Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-01-09
MERCHANT CRAFT AGAIN
GOING As THEY PLEASE
Wartime Risks OF Torpedocs, Gun
fire and Lightless Ships
Happily Ended.
STRAY MINES STILL MENACE
Scamcn, Relieved From Enormous
Strain Of -Four Years OF Danger,
Happy to Go to Sea Under Normal
Conditions.
ny CLAIR PIkICI:.

BY CLAIR PRICE.
LONDON DOCKS, January S.--Therc
is a certain skipper of a certain tramp
which PODS up and down the seas at
eight knots, or maybe nine knots
when she Is we'll sweetencd up. whose
JOY knows no bounds to-day. l met
him on the point OF sailing. Usually
sailing day is sad occasion for him.
for he likes nothing better than TO
romp with his wife and children in
the little home he owns in Shepherds
Bush, London.
II JUS, got my sailing orders" he
said. and I'm to 20 as l please"
Just wrat this means only those who
have gone to sea throughout the war
VIII understand. For the transition
rom war to peace will bring no
t srehter revolution TO any body of
For four years shippers of rner-
ehantmen have taken their orders from
herded up and down by naval craft in
manner which. although necessary
has reused the cantankcrousness OF
many tame skipper.
But to-day all that Is changed
HAVE BEEN SUBJECT 10
TORPEDO WITHOUT NOTICE
nave been subject TO "A torpedo with
out notice. The strain which has
merely been imposed on them and on
their crews has been enormous. but
they have checrfully carried on. Added
to tbs strain have been the very great
hangers added TO navigation by the
Than paid for the additional risks il
IMPOSED IMP, on merchantmen was clear
iong ago The extent Of these risks
however. are not widely realized. Thev
reached their height at night when
me r. use $50, OF running running iists was forbidden.
IN peace time ships burned green and
red lights on their starhoard and nort
ssides a white cluster light on their
their main masts.
All OF these lights were extinguisbcd
came ome'er' ,o as soon as submarines be-
The result was that ,nerchan,men
steaming in formation at night were
TSonnpei!ed TO keep position within a
they could hardly see each other. and
hundreds OF collisions were narrowly
IN peace time had "A skipper sighted
an uniishted ship n few hundred vard.
from him In midoccan he would hn~a
mad a stroke OF paralysis right on 1 h,s
bridge. This. however. bcca1nc n -, n,s
monpiace during the months Of convov
operations.
DANGER STILL EXISTS
FROM STRAY MINES
AT present the use OF runn;n, lih,
nas not been permitted, but it is pPob
anie that long before rnis sees print
IN rn,on, at sea Will be allowed
oa switching on the running lights AZ
sunset The danger OF being tnenedood
vaniabed 'oh h, vi me day o. night has
continue TO be for some time tht ia ~
ger OF stray mines. val
Living conditions aboard shin -,
also to be greatly moderated nov ,h h.e
49,, .inte conditions on the seas have
come TO an end. ''a'e
throughout the war. glass ports have
oecn painted 81 order 10 allow M 800 aa
OF light to escape into the nipn, Dnr as
n an" 10 P1rts have had to be shu; before
Ehet
OF semitropical attitudes men or I'M.
aL,er sunset have had to lind theIr
bhsrc which frequently was s;ieInm
NO what the use OF running li.b,s
Ts shorty to be permitted. the paint
Is TO come off from glass ports. and
men AT liberty in the evening NAY
frsad magaYines in their hunks Win VIII,
1 o one ire nni ar pouring in through the
8, Conditions OF ,overcrowdng aboard
SNIP SNIP are .e also Of, to be ameliora,ed. Gun
nave had TO be housed somewhere and
room has had to be foun don deck for
and life RATS "'"S
,o MOS, m MERCHANTMEN have room aboard
LOT s1,I, Only their own crews. and the re-
tom h ma ,b pee si That even slight addi-
II necessary for some hands TO maEc
nary nary W urks 9n The ah,I hatehes The ord:
decks. On oNercrowdcd
~ MS is 70 De changed. although for
, mo present. ships doubtless viii con-
tinue to carry their guns. How ionc
rhey VIII continue to carry them Is
uncertain: 1t may he that they will
commune forever to go armed to sea.
LIGHTHOUSES. TOO,
WENT our OF FASHION
difficulties in navigation due Ia the
changing of lighthouses and light bims
ana TO the fact that many of Then,
the w npe b esen showing" at all since
Al nresont a an are soon 20 be lifted.
some or the lights dark for the pres
eni; put it is not expected that they
VII The be d kep .ns SO for long.
meant that skippers for years have had
10 grope unaided about the danrernms
coasts coasts Of England. This has involved
necessary us eop ptSkh but ut it has been a
CATION, to which shippers have bowed
with such cheerfulness as skipDers arc
wont to display "ie
with the end of hostilities. 2" Gnu
~ mas saved many a shin from do
struction, but it has required the COW
COURSES, and hence has creatIv sn
{ creased the amounts of coal and storns
required. anu es
WARTIME RISKS ARE
HAPPILY At END
and the shippers and crews Who face
them VIII continue to face them Rut
the wartime risks of torpedoes and
gunhre is. apparently. at an end. This
TO the engine-room and fireroom crews
for nobody else aboard shin have for
pcdoes mcnat the terrible strain thew
nave meant 10 me gang below.
DESJEVJCC TTDCN