HEROES GO TO LLOYD'S.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20306, 13 July 1929, Page 3 (Supplement)

HEROES GO TO LLOYD'S.

RINGING OF LUTINE BELL.

DEEDS OF BRAVE MEN,.

PRESENTATION OF MEDALS. There was a stirring moment at Lloyd's * few weeks ago, a moment when insurance brokers, underwriters, shipowners, and merchants forgot all about business find listened to the ringing of the Lutine bell for the men of tho tank ship British

Courage. This famous bell, saved from tho wreck of the Lutine, is only rung for important announcements. On tho occasion in question the crier rang it twice, and then announced that Captain Himslev, William Muckle, and James Murdoch had just been presented in the committee room with Lloyd's silver medal, and that Captain Himsley was going to walk through tho underwriting room. Then everyone was jostling to see that gallant man. Lloyd's silver medal is one of those few decorations not in the gift of tho Crown which are so important that the recipients are allowed to wear them on the right breast in uniform. The following is how these three men, and AVthur Halcrow, now on an Admiralty tanker, won their ir.jdals. On December 3 last the steel screw Motor tank ship British Courage left Port Said with a cargo of about 9000 tons of crude oil. Two day 3 later a firo broke out, and Capta n Himsley sent out S.O.S. calls. Soon the whole top of tho engine room was a mass of flames as high as tho funnel. The chief engineer ran out, his tlothing ablazo, and died of his injuries. Thore was a possibility that the fuel tanks might explodo at any minute and in turn explodo tho cargo of crude oil. Captain Himsley ordered his crew of 38 into tho boats, and before leaving went into every part of the perilous ship to ffiako sure that no ono was left. Ihere wore two boats, ono in charge of Captain Himsley and the other in charge of tho chief officer, and they made °ff in a rough sea for about half-a-mile, then hove to for two hours, watching tho burning ship. There was no explosion from tho engine room yet, and flames could be seen creeping along the boat deck. Captain Himsley told his men that thero was so much danger that he could order no one back to tho burning ship, but ho believed there was a chance of saving her. At onco 16 men volunteered to return, though they had saved their lives, and had only to wait to bo picked up by tho •hips who had heard tho S.O.S. call. To go back was a great peril, but loyalty to their ship called them, and they went. swamping tho decks with buckets of sea water they succeeded in putting out the firo on the boat deck. Mr. Muckle, tho second engineer, found his way through the smoke to the boiler room and the steam stop valve, so that there was steam available for pumping .Water into tho engine room. Tho chief engineer had died of tho burns he received when tho firo broke ?ut in the engine room; now bravo men had to fight their way into that deathtrap with sand and water. It took them hours to win their battle with tho "tones. Constantly the fire broke out •fresh, and all night they stood by, Mpecting an explosion. Mot will perform prodigies in selfdefence or in hot blood, but these men all this soberly, in cold blood, to jy* their ship. They were worthy, of film* ihip'i proud name.