The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1920-05-04
DARING OF SAILOR
IN MERCHANT FLEET
SHOWN UP IN war
New York Sun and Herald

which we return with rellef. Yet 10
some of us it is romance. vaguely en-
ticing, dimly alluring, always main
tanning its distance. Until the last
troubled years, for most Americans,
the sea has had only shadowy ex-
istence. Now it has been brought
home to us that the sea is all one
the navy and merchant ships all one.
1t has been proved that ships are
Americas treasure; that to have
ships OF commerce not only is a vital
necessity to prevent us from continu-
ing to be the commercial slave OF for
eign maritime nations, but that, If for
no other reason, merchant ships are
justified by naval and military neces-
sity.
The complete history of what mer-
chant sailors of all nations did dur
ing the war will never be written. 1t
can't be, for ships are solitary way
fayers and you can not record the ad
ventures of all.
1t was the merchant sailor who
saved the day for England prior to
our entrance into the wal 1t was
the merchant sailor who saved the
day for us during the hectic period OF
April to October, 1917, when naval
policy in Washington nearly caused an
allied defeat because of starvation.
The average landsmen is inclined
to regard the Immediately uniformed
officer of passenger liner as typ
ical example of a merchant ship sail
or. Yet compared with the rugged,
blusterous boy of the tramp ship, a
passenger liners officer can almost
be classed as a fresh water navigator,
who does not know what trouble is
and probably never has been thrown
up against tough luck at sea during
his career. Yet among a liners crew,
especially the black gang, will be
found many man who has done his
gruelling in tramp ship.
Escaped From German Cruiser
The Immediately uniformed liner
officers rose TO the occasion wonder
fully, too, during the war, especially
as, unlike the tramp ship officer, they
had rarely been called upon to do the
unexpected. An example of this is
what kinnier did with the big Orte-
ga. If he had been a tramp ship man
the trick would have been expected of
him. for tramp ships go to all sorts
OF little traVersed quarters of the
world, whereas liners ply on regular
routes. almost laid out as plainly as
he track of n railroad.
With the German cruiser Dresden
Smelling him, even though he was we'll
within the three-mle limit Oft the
Chilean coast, Captain kinnier, to pre-
vent his passengers from being shot
To pieces or face death in open boats,
was forced to enter Melton strait, an
uncharted waterway in the vicinity of
Cape Horn. No vessel drawing 26
feet, as the Ortega was. had even
given it's possibilities a thought. Yet
kinnier had no other alternative than
to attempt it. for he knew the Ger
mans wouldn't dare to follow.
And right he was. Not only that.
but the German was SO sure the Or
tega would not survive that he sent
out a wireless 10 the effect that she
had gone down with all hands.
Possibly if the captain of the Ores
den had been merchant sailor he
would have appreciated the resource
funess in men of that breed when
facing death. For that is what all on
the Crtega faced. as Nelson straight
is 100 miles in length, bounded by the
widest of the South Chilean islands,
with thickly snowclad peaks and
mountains on either side.
And through this tortuous water
way crept the Ortega at a snails pace,
u row boat preceding her taking sound
ings. AS one passenger has written
4 bout the trip:
The passage through those wild
fiords will never be forgotten by any
OF us. The risk was terrible-the
scenery superb. 1t was truly mag
nificent sight to see the sun rise ma
j2stically behind the high mountains
Of snow, with the black water OF the
strait at their base, for sheer noun
1ainS rose precipitately on either side
OF us, mountains of rock and snow.
1t was fairyland, Frozen water
falls, here and there little rock peep
ing up, the danger Captain kinnler
must avoid. Not a vestige OF human
life was to be seen. 1t was the aw-
fullest form OF desolate grandeur. SO
it continued as the crew worked will
!ngly, dossedly, patiently. hour by
hour.
1t took TWO days Tor the Ortega to
set through Nelson strait. Eventu-
all>, she reached Isthmus bay, a wa
terway which is charted, yet Tor the
navigation OF ship of the size
OF the Orte2a il is almost as dan
Gerous feat as going through Nelson
strait itself SO rare is it for yes
eel to visit lsthmus bay that each
hip records the fact by mailing her
Ni&itinS card on the trees ashore. And
before picking her way toward Terra
Del Fuego the Ortegas visiting card
nd the reason for her visit were
duly posted.
What Captain IIinnier did was GER
tainly a most notable feat of pluck
and skilful seamanship. Yet it can
tie in TO manner elevated above thou
sands OF other acts which the lack OF
p-oDC: naval protection forced mer-
chant sailors to perform. No one
givcs more credit to the merchant
sailors than the regular navy man, for
he knows their stamina and worth,
UNCLE SAM ANNExES A
MOUNTAIN AND FORESTS