THRILLING SEA DRAMA

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 75, Issue 117, 20 May 1932, Page 10

THRILLING SEA DRAMA

CRUISER AND TRAWLER EXCITING ALL-NIGHT CHASE ALLEGED EFFORT TO RAM SHIP Among the amazing allegations made in March at Stornoway, New Hebrides, in a Court story of an all-night chase of a Fleetwood trawler by a fishery protection cruiser were that the crew of the trawler disguised tweir faces, one with red ochre and others with coal dust; the man at the wheel was muffled to the eyes; the trawler zigzagged wildly during the chase and tried to ram the cruiser. Charles Henry Taylor. Walter Bowe, and John Brown, respectively master, first hand, and second hand of the Fleetwood trawler Teroma, were charged with illegal trawling off the Lewis coast, in the New Hebrides, and obstructing the commander of the fishery protection cruiser Norna in the execution of his duty. Captain William Angus, commander «>f the Norna, stated that on August. 28, at 11 p.m., he saw a trawler at work about half a mile off the Butt of Ls#wis. She was not showing the regulation fishing lights. Chased by the Cruiser. About 11.15 p.m. witness switchea off his navigation lights and made toward the trawler. As he approached her he exhibited his navigation lights and turned on the searchlight. The trawler’s trawling gear was out. Witness hailed the vessel by means of a megaphone, but got no reply. There were some men moving about the deck, and one cut the trawl warp with a hatchet. He called on the trawler’s skipper to stop his vessel and heave his trawl on board, because the cruiser was sending a boat across with boarding officers. Suddenly the trawler, cutting her gear adrift, set off at full speed. The cruiser gave chase. The trawler showed no lights at all until after midnight; then she showed her head and side lights. The chase lasted about nine hours. Twice the Norna went, ahead, dragging a tow rope with the object of fouling the trawler’s propeller, but this manoeuvre was not successful. At 2 a.m. the cruiser’s searchlight fused and went out.

Blank Shots FiredDuring the chase, said Captain Angus, the Norna fired several blank shots as a signal to the trawler to stop, but the signals were unheeded. Part of the trawler’s number was •covered with oil or paint, her lifebuoys were either reversed or did not bear her name, and the bell,/which also might have borne the name, was covered with paint. The crew appeared to be disguised. 'One man had his face smeared with red ochre, while others either had grown beards or had their faces blackened with coal dust to simulate beards. The man at the wheel was muffled to the eyes.

During the chase the trawler was zig-zagging wildly across the cruiser’s bows to make her slow up, and once or twice the Norna had to reverse her engines to avoid a collision. At daybreak the cruiser hoisted the Blue Ensign and ran out a flag signal calling on the trawler instantly to stop. At one point the cruiser drew up with the trawler, and an attempt was made to wash off the oil with which the bumpers were obliterated with the hose, but without much effect, and the trawiormen painted the numbers over again. Trawler Bune Into Fog.

Later the crew of the Norna tried to swab the paint off the trawler’s numper with cotton waste saturated with paraffin and tied to the end of poles, but the trawelr’s crew pushed them off with boat hooks. At about 8 a.m. a bank of fog was observed to t!Te north and the trawler altered her Course and made for this, with the cruiser in hot pusuit a boat’s length behind. The chief officer of the cruiser suddenly called out that the trawler was going to port, and witness immediately signalled to reverse the engines to prevent the trawler ramming him. Although the cruisers’ engines were reversed she still had some forward way on her and her bow touched the trawler on the port side, and before the cruiser could resume the chase the trawler had disappeared in the fog. Captain Angus said he afterwards visited Fleetwood and had no difficulty in identifying the Terorna as the vessel he had chased.

Chief Officer’s Story. Mr. Murray, chief officer of. the Norna, said that during the chase he saw one of the trawler’s crew paint over the ship’s number. Several blank shots were fired during the chase, but he did not hear any objectional language used by Captain Angus. Defending Counsel: Did you hear the expression “Till hell freezes”?

Witness: The second officer used an expression like that. Was not your funnel red-hot? —There is a casing round the funnel, and the inside one might have been red-hot. Were the flames coming from the funnel? —At first, when forced draught was being used. Did you hear Captain Angus threaten to ram the trawler? —No. I heard Captain Angus shout to the trawler that if it did not keep clear the trawler would ram this vessel.

You were using the hose to clean the trawler’s obliterated number. Did you hear Captain Angus shout, “I have stodd this long enough. T am going to mark you so that I will know you when you get to Fleetwood? —I did not hear that. You intended to mark the trawler «xnd you gave up the chase, because you had accomplished your object?—No.