The Saint Paul globe., 1904-01-18
BRAVE CREW BRINGS
SHIP TO A HARBOR
Clipper ThornIiebank Is Navi.
gated 5000 Miles With Men
at the Pumps.

SYDNEY, Australia, Jan. 1.-THE steel
clipper Thornliebank, of Glasgow, Capt.
Smith, $50 days out from Philadelphia for
Wellington, New Zealand, with cargo OF
sc, 900 cases of kerosene and benZlne, was
towed into this harbor a few days ago.
after its plucky captain and crew had
sailed it, leaking and smashed. over 5000
miles-a grand piece of SeamanShlp. 1t
came in, in fact with its pumps going,
as if in defiance.
The voyage of the Thornliebank reads
more like a romance than story in real
life. Under clear skies the clipper ship
left Philadelphia on July l. While cross
ing the north Atlantic and traversng the
southeast trades it met with normal
weather. Just when captain and crew
were congratulating themselves on the
docility of the elements sudden drop In
the barometer warned the tars that there
was trouble ahead.
Change From Calm to Tempest.
With hardly a breath of air stirring and
no visible signs of an impending clash OF
the elements everything changed quickly
At first there was slight ruffie of breeze
followed by more violent gusts. Then
storm of hurricane fury struck the ship,
and carried away part of the main mast,
all the ships rigging, the roof the deck
house and everything movable on deck.
The ship was pitched about like cork,
leaked in every part, and seemed about to
be torn to pieces. Great seas came tum-
bling below decks through the broken sky
lights and then the hold began to fill
with water from breaks in the ships bot
tom.
Ten Weeks at Pumps.
The ships donkey engine having been
broken to pieces during the storm, there
was no alternative than to use the hand
nI1 nd tla d2W following the
storm. Sept. 10. to Nov. 29. they were
kept going night and day-incessantly for
ten weeks.
Threatens to Turn Turtle.
To add to the hardships of the voyage
the cargo worked loose in the gale. Some
times the Thornliebanl1 had as great a
list as twenty degrees to starboard and
sometimes as much to port. In the dead
of night q wave would strike it amidships,
there would be heard grinding noise in
the hold as the cargo shifted, and the tired
mariners, thinking the ship was about to
turn turtle, would leap from their hunks
with stiffened joints only to find that the
ship had careened. Thus it went on for
days and weeks at a time.
With thousands Of miles still separating
them from land the crew never once lost
heart and the dull monotonous sound of
the pumps was a continual reminder of
the danger that menaced them. The list
of the cargo hampered the men at the
pumps considerably, and it was necessary
TO run the vessel before the wind and off
its course to get the water down.
Forced to Go Long Way Round.
An effort was made by Capt Smith to
pass through Bass straits with his crippled
ship and wornout crew. 1t was his in
tention to put into Melbourne, but the
weather was against him, so he determin-
edly rounded Tasmania.
Not for an instant were the pumps al
lowed to remain idle. With half the
crew below decks working to keep the
water down, the other half was laboring
above decks to bring the vessel to safe
harbor. Nov 6 the Thornliebank rounded
the South cape and the course was
shaped for New Zealand. In other words,
the Thornliebank was brought by the
most skillful seamanship within almost
400 miles of her destination.
When the tired sailors hoped that their
troubles were over, tempestuous weather
was again encountered near Cook straits.
The seas dashed themselves against the
vessels sides, swept over its decks. and
caused it to labor heavily The started
rivets opened wider, more water poured
into the hold. and for a time 1t was
thought the gallant work Of nearly three
months was to go for naught and the
sea was yet to claim them. In frenzy
of despair the men. though worn out and
hollew-eyed and aching in every limb,
redoubled their efforts. Capt Smith, hav-
ing no other alternative, made for this
port, as the winds were favorable for
such run.
The Thornliebank had been expected
here for several days. 1t was spoken in
the Tasman sea by the Union liner Mon
oval, to which vessel 1t signaled that, al
though aleak. it was bound for Sydney
Local tugboats kept a sharp lookout for
it, but it was not picked up until
Nov. %.