OIL QUELLING AN ANGRY SEA

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1741, 16 January 1888, Page 4

OIL QUELLING AN ANGRY SEA

A frequent cause of disaster to ships Is the breaking of Btai over them, and on this point the H>drographer of the United Btates has published within the last two years, In pamphlet form, digested from the Moathly Pilot Chart, a list of 120 authenticated oases m which furious seas were allayed bj the use of oil, the latest proof of which is fnrnUhed by C-iptain Wales of the British steamer New Guinea, as foUows : —

"la January of t^e present year, making passage from Baltimore to Antwerp, enoountered » very heavy western g«le, accompanied by a tremendous sea Considerable damage had been do c to boftti »nd about the decks by the eeas eotsiog over the side, and the oipUir, wlthlng to avoid heaving the veesjl to, if ponlble, deotded to try the effects of oil, his attention having been oalled to it by the perusal of printed accoun'i Two men were stationed forward— one at eaoh Bloset—with ordinary soup and bully cans filled with raw linaeed oil, the bottoms «f the can* having been punched with two or three small holes. Tne oil was •Oowed to trickle Into the bowl and thenoe |atO the tfiftf with what ceemed to the captain a wonderful effect. The oil- slick $xtend«d well oat on either quarter, and ao W astern that not a single sea broke on board after the use of the oil was began.' 1 The captain described the manner In which the great white-crested sens would j come rowing after the ship, as if they would sweep her decks fore and aft ; and bow on meeting the oil- slick, the crest of the ie» would apparently be shattered Into fine spray, and nothing left of the tremendous breaker bnt an enormous ■ veil, ovar which the vessel rode easily •nd without taking a drop of water. The ftptaln gave his personal attention to the •xpeaauare of oil. regulating its flow by ttopiog one or more of the holes m tha can when more than was necessary ran out, and m this way he succeeded In making seven g*llocs of oil last twentyfour hours. All thi3 time his decks were almost absolutely dry, the only water coming on board being the fine spray from the crest of each wave as it came Into contact with the 011-sllok, and was blown on board by wind. Captain Wales addi that he makes a i-o'.nt of using oil when even not abvolutely necessary, as It adds so much to the comfort of all on board, and eases the ship. It would seem to be the part of discretion, now that the question of the ass of oil m each cases la finally settled, that all ships be regularly equipped with the appliances for casting oil on the water, j ait as they aro oompelled to carry lights and compasses. " Sea breakers "—appliances for \\ • distrlba lon of the oil— have been patented both at Home and abroad, and are now used by all cattle carrying steamers and some other vesseli, Special oil is now manu faotnred.fot this purpose. —•" Forum " for November.

I 27