The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1911-04-27
OCEAN SHIP TRAPS
Deadly Shares Laid For Its Prey
by the GIutton Sea.
KEMTIsH KNOCK is PITILEss.

This Treacherous Spot Is the Real Davy
Jones' Lseksr-No Hope For Vessel
Or Man When Nsptuns Asks Tell ~
This Submarine Graveyard.
"Davy Jones' locker" that perilous
spot mention Of which so often comes
from the lips Of sailors. Il not shown
on any ocean chart principally be-
cause Il Is not really a settled place.
but II any ocean death trap deserved
the title Il Is the Thames estuary.
The British naval authorities have q
chart upon which f. fssAsked the posi-
ton OF wrecks. shown Sy black dots.
On this chart the Thames mouth tract
Is a solid black spot So numerous
have been the wrecks the dots run
together The point where the black
dots actually Pile the one on the top
Of another IL the Kentish Knock. and
this Il the place among all Of the
ocean danger spots that deserves the
title Of Davy Jones' locker.
Al the Kentish Knock Il Is not keel
ehattering rocks nor piercing points OF
coral that wreck the ocean travellers.
Il Il sand-treacherous. clinging sand
that grnsps the doomed ship with a
grip Of steel and holds II firmly while
the angry sea beats Il to fragments.
Many a vessel posted AZ Loyd's az
missing would be duly accounted for
- the Knock sand would give up its
prey. There IL no hope for ship OF
man when Neptune asks toll AZ the
Kentish Knock. for the nearest land
e twenty miles away and the nearest
lifeboat az Margate. thirty miles dis
tnnt.
The sands Of the ocean are far more
dangerous than rocks. The sand
banks extend over more space and
therefore offer more points Of contact
than the rocks. which usually rise IN
slender pinnacles. The waters Cow
over the sands IN smooth waves. and
there are no warning breakers.
Next 20 the Thames mouth tract In
point OF danger Is the Hooghiy. the
salt water river on which calcutta
stands. The most trying part Of a
large vessels voyage from New York
20 Calcutta Il the last few miles Of
this calm river In this strange stream.
IN MINDLESS weather and nat calm
water. vessels have been iosf-dashed
20 pieces on the dreaded ever shifting
sand banks By the force Of the tides.
The sands grasp the keel Of the
marked vessel and she stops. But the
tide moves on with relentless force.
and the helpless shin Is carried over
on her beam ends She careens over
and founders with ail on board. One
Of the worst shoals IN the Hooghiy
bears the name Of James and Mary.
This was the name % a great Indian
ship wrecked on TIE sunken
sand hanks
Another danger point dreaded ~ the
master mariner has neither sand nor
rocks. but a great submarine water.
ban. In the English channel there ia
! point Just beyond the Shambles bank
ehere there H. q sudden drop IN the
lea kotfom The channel tides sweep
,ver the banks and down this sudden
irop. creating rapids equal IN fury 10
hose Of Niagara. The American ship
Georgian foundered IN Portland race.
be name by which this danger point
3 known. and all hands went down
With her.
ships bound to New York from Eu-
ope pass near a deadly hidden shoal
which runs out from Sable island. ~ ,
ng on Cape Sable. IN Nova Scotia
he snoal runs out for miles IN i've
directions. like the fingers Of a great
and reaching out for what Il can !
estroy.
When the gales blow heavy seas
Dom upon the shoals with sufficient
orce to shatter the stanchest vessel
float. and when the wind ceases the
caches are strewn with the bodies OF
hose who have persisted The distance
rom the shore n too great and the /.
urf too heavy for the life savers to
zach a struggling vessel. and few
yes are saved nc this point Ten YES :
rs have been wrecked IN this trap IN .
single week.
The rocky danger points IN the ocean
ave nearly all been classified. and Z
lost dangerous-except one. There Is "
D lighthouse on the Virgin rock. and II
lere never win be. K
Out IN the mid-Atlantic this giant D
rears its head up from the a
,ean floor and vainly seeks 70 reach
le surface Of the sen. Il is short al
: about eighteen feet. There Il d
ands. with In sharp point hidden by Il
e ocean waves. waiting to pierce the
'ttom Of some unsuspecting vessel as
ID send Il down to Join the pile OF
lips ribs and dead mems bones that il
ter the floor around its base "a
The waves seem 10 be in league with
q rock. for II vessel Of light draft al
lee to pass over It's head the waves 70
CD II down into a trough at the bot
m Of which the point OF the rock Il ed
aiting to rip out It's keel.-Harper's
eekly. TO