, and finally down the Norwegian coast." A WIRELESS CONTROL SHIP. According to the Wireless World of London, tho United States Government has equipped a vessel with apparatus for quickly measuring the wave-lengths of the wireless installations aboard vessels on tho Atlantic. Tho ship will cruise in tho Atlantic in order to ascertain whether wireless stations conform to the rules relating to the wave-lengths they must use. It has been noticed during the last year that the regulations are often neglected. The control ship will also take steps to prevent the emission of alarm signals in cases that are not urgent, as has often happened. A RECORD PAYMENT. Particulars are given in English papers of tho chartering of the liner Aquitania, 45,647 tons gross, from the Cunard Steamship Co. It is reported that all the expensive fittings of this vessel were removed and replaced with other fittings to suit her for the requirements of the British Admiralty, and that she was only in the Government service at sea ten days when 6ho collided with a Leydon liner. This necessitated her return to the Mersey, whore she has since been in tho hands of the ship repairers to be placed in a condition to resume her sailings in the Atlantic trade. It is reported that the British Government are paying about £72,000 per month for the hire of the vessel, to commence from tho time she was placed ,at their disposal until 6ho is returned to the company in a position to resume her ordinary sailings. It is believed that the cost of altering- tho vessel, repairing tho damage and reinstating her, plus tho hire money, will exceed £1,000,000, which must bo considered a record payment for ten days' sorvice. THE ARMING OF MERCHANTMEN Says an Exchange :— The marvellous escape of the F. ancf S. liner Argyllshire from the German pirates in their submarines leaves one outstanding feature, after careful perusal of the account of the happening, and that is, had the vessel beon equipped with a 12-pounder, there is pvory chance of Gorrnany owning ono less submarine, if not two. The big Australian trader was certainly fortunate in escaping to Havre, and too much praise cannot bo given Captain Chicken and his officers for the seamanship they displayed in manoeuvring the vessel so that sho was able to show the pursuing submarines a clean pair of heels, and it is fairly gafo to assert that during tho run to the French port opportunity must have offered for the Argyllshire to have got a shot home had a gun boon available ' on possibly more than one occasion, but it was not, so instead of contributing some material help to the task our navy has ahead of it the pirates and their submersible craft escaped to possibly do moro damage amongst harmless merchantmen, and kill inoffonsivo women and children at the same timo. Of course wo do not advocate tho wholesale arming of merchant craft. That would be too stupendous a task, but to equip tho larger and valuable craft carrying passengers or munitions of war would be nuite different, for Germany has made it quite clear now that it is that class of vessel her naval officers have euch explicit instructions to attack, without allowing any_ timo for those on board to depart. So if the master of one of these vessels did act in a premature manner and use the gun, no harm more than was to happen would be occasioned, and furthermore there would be the- chance that tho shot would prove effective and the submarine be destroyed. If Germany acted differently, and abided by the rules of civilised warfare, such a question as tfic advisability of arming merchantmen would not havo to be discussed now, but as it is, happenings like the Falaba, Lusitania, and all too many others of a similar characfer, make such a course appear a wiso one, and escapes such as the Argyllshire) had leavo the impression that rery often tho gun would force home the fact to Germany that it was not always wiso to attack a vessel.