The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1885-02-18
How to Save a Ship.


a notable instance was narrated by the
Captain Of a British brig from thi. port
for Bristol, which was nearly overwhelmed
by a terrific gale IN mid Atlantic. being
driven before wind and waves for SIX
days, with such violence that both nasts,
his boats aud the houses on deck were
carried away. When the storm was at
It's height be bethought himself Of a can
vass oil bag. which he had previously
prepared at Nr. SIS request for such an
emergency, aud having llied 1t with about
two gallons of petrolt N oil, he pricke ed
several holes with a large needle, aDd
running 1t out at the end Of q spa to
wlndward was surprised and delighted
at what he described TO me as the magical
effect. The oil spread rapidly around
the vessel, changing the raging sea 10 3
heavy swell. The waves ceased u 5redk,
and the brig rode out the gale in com
parative security. Had the gallant cap
tain Wohl, Of the brig 4thaltd Lord,
adopted q suggestion with reference TO
this subject, he would In all probability
have survived the gale which resulted In
such disasters. Several small vessels OF
like tonnage have tried this simple and
inexpensive reuIedy, which although
known for maLy centuries, has never
come into general use. 1t Is interesting
to note, however, that the Royal Nation
al Life Boat institution of Great Britain,
has recently carried out some experiments
with very satisfactory results In Cham
ber's Edinburgh Journal, find reference
made to the report of Capt Chetwynd,
of the Royal Navy, in which he says that
the best continuance tor applying the oil
appeared TO be a canvass bag, either
rather loosely sewn together or pierced
with small holes, TO all, W the oil te e--
cape. As, to be any protection, the on
must be poured or distributed over the
sea In a direct line from which the seas
are advancing, and at a sufficient distance
TO give il time to spread and act upon
the waves, before they reach the vessel
TO be protected, it follows that. as re-
CARDS a liteboat, or indeed any smal!
boat, the oil can only be used when they
are IN one or two positions namely:
when anchored and lying head to sea and
tide: or when running dead before the
sea for the shore.
In the first of these cases, the waves
would ~ofcourse approach the bows OF the
boat. over which, therefore, oil should
De HOdttu sOmt ydiuo III nun i wv
boat, attached by a light line to the an
Choir. Either way, the boat being sta
tionary, the oil would spread all around,
and afford some protection. In the
second case, where the boat IS running
with the wind and waves, the danger
would be, lest a wave should tOllow on
so quickly as to break over the stern of
the boat, and ov~erwhelm Der. As a rule,
oil poured from the stern OF the boat
would, to a certain extent, quiet these
following waves, and prevent any risk OF
that kind.
Captain Chetwynd's experiments ID
the surf are not so favorable lrreg-
ularity of the breakers in shoal water
having rendered the oil of little practical
use-hut the entrances of exposed har-
bors have been greatly protected; the re-
suits being more certain and less capri
cious than among the shore breakers.
Finally, he says that in every case its eff
fects have been SO remarkable, 1t seems
incredible that its use is not general and
an everyday occurrence, more particular
" in small vessels, where it could not but
add to their comfort as we'll as safety.
As a protection to an open boat IN q
heavy sea, means of applying the oil
should be as much a part of the equip
ment of every ships boats as oars or
rudder. My remarks upon this subject
are supported by the experience of Cap
tain Rice, of the John A. Griffin, Capt.
Seward, of the schooner Grace K.
Green, and Capt. Philbrook, of the
schooner Electa Bailey, now in port.
Capt. Seward informs me that in August
1876, on board the schooner Sassamla,o,
of ~ tons register, with a cargo of fish
under deck, and fish ell Cd deck, he met
with very heavy weather, increasing to a
gale, the force of which stove ONE of the
deck cargo. The oil running into the
s~cuppors, and thence into the sea, caused
an immediate lull in the force of the
waves, which ceased to break; 10 a few
minutes the oil had spread to a distance
of half a mile around the vessel, over
which surface not a breaker was to be
seen-resulting in the salvation of vessel
and crew while more than a hundred
larger and tranger ships were lost In
the same gale. james Sprint, British
Fice Consul ut Wilmington.