Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 307, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 December 1911 — Jumping Jack Tars. [ARTICLE]

Jumping Jack Tars.

The rhythmic Jumping of 350 binejackets saved H. M. S. Commonwealth from the fate of the Montagu when she ran aground in a dangerous place. The battleship Montagu was abandoned as a hopeless wreck off the Cornish coast, hut her sister ship, the Commonwealth, was safely got off by the muscula# 1 exertion of her crew. The Commonwealth ran on to an uncharted rock when returning from target practice, and was badly damaged. She was so nicely balanced in her lodgment, however, that it was decided, after reversing the engines had failed to extri6ate her, to try the experiment of mustering all the available hands on the extreme aft, and setting them to jump in unison. The regular jumping of twenty-five tons of solidly-built seamen had the effect of making the huge vessel rock seesaw fashion until she gradually floated off with the rising tide. In fifteen minutes she was afloat, and saved.