DANGERS OR THE WHITE SEA.

Gisborne Times, Volume XLV, Issue 4155, 4 February 1916, Page 3

DANGERS OR THE WHITE SEA.

TRAFFIC BETWEEN ENGLAND •AND "'FRANCE AND RUSSIA.

INTERESTING LETTERS

A Wellington resident, who lias au engineer son in- tlie mercantile trade, lias received two interesting letters from him with respect to the traffic between England and France and Archangel, the Russian port on the White Sea. The first is dated Archangel, 30th October, and says—“ You will see by this that-we arrived safely ill the above port with nearly a thousand soldiers (Belgians) from Brest. The voyage occupied twenty-one days, owing to our having to wait and pick up a convoy before entering the White Sea, as it is mined. It is believed that some Swedish ships with German officers on. board have been dropping ■ mines about, so what with Russian mines-and these a ship lias to bo very careful. ' When about fifty miles from Archangel, one of the convoy exploded two mines within half an hour with a gun she had mounted on the forecastle head. There was a great send off from Brest. -Thousands of people“witnessed the departure, bands playing on the warships and ashore. Four or five concerts were given by the men and they turned out Al. All these fellows were from good families in Belgium, mostly from Antwerp and Brussels,some had been fighting since the beginning of the war. ■ A large percentage spoke English very well. The idea of this corp s going to Russia is to assist that country in the armed motor-car line, also motor-cyclist and flying machine, all of which machines we had on board as cargo, ready for use as soon as they are landed. Amongst the soldiers -was one of the world’s champion wrestlers by the name of Constantine Mem. By Jove ! ho was a giant; got hold of one of the hoys, and put him down one of the ventilators with his right hand. .... The Belgians left for Petrograd three days after arrival, and the Russians gave them a decent send-off. 'The weather is getting very cold; yesterday the thermometer read fourteen degrees in the sun, so you will know it was a bit nippy. Capt. Scott’s famous Antarctic boat, the Discovery, arrived yesterday to load a cargo of alcohol for the French Government. Every morning, when we get out of bed now the river fs frozen over, hut towards evening, with so much steamer traffic, it gets cut up, and the current carries the ice away. The Russians say in anotb • month the place will be frozen up for the winter. . . . Just got word to say two ships were blown up in the White Sea on their way to Archangel. The second letter is dated 10th November from a Scottish port, and says:—“We had a rather rough passage from Archangel. It was also extremely cold, ice and snow on the deck most of the time. Archangel is a quaint town, with rather large population. Most of the buddings are of wood, and very scattered. AH the pavements are wood, and elevated some 12 or 14 inches above the road, an idea which I have never, seen before. There are no electric trams. All the vehicles there are for the use of the public are a sort of cab, or what they term a drosky. The roads are of cobble-stones, and terribly rough. This place lias become very busv since the outbreak of hostilities, it being the only Russian port in the North that shipping can get to. I should think there were some fifty steamers in port when we put in an appearance. The last few days before our departure a large quantity ol snow foil, and at night time it was from 10 to 18 degrees below freezing point. In the morning the river was •just one sheet of ice, but the .ce breakers cut it up during the day and the current takes it away. All. the same it will nob be long before it is frozen up altogether. We gave the Belgians a good send-off to Petrograd. Thousands of people were down to the train, with bands nlaying national anthems, etc. Felt quite lonely after they had gone. We managed to cross the" White Sea without striking any mines. There were twenty-two of us in the convoy, quite a fleet of steamers. The- day previous two ships were blown up and about twelve men killed in one of the convoys*-going up the other way to Archangel.”