Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 55, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 March 1914 — SAILORS’ GREAT FEAR [ARTICLE]

SAILORS’ GREAT FEAR

FLOATING DERELICT ONE OF WORST PERH-S OF THE SEA. ;. ‘" 1 - Forsaken Ships, Practically Unsinkable, Can Rarely Be Perceived Until Too Late to Avoid the Fatal Collision. The dismasted, battered hulk of a derelict, floating so low in the water as to be almost level with the waves, is, of course, a very great danger to navigation, especially in foggy weather. The majority of derelicts are sailing ships laden with timber. They may have been dismasted and rendered absolutely helpless in storms, partly demolished by fire, by collision with an iceberg, or by the mere force of the waves themselves. The crew, unable to make their shijF -seffwOTthy. may have abandoned it in the boats, or have been rescued by some passing vessel, but, whatever their fate, their forsaken ship, if laden with wood, remains practically unsinkable and is driven hither and thither over the ocean, at the mercy of the winds and* currents. In course of time the swelling of the wood cargo may burst the hull asunder, but until this happens, or until the vessel is driven ashore and broken into matchwood against some ironshod coast, it will remain a terror to passing ships. Now and again a steamer may be rendered helpless owing to its machinery becoming disabled by shortage of coal, by fire or by the loss of its rudder or propeller in heavy weather. Its crew may decide to abandon it and take to the boats, but if they neglect to open the seacocks on their departure their ship may float for many a long day. The erratic movements of some derelicts are almost uncanny. Not so very long ago a Norwegian sailing ship called the Crown left Nova Scotia for a South American port. It was laden with timber, and while still in the North Atlantic ocean was overtaken by a terrible storm, which dismasted and left it a battered wreck.

The crew, realizing it was useless to remain on board, abandoned it and took to the boats, never to be heard of again, but their ship, although it vanished completely for no less than three months, was sighted at the end of this time on the edge of the Sargasso sea, a good 700 miles away from where disaster overtook it. Soon aftterward it was sighted off Bermuda, but then disappeared again, and may still be drifting about the ocean. Another sailing ship was abandoned off Cape May. The crew endeavored to destroy it by fire on their departure, but, although it blazed furiously, the sodden, waterlogged cargo eventually extinguished the flames. A few weeks later the hulk was off the English coast and it was thought it would be dashed to pieces on the shore, but, altering its course, it proceeded to the southward along the French coast and was next seen near the Azores. Having got thus far, it proceeded to cross the Atlantic, and after covering fully 6,000 miles in its wanderings, finally drifted ashore near Panama.' Derelicts are sometimes salved and bring in a large sum in salvage money to the crews of the ships who tow them into port. On one occasion an American steamer bound for Liverpool with a cargo of cotton ran out of coal off the north coast of Ireland. The sea was running high, signals of distress. were made to a passing steamer, which passed a tow rope to the helpless ship. But the towing wire snapped and the crew were accordingly taken on board the newcomer, while the disabled vessel was left to drift.. Over pool tug heard of the affair, and being doubtless aware of the great value of the cotton cargo, determined Io find the derelict and to tow it into harbor. After a protracted search it came upon it and eventually took it into Belfast, little worse for its buffeting. The enterprising tug netted no less than £7,960 for its share in the proceedings. By an act of parliament, passed in 1896, the master of any British ship sighting a derelict is bound to report the fact to the nearest Lloyds agent, so that if the abandoned ship Is in the track of ships a man-of- v war may be sent out to destroy or bring it into port.