SHIPPING

Evening Star, Issue 20428, 8 March 1930, Page 3

SHIPPING

(Continued from'page 1.)

STORMS AND FIRE

NORWEGIAN VESSEL’S PERILOUS VOYAGE.

With her weather-stained and blistered hull bearing strong evidence of her trying experience with lire ana cyclonic .weather in the Indian Ocean, the .Norwegian tramp steamer lorvanger, 6,564 tons gross register I Captain, L- Danielsen) arrived at Melbourne on February 17 to discharge 8,000 tons ot Enrfish coal. . . According to the ship’s officers the Torvanger, an oil-burner converted to coal for the long voyage to Australia, left Hull on December 12 for Melbourne, via South Africa, aud after an "uneventful passage to the Cape, Jett Durban on Januaiy 15, after taking on board 1,700 tons of bunker coal. ■ Soon after leaving port the vessel, heavily laden, ran into exceptionally dirty weather, and for nearly twentyfour hoars she was raked by seas, which swept overboard 100 tons of bunker coal carried on the well deck. Early on the Monday morning, eight idays out from Durban, the ship was again beset by misfortune. A member of the crew, noticing a thin wisp of smoke curling from the bunkers, amidshin, and in close proximity to the.enginoroom, drew the attention of the ■nip’s master to this indication of fire. Captain Danielsen immediately sot all available, members of the crew to work oa the smouldering bunkers. After twenty-four hours of incessant labour, iu wmch the officers and men worked together, the men, with soaked cloth across, tneir faces to avoid asphyxiation, got to the seat of the fire at daybreak on the following morning, and by utilising the ship’s hoses they soon gained control over the fire. Commenting on the fire, the ship’s "officers said a catastrophe had been avoided only by the men’s heroic and untiring effort. If the fire had reached the cargo or the engineroom all would have been lost. The men, most of them inexperienced at the work, had shifted ana trimmed over 200 tons of coal before the fire was subdued.

Tho Torvanger had a. company of 40 *ll told during the voyage, including the wife of the captain and the wife of the chief engineer. Officers and members of the crew are all Norwegians*

AN EPIC RESCUE,

AWARDS TO CAPTAIN AND CREW

Au interesting ceremony took jrJace recently in the Liverpool Town Hall, when Captain Evan Davies, Third Officer J. H. Walker, and five members of the .crew of the White Star liner Baltic were presented with awards for ’ gallantry at sea by the Lord Mayor (Councillor Lawrence D. Holt) on behalf of the Liverpool Shipwreck and Humane-Society. It will be remembered that the Baltic, under the command of Captain Evan Davies, rescued on December (i last, five members, of the crew of the ■chooncr Northern Light, a freighter bound -from St. John, Newfoundland, to Bonavista Bay with a general cargo. The , schooner had drifted into great danger in the heavy seas, and when seen by the Baltic was flying the' distress signal, “Wish abandon.” Captain Davies' ‘skilfully manoeuvred the Baltic to a position windward .of the ■Northern Light, and a lifeboat was Towered and. manned by a volunteer crew in charge of Mr J. H. Walker, third officer.of the Baltic. The lifeboat then proceeded to the distressed vessel, which was a distance of about 300yds from the Baltic, and brought to safety five of the crew. Res. Parsons, the captain’s son, unfortunately losing hi? life.

The Lord Mayor, in making the presentation, said: “ The Baltic is one ‘'Ot those ships which have become familiar to every citizen of Liverpool, and one which we all regard with affection, and so as is proper m a well-found ship you are not yourselves often called upop to endure the sufferings that less fortunate people are. It would be wrong ot me to proceed to my immediate, duty of presenting these awards without fiirt of all saying that it is the duty of all who have charge of ships to see that their charge is fulfilled with the utinost care, and a high sense of pride, because the custody of lives. and property is a solemn trust. Th is a bond of friendship which unites . seamen all over the world. With great pleasure and great pride on behalf of the City of Liverpool I beg to perform this duty.” The Lord Mayor then presented Captain Davies with an illuminated address and a silver medal. An address and clasp were handed to Mr J. ,-H. Walker, who was in charge of the lifeboat, who also received a combined clock and barometer, and silver'medals and illuminated addresses were also presented to Chief Petty-ofiker J. Boylan, Bosun’s Mate J. Fitzgerald, Storekeeper J. Whelan. Quartermasters P. Godd and W. Williams, apd Able Seaman A. Cole. V’ Among those present were Mr G. H. Kidd (chief assistant manager, of the White Star Line) and Captain E. Stokes-Smith • (assistant marine superintendent, representing Commodore C. A... Bartlett). THE SCHOONErIeUIA . ■The Nobel auxiliary schooner Hula, which sailed-from Auckland on February 28, will unload her-cargo of explosives at New Plymouth, Westport, Greymouth, Wellington, and Dunedin. At Dunedin the vessel*will load general Cargo for Auckland, She is due on March 15 at the Port Chalmers powder anchorage. VALACIA PROM U.S.A. The Valacia was to be despatched from Auckland for Wellington, Lyttelton, and Dunedin last evening in continuation of her voyage from New York. She is due here on March 16 for’final discharge. The vessel will proceed from here to Port Kembla to commence Homeward loading at Australian ports. THE CITY OF WINNIPEG. The City of Winnipeg will sail on March 10 from New York for Auckland, Napier, Wellington, Lyttelton, and Dunedin. She should arrive at Auckland about April 14,

[WHITE STAR LINER HOMERIC. According to cablo advices received from London by Dalgety and Co., Ltd., the White Star liner Homeric is to discontinue her second cabin accommodations and convert them into tourist third cabin. She is the largest steamship now in service to eliminate her second cabn, and at the same time carrv first-class passengers and tourist third. The Homeric, on arrival at New York,from Cherbourg and Southampsailed at midnight on January 24 for.a long cruise to the .Mediterranean, after which the tomist accommodations will he avaiabe. ' All the present class accommodation mending her public apartments, state rooms, anti decks will bo devoted •xclusively to the tourist third cabin. Never before have the second-class ac-

commodations of so large and fast a ship been made available at tourist rates. ’ *

This innovation will be at the disposal of the public on the Homeric’s departure from Southampton on April 2, and from New York on April 11, and continue thereafter on her regular sailing schedule. R is expected that the conversion of the Homeric’s • second-cabin accommodation into tourist third cabin will help greatly in meeting the demand lor this economical means of steamship travel at, the peak of the summer exodus and .homecoming of travellers beginning in June and ending in October.

ALL WHITE CREW. The P.- and O. steamer Mongolia, at present in Australian waters, is the first vessel of the line to have an allwhite crew. Her sister ship, the Moldavia, which is now undergoing alterations, will also bo manned entirely by whites.