SHIPS AND THE SEA

Evening Post, Volume CXXI, Issue 115, 16 May 1936, Page 26

SHIPS AND THE SEA

STORMY TASMAN CROSSING

(By "Spunyarn.")

A lucky escape from complete destruction was experienced by the small sailing vessel Sir John Franklin, which struck exceptionally heavy weather when crossing the Tasman during the latter part of the nineteenth century. Possibly the craft would have ridden out the storm conparatively easily but for the fact that she had on board a large deck cargo of timber, which, breaking loose, caused danger and confusion. The mate, worn out j with incessant work, was carried overboard during the night, and disappeared from sight. The Sir John Franklin left Wellington for Sydney on April 5, 1886, and had an uneventful eight days' run, which brought her within 350 miles of Sydney. On Tuesday, April 13, a southeast wind blew all day, and towards evening increased in .violence, and at daybreak on the Wednesday it was found that the deck load of. logs and sawn timber had begun to shift about. I A little after 6 o'clock one of the boats which was lashed on the main hatch j was carried away by a heavy sea. I One of the passengers, who gave a graphic account of the ship's voyage, went on deck just after this mishap, and had scarcely got there when a terrific sea broke over the stern, and made havoc on the deck, flooded the cabin, and caused general alarm. The captain had been off and on deck all night, and had retired below about an hour before the man at the wheel raised an alarm for him to come up, as the deck load threatened the safety of the ship. All hands tumbled on deck hastily, some half clothed, amidst great excitement. The captain retained his composure, however, and gave out his orders from his post at the wheel in resolute tones. The Sir John Franklin scudded before the gale with the least possible sail, but she was heavily laden, and' shipped huge i seas continually. The effect of standing on deck was the same as sporting jin heavy rollers on the sea beach. It [ was a magnificent scene—the vessel

bravely battling a wild, tempestuous sea, which was "feather white" with the force of the wind. The power of the gale seemed unlimited, and the lives, of all on board depended chiefly on the deck being cleared. Logs rolled about and threatened to smash the sides of the ship.and the first work done was heaving them and the sawn timber overboard. On the deck of the barquentine were about 20 huge white pine logs, the average weight of which was about half a ton, and a large quantity of sawn timber measuring about 6000 feet. On the vessel were captain, mate, boatswain, four A.B.s, cook, and six passengers. The captain's post was at the wheel, and everybody else, including the passengers, were set to work to cast the deck cargo adrift. The magnitude of the task was tremendous under the most difficult and trying of conditions,'but the men worked with a steady determination, and after six hours' arduous labour, during which terrific seas broke over the deck continually, the. whole of the timber was thrown overboard. Some amazing escapes from injury and death were experienced by those engaged in the work. One man slipped, and the vessel canted just in time to prevent a log crushing him, the motion rolling the huge mass of wood from instead of on him. A sailor was washed from by !the.winch to the mizzen shrouds, slipping from the grasp of an arm put out to catch him, but he clutched a rope in time to save himself. At length the deck was clear, and all retired , below excepting the mate's watch. At half past three the mate was carried overboard from the lee side and lost. The man at the wheel gave a shout for help, but before anyone could get on deck the unfortunate man was lost from sight. The boatswain was first on the scene, followed by the: captain, but the vessel was scudding'along before the .gale, which had increased since the morning, and nothing could possibly be done to save the mate," who had been on deck from 4. o'clock -in the morning, and was completely tired out and dispirited. A few minutes before he was lost he had gone down to his cabin to light his pipe, and had seemed to those who saw him to be completely exhausted. One boat was lost, and the remaining'one smashed in by the driven weight of the waves which boarded the.vessel and carried away, a tank besides. If the boats had been whole andtin their places if would have been impossible to /use them in such an awful sea. The:pumps had been working all clay, the apartments below were saturated, and as the storm rose higher everyone but the captain thought the vessel doomed.: Just after dark the captain called-air hands on deck and made ready to heave-to. The ship rode the gale all night hove-to, the morning breaking with the gale on the southwest, and a tremendous sea running. The vessel was let run on this gale for a few hours, and then hove-to again. Towards dark the wind fell consider-' ably, but the seas were mountains high and struck the ship occasionally with force that threatened destruction to her. One big sea smote her stern, and disabled the rudder, making a noise so appalling that one of the sailors cried out that the vessel had been split in two, his outcry causing considerable panic amongst the others. The fresh misfortune was the loosenins of t3a» fcilli«".hfla*l- rnaJcmrr th^

SIE JOHN FEANKLLVS EXPERIENCES

rudder unworkable, but temporary repairs were quickly effected.

The seas died down on the Friday, and eventually the weather calmed to a slight northerly breeze,- enabling the Sir John Franklin to proceed once more in safety towards Sydney.