The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1889-03-28
TEE USE OF OIL TO STILL THE WAVES

Under the above title Lieutenant w.
h. Beehler contributes to the March
Century an account OF the experiments
made with oil in rough water. We
quote the following accounts OF two re
scuts: The captain OF the ship Martha
Cobb, loaded with petroleum, fell IN
with a sinking vessel during a heavy
gale in the North Atlantic IN December,
1885. The signal made, stated the YES
sci was sinking and that all her boats
had been stove, The Martha Cobb had
lost her large boats, her bulwar ks wash
ed out, and deck swept in the same
storm; the only boat left was a small
sixteen-foot dingey, which could not
possibly live in the sea that was then
running. The captain says he was puz
zeled and lay by for some hours hoping
that the gale would moderate; but as
they was no appearance Of better wealth
or and night coming on, he decided to
make an attempt to rescue the crew OF
the sinking vessel. The Martha Cob6
had cargo Of petroleum, some OF which
leaked, and the captain had noticed that
the sea in the wake of the ship was much
smoother when the pumps were worked.
HE sigualed to the other vessel to
haul by the wind, while he luffed to get
to windward, and at the same time
started the pumps; but the ship drifted
faster than the oil, and while the oil
made the sea comparatively smooth to
windward, it did not cover the sea lee
ward, He then ran down across the
other vessels stern, hauled up close
under her lee, and started the pumps
again; at the same time also he emptied
a five gallon can of fish oil down the
scuppers. The effect was magical. 10
twenty minutes the sea between and
around the vessels was broken down.
The long heavy swell remained, but the
combers and breaking seas were all
gone, The little dingey with three men
had no difficulty in pulling to wind
ward, and the crew were saved. Inc
boat was deeply loaded and did not ship
any water, although the sea was break,
ing fiercely outside Of the charmed
space in which the vessels lay on oiled
seas.
'In June 1885, the British ship SliUe-
more took fire and had to be abandoned
when eight hundred miles northeast of
the Seychelle Islands, Indian Ocean.
The people took to the boats and made
for Seychele Islands. The third day
after leaving the vessel cyclone came
up, and no one believed that the boats
would live through it. Before they left
the ship the boats had been supplied
with oil for just such an emergency
Each boat got out drag made Of srarrs
and oars lashed together, for what IS
known as a sea anchor. OAkum satur
ated with paraffine was stuffed in long
stockings hung over the bows OF the
boat. Before the oil was used the boats
had been several times nearly filled
with water and the occupants had to
bail for their lives; but when oil was APP
piled no further trouble was experienced
An oil slick formed around the boats,
which rode in perfect safety on tremen-
dous swells which took the place OF the
previously breaking seas Little IL any
water came over the side of the beat.
and the occupenUs could lie down and
sleep. The boats eventually reached
the islands, but every soul would have
persisted except for the forethought OF
Captain Comfy, the captain OF the Sttve-
more "