The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-06-05
SAVED BY WHALEOIL.
STUFF THAT HAS KEPT MANY A
SEAMAN FROM GOING DOWN.

| AIAA ho8y "ntu 0TcaG wave
Broke Over Their Vessels, Oil Throw,
on the Sea Quieted the wayes-NearI
Every Vessel Carries Barrels of Oil
Throwing oil on the troubled waters
is now conceded by mariners to be mos
practicable and efficacious method of less
ening the chances of shipwreck and rem
dering heavy and violent seas smooth ant
calm. The confidence in the use of oil dur
ing storms at sea has increased to such al
extent among sea captains that nowaday.
hardly vessel leaves port which has no
aboard large supply of whale oil-thi.
| kind being found to be the best and cheap
est
1t is not very long ago that many hardy
sons of Neptune ridiculed the idea of using
! oil at sea, and there were some among thai
large body of unbelievers who actually
laughed long and heartily when the mat
ter was preached. The idea of few quart:
| OF Oil quoting a turbulent sea was re
| garded as huge joke by them. Within
recent years, however, these worthless have
| changed their tune entirely and have had
| good reason for doing so. Since the expert
ment has been successfully tried by many
| mariners hundreds of vessels have beer
saved by timely use of oil
Their captains reported that the oil was
| found to quiet the violent seas in the i'm
mediate vicinity of the vessel and to keen
the big waves from breaking on deck and
swapping the cabins. There are many
cases on record where the result of using
oil was so gratifying and satisfactory that
the captains Of the vessels in question
deemed the matter of Importance enough
to warrant a special reference in their log
books.
Some Of these reports are interesting
and have never been published. The fol
lowing reports, obtained recently from
masters of American vessels who have used
oil in heavy weather at sea, are typical of
many others received from shippers of
every nationality.
After the whale oil gave out we col
lected lot of paint oil, kerosene and var
nish mixed with paint oil, and allowed this
to drop over the side. am perfectly salts
fed" said the captain, that the oil saved
the ship, and | desire this statement to be
given publicity and prominence L make
it practice now to carry supply of
whale oil: This kind regard as the best,
and to keep it thin in cold weather l add a
small quantity OF turpentlne."
The American schooner Charles L..
Mitchell, Captain Frost, during gale off
II atteras, heavy seas breaking over the
vessel fore and aft, hove to under close
reefed fore and mainsails, rugged a block
to the end of the flying jibboom and ran
out gunny sack filled with oakum satu-
rated with fish oil, which dripped into the
water. After this the heavy seas ap-
preached within few feet of the vessel
and then combed under the oil film with
out breaking on board. Twice the vessel
plunged her flying jibboom into very heavy
seas, but shipped no water.
American ship Granite State. Captain
Barstow, voyage from Haogo to New York:
A sea came over the stern and knocked
away the wheel and steering gear, break
ing the wheel stanchion and the windows
in after end of house and flooded the cabin.
The ship came broadside to the wind and
shipped heavy seas, which did considerable
damage In this plight the vessel threat
ened to go down. Poured quantities of oil
over bows and down the closets and hung
out gunny bags filed with OIL The effect
was instantaneous. The waves rolled as
high as before, but did not break on deck
The captain managed to get vessel off be-
fore the wind and then steered with tackles
until the steering gear was repaired.
The American schooner Governor Ames,
Captain Davis. was also saved during a
storm by use of oil. During the voyage
from Puget sound to San Francisco, while
In the Straits of Fuca, the schooner was
struck by terrific gale One of the port and
two of the starboard bow ports were stow
In and the cutwater and part of the bow
spirit carried away. When the vessel was
threatened with destruction oil was thrown
on the waves until the vessel was sur
rounded by thick film. Instantly the
seas became smooth and the waves no
longer broke ON the deck McCallum bay
was made in safety.
The American steamship Shawmut, Cap
tain Fuller, report reads: 81 have used
fish oil in every heavy storm encountered
during the last eighteen months, and al
ways carry barrel for that purpose. !
have always found that the spreading oil
prevents the heavy seas from breaking on
board, and during this entire period only
one sea has boarded the ship. The usual
method of using oil is to put oakum into
the forward closet bowls and fill them with
oil. Once off Hatteras man was lost
ering a lifeboat, although the sea was run
ming very high and breaking"
The American schooner Rigal. Captain
Dixon, reports: in September, 1889, while
fishing between BanQuereau and ST. Peters
bank, in twenty fathoms, a very heavy
gale sprung up, with tremendous sea.
Sent out boats to save the buoys and lines,
leaving the captain, one man and the cook
on board the vessel. The boats were occa-
siOnally lost to sight in the heavy com bers,
and thinking that all would perish, got the
vessel under way and went to windward of
the travis and boats. Stood up and down
to windward, and poured about half bar
rel of blubber oil overheard. The heavy
slick thus produced drifted down to the
men who were trying to save their lines
and travis, and the crew succeeded with |
out much difficulty in saving everything !
as well as in making a fine haul of fish |
such use of oil the buoys, lines |
and travis would have been lost, and the |
chances for the crew and boats very slim" |
As a rule sea captains do not like to con- /
Tess that the use of oil in heavy weather |
was the means of bringing their vessels out /
IF tight corner" 1t is reflection on /
heir ability as sea captain they think I,
There are still some hardened old sons OF /
Neptune who would not deign TO use oil in /,
heavy weather But the fact remains that /
1il has saved property and lives when sea I
nanship was powerleSs to do so.-New /
York Advertiser.
All That Is Left of an Old Custom.