PERILS OF THE NAVY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16169, 4 March 1916, Page 2 (Supplement)

PERILS OF THE NAVY.

WARSHIP' IN A GALE. CABLES SNAP LIKE THREADS. MEMORABLE CHRISTMAS DAY, A naval officer gives the following description of a warship in a gale just beforo Christmas,, The ship was riding at Anchor in harbour when " there was a fearful jar and a rattle," and away went the two cables, snapped liko threads. He goes on: "We immediately began to drive broadside on to the shore, engines going, one full ahead and the other full astern, helm hard over, to turn her off the beach and get cut of the bay. Her head gradually came round, when presently there came two grinding shocks. We had struck, but the heavy seas lifted her off and over the rocks we had bumped upon, and round she slowly swung until we were stem on to tho wind and bows to shore. We had to swing that way because the breakwater was on. one side of us, and if we had swung the other way we would have driven head on to it. We got her stern on to "the sea, and then had to go full astern to draw off the shore, and a lively time we hadtremendous seas sweeping over the poop and flooding everything. After wo had drawn sufficiently far off the shore to turn right round, we put the helm over again, and round she came, engines at full speed. Wo just cleared the breakwater ahead, and got out safely and hove to, head to wind and sea, with only sufficient way to euablo her to steer. Water Plays Havoc on Deck. " Then we commenced to enjoy ourselves —seas constantly sweeping over us,, and the ship mounting terrific seas and going down with horrible crashes into the hollows the other side, shaking everything adrift. The galley very soon got stamped, the stoves were swept away, and we had the melancholy pleasure of watching our Christmas dinner (turkey, etc.) being washed over the side. Our boats wero washed away one by one—first the gig, then the first whaler, 'then, the second whaler, then the cutter was lifted out of her chocks and dashed on to the deck wrong side up, and the steam pinnace was smashed on her own chocks. Then some fearful combers canto aboard and smashed up the two wings of the bridge, leaving only the centre portion, where' the. steering, gear and telegraphs are placed. Tho, bridge ladders also went, so wo had lo clamber up on to the- bridge by rope ladders ; and a nice job that was in the dark, with big seas breaking over us, Steering Gear Falls. "Wen tho chief engineer came alqng with the cheerful news that the steering engine-room was Hooded out, and he would have to shut off atearn. However, we, managod to struggle along by using the screws ahead and astern alternately. My heart waa in my mouth several times when I 'Was on the bridge, and she started .to fail off. I watched her and humoured her all I knew, trying to coax her round again, 'and.-she always came up at last. After twelve hours or so the chief got the steering engine clear, and we started using the helm again, but only to find that the rudder was useless, so there was nothing lu do but plug away'and keep her up to it with the screws. ' "Obristmu Dinner." Christmas, night came. round, and we all squatted in .the ward-room round an empty grate, 'our fire having been put Wife by water, the stove funnel'washed away; and our Christmas dinner consisted of 'a; cup of soup and a corned beef sandwich i each. Wo chewed at this with water washing around our feet, ankle deep, water dripping through on our heads; and most lugubrious expressions on our faces, and cheered each other up with harrowing tales of previous gales.we had been through. No one could go to bed, even if he felt like it. as all our cabins were flooded and everything soaking, so we just sat round feeling like condemned convicts the evening before the lianging. On Saturdav night it began to ease down, so wo struggled round and steamed west again, with no idea in v the least where we were. Extent ol the Damage, "We sighted land about 2.30 Sunday afternoon, found our position, headed tip the coast, arrived off the harbour, and signalled for two tugs to take us in. Miserable things they were; ' almost useless.. Wo struggled in, though, sideways, like a crab, got.loo far to one side of the channel, and bumped the bottom again. We didn't worry about that, though, but wallowed through, and after an awful struggle managed to get tied up alongside, pud jolly glad we were, too! We all went ashore as soon as we could, had a good meal, and then came aboard, turned in, and slept like logs till the morning. Divers went down next morning, and found tho rudder completely gone, propellers all twisted, and the whole stern badlv buckled, but, fortunately, we got through

withou'. a single casualty, cither to life or limb. mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmam