SAVED PKOM SHIPWRECK BY OIL.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 3214, 30 August 1879, Page 2

SAVED PKOM SHIPWRECK BY OIL.

Pouring oil on troubled waters gonerally is regarded by sea captains more as a fine sentiment than as a practical bint to be observed in times of danger; but as far back as 1770 a Dutch East India trader claimed to havo been saved from shipwreck on a troaclierous reef ( by pouring on the sea a jar of olivo oil. Later, another instance is recorded in which a vessol having boen wrecked in a hurricane, a cask of lamp oil, which was kept inja smull boat, became broken and so quieted the sea in the immediato vicinity that most of the crew succeedod in getting to an island near by. Capt. Jarman, of the four-masted ship Romsdal, i.ow in this port, stated to a Tribune reporter recently, that although he had long known of the wonderful effects of oil poured upon a rough sea, yet he never had put his knowledge into practice until his last voyage. Tho subject having been recalled to his mind lately by a little article in ono of the seamen's tracts, he decided to test the receipt. He cansod to bo made two canvas sacks, shaped like a bottle, each having a capacity of about three gallons of oil. These he filled with common lamp oil. Soon after, in she middle of tho Atlantic, he enoountered a violent hurricane with terrific seas, which lasted about twenty hours. Tho waves broke over the stern, and threatened to swamp the vessol. Remembering his oil, ho puno« tured tho canvas bags, and caused one to be towed over each qunrter. The effect, ho said, was magical. The wavos, although remaining at the aawo height, no longer broke over the stern ; but for several yards around, where tho oil had spread over the water, there was apparently a oalm. The ship was thus relioved from the tremonduous shocks of heavy seas breaking over her, and tho danger was considerably I ease nod. Captain Jarman thinks that tho uso of oil in tho caso of a ship hove- to in a storm, would bo a very good thing. Ho says that although this was the first time ho had over tried the experiment, it was not novel by any means. He had known cases in which orews had escaped from vessels wheu it would have been impossible to lower a boat without its being swamped, except that oil was thrown over tho ship's side, and tho sea thus sufiicioutiy calmed to allow the boats to bo lowered without danger. Ho has also seen whaling vessels lying quietly, whilo noar by them other vessels wero violently tossed about. The whaling vessels were so thoroughly saturated with oil, that the water remained calm all about them. Ho says that the method is so simple and so inexpensive, that he intends to havo oil bags ever roady for use hereafter. — Xew York Tribune.

Two teachers were disputing about the pronunciation of " barrel." Ono said it was " bare. el and the other said it was " bow-rel." They referred tho matter to an old coper, pointing to a vessel made to hold beer, by way of explaining what thoy inoant. He said, " It's keg." And now the two preceptors uro moro " badly mixed" thau ever. It is a singular but indisputable fact, says the Albany Journal, that tho young man who had just won three games of billiards walks up town with ft prouder stride than the faithful young fellow who has beea digging away at his desk for five hoars steady. That was a good though lather nn irrovoreufc pun which was made by an Edinburgh student when ho asked, "Why is Prof. the great revivalist of tho age ?" and, on nil " giving it up," said, " Because at the end of every ser« raon there is a great awakening."