Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-04-08
Heavy Toll of Sea.

The toll of the Sea has been heavy
this winter, and the Lutine bell al
Lioyd's, London. which clangs when
big vessel founders. has rung the kneli
eff many L stanch schooner and steam
ship. For more than century the LII
tine bell has pealed joyously a the re-
coipt of tidings of the saving OF YES
sci considered lost. on mourned IN dole
full tones the tragic end of thousands
Of gallant. craft. But it is many years
s.ncc the brazen tongue has cried the
loss of a feet OF five steamships in one
day as it did some weeks ago during
a gale which drove to destruction
score of fishing smacks and smaller
vessels, whose tragic end the publie
scarcely knew.
The sea is as hungry as ever ii WAS
fer the bones of ships and of men, ami
L would seem that. starved BY means
of the safety devices contriVed by man.
the greatest waters have At last been
naddened into rebellion and claimed
the toll so long withheld. Each winter IL
quota of the men that go down to sea
in ships never return, but this winter
will stand ont in the history of mod
ern navigation as a season of almost
unparalleled losses relieved by tales
Of courage and daring tn stir the hearts
of men wherever bravery is loved.
No man ever did battle more hcroi
cally against an enemy than did Capt
Dickinson against wind and water and
hunger When he brought the steamship
snowdon Range, of the Furnoss Line.
into Queenstown harbor after 40 days
and nights of sleeplessness.
The Snowdon Range steamed from
Philadelphia on November - Est,
bound for Liverpool. She WAS ten days /,
out when She ran into a heavy gale ana |
seas that tossed the heavily laden yes
sol about like II shutlleGock. The expo |
rience was nothing now to the seamen
They lad Weathered many "A harder
blow. the steel sides, water tight bulk
heads. anG the soundly throbbinS en-
e:nrs roassu rcd them. But as the Snow
don Range steamed eastward the gale
blew hartl,r the monstrous seas buff
feteu her more viciously, and as she
mounted The mounds of water her pro-
peller raced in an engine-Wrecklngl
fasl ion. 81 that her machinery must |
he shut down for seconds at a time.
This allowed the vessel to be swung |
from her t.plt course and when the en- |
elies could he run at hall speed it was
ecarfelv sufficient to keep the nose OF
the snowdon Range into the teeth OF |
the gale.
1t was in such condition. with the
log showing barely an average speed of
c knots. that the Snowdon Range was
tlol,nderins on December ). While the
vessel was lifted high, with her stern
clear Of the water. a mountainous sea
hal he
and left the vessel sodden hulk, in
The trough of the sea, washed contin-
uously from stem 10 stern
TWsnty-siX days the SnoWdon Range
tossed at the mercy of the storm, and
every effort to rig tackle and place a
new rudder met with failure. Capt.
Dickinson tried to rig Il small jury sail.
lust enough canvas to hold the vessel
and make It possible to steer her pul
il was torn away as soon as the men
could make il fast. What small boats ,
were not sjpiintered were kept in readi- |
ness and proYisioned, though 1t isl
doubtful ii a soul could Lave left the
s,nowden Range alive.
on December 81 the steamship
Welshman. of the Dominion Line, |
sighted the Snowdon Range. and at
great risk ii hawser was passed be- |
tween the two steamships. For two
weeks the Welshman toWed the batter |
ed Snow don Range toward Queenstown
harbor. The weight of the 3,0en ton yes |
sci and the action of the terrific storm |
often proved too much for the hawser,
and repeatedly it snapped or was nee
essarily slipped. On such occasions the
Wefsiman stood by ready to rescue the
III oh
rolled dangerously in the trough. Afterl
two weeks of this the two steamshipsI
,elI in with the steam trawler Salome,
which was made fast To the stern OF
the Snowdon Range This steadied the
damaged vessel and helped keep her
in her course, acting as a rudder. ana
things went more smoothly until the n