The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-10-08
OIL ON TROUBLED WATERS.
Two Experiments by which many
lives were Saved.

Iicutcaant ". II. Beohicr coltHibntes
to the Cenury III account CT the cAi'efl-
mr!:ts made with oil in rough water.
We quote the following a:couna ot two
rescncs: ''The captain of the ship
Martina Cobb, lon led with petroleum,
fell III with sinking vessel dG,lng e
heavy gale in tie North Atlantic II De-
ccmbcr, 1856. TIC signal mad, said
the vessel was sinking and tia; all her
boats had been stove. The Martha Cobb
had lost her large boats, her bulwarks
washed out, and decks swept in the
same storm; the only boat left was o
small sixteen-foot dingey, which could
not possibly live in the sea hat was then
running. The captain says he was puz-
zled and lay by for some hours hoping
that the gale would moderate; but as
there was no appearance of better wealth
er and night coming on, he decided to
make an attempt to rescue the crew OF
the sinking vessel. The Martha Cobb
had cargo of petroleum, some OF which
leaked, and the captain had noticed that
the sea in the wake of the ship wes much
smoother when the pumps were worked.
"He signaled 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 sec comparatively smooth to
windward, it did not cover the sea lee
ward. He then ran down across the
other vessels stern, hauled up close un-
der her lee, and started the pumps again;
at the same time also he emptied FIVE
gallon can of fish oil down the scuppers.
The effect was magical. In twenty min
utes the sea between and around the
vessels was broken down. The long
heavy swell remained, but the combers
and breaking seas were oil gone. The
little dingey with three men had no diff
fculty in pulling to windward and the
crew were saved. The boat was deeply
loaded and did not ship any water, al
though the sea was breaking fiercely
outside of the charmed space in which
the vessels lay on oiled sens.
sIn June, 1885, the British ship Sive-
more took fire and had to be abandoned
when eight hundred miles north east OF
the Seychelle Islands, Indian Ocean.
The people took to the boats and made
for Seychelle Islands. The third day af-
ter leaving tho vessel q cyclone came up,
and no one believed that the boats
would live through it. Refore they left
the ship the boats had been supplied
with oil for just such an emergency.
Each boat got out a drag made of spars
and oars lashcd together, for what is
known rs spa.anchor. Oakum satura-
ted with paratine was stuffed in long
stockings hung over the bows OF the
boats. 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 applied no
further trouble was experienced. An
oil-slick formed around the boats, which
rode in perfect safety on tremendous
swclls which took the place Of the previ-
Dusty breaking seas Little if any wa
ter came over the sides of the boats, and
the occupants could lie down and sleep.
The boats eventually reached the islands,
but every soul would have perished ex-
ccot for tho focnthOught of Captain Con-
b., the captain Of the Slivcmore.