BRAVERY AND DARING AT SEA

Colonist, Volume L, Issue 12259, 3 June 1908, Page 4

BRAVERY AND DARING AT SEA

A thrilling story of gallant resoUes effected in mid-ocean under circumstances of extraordinary danger and difficulty was told on arrival at Halifax, Nova Scdtia, of the British' steamer Volturno from Rotterdam, with the crew of the French schooner Champagne, 28- in number, on board. The Volurno sighted the Champagne on March 27 during the progress of a terrific gale, the French vessel, which was flying signals of distress, lying dismasted and helpless) in the trough of the sea. Such tremendous seas were running at. the time that it was impossible for the Volturno to launch a boat) and the steamer bad to stand by for three whole days before she succeeded in taking off the full crew of the Champagne. On the second day, although a heavy sea was still running, a number of the Volturno's crew volunteered to make an attempt to reaob the schooner, which was in imminent danger of being swamped. By using oil to calm the sea the volunteer, crew succeeded in reaching the Champagne in one of the Volturno's lifeboats, and with great difficulty succeeded in rescuing 14 of the crew. These were safely deposited on board the steamer, but by this time the gale had become bo furious again that it wa3 impossible for the liftbnat to make a second trip until the following day,- when the remaining li members of the Champagne's orew were safely transferred to the Volturno in face of enormous difficulties. The steamer then proceeded on its Voyage, leaving the French schooner in a sinking condition. Nearly all the members of the Champagne's crew were in a state of complete exhaustion. Tbej had gone through terrible experiences, owing to the severity of the weather, before the schooner was sighted by the Volturno. Some of them bad been badly hurt by falling spars, and all were suffering from the effects of cold and exposure. Captain James Harrison, the master of the Volturno, wag for many years in the servioe of the Allan Line, and has had a wide experience in Atlantic navigation. He was - engaged by Lord Dunraven to take across his America Cup , challenger Valkyrie— in itself a dtffioult bit of work, and he was engaged by the Fairfieid Company, which built the Volturno in 1906 as master of the vesse l . The Volturno is now owned by the Fairfield Company, and is .on charter to a London firm for a new servioe between Roterdam and Now York. *