Arizona republican., 1913-12-15
DERELlcTs ARE THE eoegY MEN OF SEA

(From Answers London)
 The dismasted, battered hulk of a derelict. float ing low the be almost level with the waves is course, a very great danger to navigation, especially in foggy weather
 The majority of derelicts sailing ships laden with timber. They have been dsmasted and rendered absolutely shelpess storms partly de- molished by fire by collision with iceberg, or by the mere force of the waves themselves The unable make their ship seaworthy. may rescued by some passing vessel, but whatever their fate, their forsaken ship, if laden with wood, mains practically unsuitable and is driven hither and thither the the mercy the winds currents.
 In course Of time the swelling of the wood cargo may burst the hull asunder but until this happens. until the vessel is driven ashore and broken into matchwood against some ironshod coast it will remain terror to passing ships.
 Now and again steamer may be rendered helpless owing to it's machinery becoming dis abled by shortage of coal. by fire or by the loss of it's rudder or propeller in heavy weather It's crew may decide to abandon it and take to the boats, but if they neglect to open the seacocks their departure their ship may float for a long day.
 The cratic movements of some derelicts are almost uncanny. Not very long Nor wegian sailing ship called the Grown left Nova Scotia for South American port. It laden with timber and while still in the North Atlantic overtaBen by a terrible storm, which dis masted and left it a battered wreck
 The crew. realizing it useless remain board. abandoned 1t and took the boats, be heard again; but their ship although vanished completely for less than three months, sighted the end of this time the edge of the Sargasso Sea, good seven hundred miles away where the disaster overlook it.
 afterwards it sighted off Bermuda but then disappeared again. and may still be drift ing about the
 Another sailing ship abandoned off Cape May. The endeavored destroy by fire their departure, but although it blazed furious ly. the sodden. water logged cargo eventually ex- tfneuished the flames
 A few weeks later the hulk was off the English and it thought would be dashed pieces the shore but altering it's course. it proceeded the southward along the French coast the Azores. Having got thus far. it proceeded to cross the Atlantic. and covering fully six thousand miles in it's derings. finally drifted ashore Panama
 Derelicts sometimes saIVed and bring a large in salvage money the of the ships who them into port.
 occasion American steamer bound for Liverpool with a cargo cotton coal off the north of Ireland. The running high. and signals of distress made to a passing steamer. which passed tow to the helpless ship But the towing wire snapped and the accordingly taken board the new conner while the disabled vessel left to drift
 A Liverpool heard of the affair. and. being doubtless aware of the great valued the cotton cargo. determined find the derelct and tow harbor. After protracted search it came upon it and eventually took into Belfast, little it's buffctng.
 The enterprising netted no less than G960 lbs the proceedings.
 By parliament passed in 1896. the master of any British ship sighting a derect is bound report the fact to the nearest Lloyd s agent, the abandoned ship is in the track O ships may be sent out to destroy bring it into port.