CLAIMS FOR SALVAGE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18664, 21 March 1924, Page 11

CLAIMS FOR SALVAGE.

SOME NOTABLE ACTIONS.

CLEOPATRA'S NEEDLE CASE.

Many stories of courage and heroism are told in the course of salvage actions [tried in the Admiralty Court, and it may be interesting, now that the court is resuming its sittings, to recall some of the most, notable cases disposed of, says a London paper. Very few of those who pass Cleopatra's Needle, on the Embankment, know that this obelisk was the subject of; a salvage action brought into the Admiralty Court as far back as April, 1878, and that its value was fixed for the purpose of the action at £25,000. A vessel constructed solely for the purpose of conveying the obelisk from Alexandria to England was, with the obelisk on board, abandoned in the Bay of Biscay, and was found' next day floating on her beam ends 90 miles north-east of Ferrol by a steamship, which succeeded in towing her into Ferrol in safety. The obelisk is a unique and historical monument. Its antiquity is undoubted, the inscriptions upon it testifying ,to its existence at least 1600 years betoro ithe birth of our Lord. Sir Robert Thiilimore in fixing the value at £25.000, referred to the cost of the Luxor obelisk in the Place de la Concorde. Paris, which cost the French Government not less than £80,000, and which is only 18in. longer than Cleopatra's Needle. The sum of £2000, was awarded to the salvors. Of more recent date, the case of the Lomonosoff was of considerate interest. The plaintiffs were two Englishmen, two officers in the Belgian army, and 23 Belgian soldiers, who were at Murmansk in February, 1919, on the way to join the White Array' at Archangel, and who fought their way on board the Lomonosoff, forced the engineers to do their duty, helped to raise steam, cut or cast off her moorings, and navigated the vessel to Vardo, and thence to Tromso. But for their armed resistance, the vessel would inevitably have fallen into the hands of the Bolsheviks. Mr. ' Justice Hill awarded them £6000.

Perhaps the case of the Vigilant stands out as ' one of the most remarkable salvage actions determined by the court, so far as courage and heroism are concerned. The vessel was on a voyage from New York to the Bristol Channel for orders, and on October 29. 1916. when off the south-west coast of Ireland, encountered very heavy gales, and became unmanageable. The master and 13 of the crew determined to abandon her. sent out S.O.S. calls, and were taken off by the Rigodans. Robert Ferguson, the second mate, and Thomas Welch and John Smith, greaser and fireman respectively, refused, however, to abandon the ship, and eventually succeeded in bringing her into Cardiff, on November 9. Sir Samuel Evans, in the course of the judgment, said that there were no special principles in the case not applicable to others: it was merelv differentiated by the astounding facts —the courage, the fine snirit, and the absence of all nhvsical fear dlsnlayed by the men, which commanded instant and unstinted admiration. He awarded £5000, half to Ferguson and the balance equally between the other two salvors.