Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1914-02-12
SAILORS GREAT FEAR
FLOATING DEREUCT ONE OF
WORST PERILS OF THE SEA.
forsaken Ships, Practically Unsink
able, Can Rarely Be Perceived I'm
til Too Late to Avoid the
Fatal Collision.


derelict, floating so low in the water as
to be almost level with the waves, is.
of course, very great danger to navi-
cation, especially in foggy weather.
The majority OF derelicts are sailing
ships laden with timber. They may
have been dismaSted and rendered alb
solutely helpless in storms, partly de-
Inolished by fire, by collision with an
iceberg, or by the mere force of the
waves themselves. The crew, unable
to make their ship seawOrthy, may
have abandoned it III the boats, or
have been rescued by some passing
vessel but, whatever their fate, their
forsaken ship, if laden with wood, re-
mains practically unsuitable and is
driven hither and thither over the
ocean, at the mercy of the winds and
currents.
In course of time the swelling of the
wood cargo may burst the hull asun-
der. but until this happens, or until
the vessel is driven ashore and broken
into matchwood against some iTonshod
coast, it will remain a terror to pass
ing ships.
Now and again q steamer may be
rendered helpless owing to its ma
chinery becoming disabled by shortage
of coal, by fire or by the loss of its
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 on their depar-
ture their ship may float for many
long day. The erratic movements of
some derelicts are almost uncanny
Not so very long ago a Norwegian sail
ing ship called the Crown left Nova
Scotia for a South American port. 1t
was laden with timber, and while still
in the North Atlantic ocean was over
taken by a terrible storm which dis
masted and left it battered wreck.
The crew, realizing it was useless to
remain on board, abandoned it and
took to the boats, never to be heard
OF again, but their ship, although it
vanished completely for no less than
three months, WAS sighted at the end
of this time on the edge OF the Sargas-
so sea, good 700 miles away from
where disaster overlook It, Soon aft
terward it was sighted off Bermuda,
but then disappeared again, and may
still be drifting about the ocean.
Another sailing ship was abandoned
of Cape May. The crew endeavored
to destroy it by fire on their departure,
but, although it biazed furiousiy, the
sodden, waterlogged cargo eventually
extinguished the flames. A few weeks
later the hulk was off the English
coast and it was thought 1t would be
dashed to pieces on the shore. but.
altering its course, 1t proceeded to the
southwark along the French coast and
was next seen near the Azores. Hay-
ing got thus far. it proceeded to cross
the Atlantic. and after covering fully
5000 miles In its wanderinss, finally
drffted ashore near Panama
Dereiicts are sometimes salyed and
bring In a large sum In salvage money
to the crews OF the ships who tow
them into port. On one occasion an
American steamer bound for Liverpool
with cargo OF cotton ran out of coal
off the north coast of Ireland The
sea was running high, signals of dis
tress were made to a passing steamer,
which passed tow rope to the help
less ship. But the towing wire snapped
and the crew were accordingly taken
on board the newcomer, while the dis
abled vessel was left to drift
A Liverpool tug heard Of the affair,
and being doubtless aware of the great
value OF the cotton cargo, determined
to find the derelict and to tow it into
harbor- After a protracted search 1t
came upon il and eventually took it
into Belfast, little worse for it's buffet
Ing. The enterprising tug Melted no
less than 1880 for it's share In the
proceedings. BY an act OF parliament,
passed in 1896, the master of any Brit
fsh ship sighting a derelict is bound
to report the fact TO the nearest
Lloyds agent, so that IL the abandoned
ship Is In the track OF ships man-of-
war may be sent out to destroy or
bring it into port.