SHIPWRECKED AT SEA.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1316, 20 May 1897, Page 12

SHIPWRECKED AT SEA.

The causes which most frequently lead to shipwreck at sea form the subject of an interesting article in the Pall Malt Gazette. In its course, the writer alludes to the danger of collision with an iceberg which besets every Atlantic liner during the winter months. Long before the icemountain approaches within dangerous proximity of a liner, a dense fog sets in, doubly adding to the danger, since the look-out is unable to see more than two yards ahead. Thanks to the electric search light the danger is now minimised, as the rays penetrate the fog for a considerable distance, and are reflected on the ice ; but when a ship is unprovided with this useful invention she stands a poor chance when onco she gets amongst the ice. " Ice-berg dead ahead, sir 1" is the cry from the look-out; the engines are reversed, the helm is put hard over, but all too late ! With a terrific crash she strikes the mountain of ice below the waterline, and the ship fills rapidly. Possibly an attempt is made to cover the breach by lowering a weighted sail over the bows, but the attempt proves fruitless. " Muster all hands and man the boats 1" bellows the captain, and the result is that those who are not drowned are often starved to death in the open boats. The iceberg danger, in winter time, is one of the reasons why seamen don't like the Atlantic trade, especially "North-about." Intemperaiice plays a considerable part in the mismanagement of ships. He is a peculiar instance. A steamship was loading iron ore at a foreign port, where it often occurs that till full moon ships cannot gat over the bar. The ship had been waitingfor five days, and the skipper, who had been imbibing, grew impatient. So he ordered the pilot aboard and proceeded down the river, The steamer was drawing sixteen feet of water, and there was only sixteen feet* and a half on the bar, Dropping the pilot at a little villago close to the bar, the skipper telegraphed " Eull speed ahead I" and with an unusual amount of scrunching and grinding his vessel steamed into the Bay of Biscay.

Ten minutes later there were 6 feet of "water in No. 1 hold and 4£ feet in No. % gaining fast. The captain, it is needless to say, should never have attempted to cross the bar when he did, nor, worse still, should he have dropped his pilot. The mate knocked him down with a belaying pin and took charge of the ship, which was filling remarkably fast, Putting her about he steered for the nearest point of land, his idea being that, since the ship would sink in a few minutes, he ; should run her on to the rocks, and so j save the owners so many thousands of pounds. However, he couldn't reach the shallow water in time, and, in spite of his brave efforts the ship sank in five fathoms of water. The skipper deliberately committed suicide by jumping into the sea and not attempting to save himself, and i two-thirds of the crew were drowned. \

The plucky mate, we are glad to say, escaped, and is now in the Mediterranean trade as captain of a new steamship. In this case, it will be observed, through the carelessness of a skipper under the influence of alcohol, fifteen good lives were thrown away, and there was rejoicing in Davy Jones' locker that night. As an instance of a curious escape from Davy Jones' locker we' may quote the case of the ho'sun of the barque Benbecula, bound from Pensacola to Glasgow with Indian corn. This boat, after having a disastrous passage (the crew having stood at the pumps for eleven days), began to sink. The crew took to the boats, leaving the bo'sun on board—not with any selfish or evil intention, but simply because he would make a final visit to the fo'c'sle to secure some money stowed away there. After possessing himself of his little hoard, the old shellback was not entirely left without presence of mind. The ship, he knew, might sink at any minute, so he proceeded swiftly to the paint - locker, collected several oil-cans, made them water-tight by bunging the ends up, and fastened these round his waist in such a manner that they proved an effective substitute for a life-belt. • The other men were drowned, but he was picked up a passing liner. Thus was Davy Jones cheated of one single soul.