ABOARD A TRANSPORT.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 14440, 29 October 1917, Page 6

ABOARD A TRANSPORT.

AN EXCITING" f^XPERIENCE. "We are just' passing' through th'e i mpst terrific stprni that many oh tnis • ship~ have, eve^.^vitne^d," declares Lt. Jas. Ferris,' son of "Mr Chas. Ferris, m the cpurse; of-"a letter to.'his pa^elrits. "It has' not been of Jong duration, but its short life has been violent m the extreme. . . -This is a huge vessel, but for the last 24 hours she has been living '. 'under water,' with . dp c^s, .awash and '' green seas sweeping oyer tlie bojvs.Y I wis on duty from 12 to 4, this 1 morning, » and never want another.. watch. of this: description."; Describing, art exciting , m- . cid.ent of. the voyiige, the" writer pro- ! ceeds : "I suppose no. other troopship carrying mcii f rom — — has .brushed by tragedy. so t closely. For various, reasons*. .its nature shal} be nameless, but dangers are mariy nowadays':, those the elements do not supply the enemy has provided for ,m plenty. . ok\ the alarm heing given my duty n*as to report to the hridge, .and then to attend to the welfare of ' the m absolute darkness- de- j 'ihaftded most delicate handling, and f«6r j a niohient : , panic and diso'rdor. seemed . fo my mind, to-be the most apparent turn ' events Mould take. But chaos was not ! meant for us— the men, without any guidance on my.payt, going to their I .various/ stations on the vpssel, and' standing ' fast to. their posts m the most \ calm ; and collected manner imaginably.' Ijt. was splendid to see theih move under j such extreme circumstances m. perfects order, and great promise. holds out "fori their future when the day dawns for ; their final list with the : enemy. It' is j all over now, and' we* are all grateful! .that we still ride tbe .seas-— green as 'they. are— and that man. is master of the ; elements. This morning the captain ofi the ship copipHmented the men on their coolness and discipline, and paid marked .tribute to the Maori, boys iri particular' With, death ih two places, to face .thpy were, 'at their boat stations i-firgt,, and J , joking and. playing as if jfc.was day occurrence/ AU through the trip >jhey lmve . .won . fa j-oV with, all on board J m regard r ip tlieir , Work, .general effici- ! ency and ' chee.rihess. T^hey ; are always j .fo keen ; about. e\^iythiugV and. carry .out rtheir work . with such, viip and da^h. . . . .To-morrow we put intq h port, iand will be ..glad of the .change. Life on a transport can get very" monotonous, especially -.when one gets it m r'erpeated, doses m. quick ..succession." „; .