THE CALLIOPE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 2154, 21 June 1889, Page 2

THE CALLIOPE.

MR PDNOH'd TRIBUTE. " A remarkable incident of ths hurrloane at bamoa is related this week. Uaptaln Kane, commanding the Gal Hope, fiadiog bis vessel m danger, turned, her head to the storm, and endeavored to steam oat of the harbor of Apia m the teeth of tin hatrioane. For a few minutes it seemed as if Nature must win, tut the, engines irere good, and the engineers d»ring, and inch By i&oh the Oalliopi made way. As eha passed the great Amerioan oorvette Trenton, her crew of four hundred, who knew their vetsel was drifting on the reef, and wera momentarily expecting dubtb, recognised Oaptain Kane's daring seamanship, and wi h true professional and, we may add, Amerioan feeling, gave i he Calliope a vigorous cheer. Enough has not been flaid ot the Oalllope'a engines. It was their quality and condition which enabled (he commander of the Calliope to adopt a plau from which both German and American, with older engine*, necessarily shrank." -•' The Spectator. " Who flouts our "meohanioal age," and with pessimist babble deblares That maohinery masters our manhood, and dullß down the spirit that dares ? Let him turn 10 the tale of Bamoa, the story of etout Captain Kane, And that fight with the storm of the Engines be trusted — nor, trusted m vaio t A new subject for song, and a, strange, the languid lute-tbrummers may sneer ; Eanoy seeking a bard's inspiration m Engine, and Boiler, and Gear 1 Fancy Pindar be-praiaing a Piston, Oatullas be-ohanting a Crank ! ' • Well, why not a battle-ship's " Borew," Sir, as well aa a battle-steed'a shank ? He who rhymed of the l i Good News fr+tn Ghent," he who sang "The JBlaoh Warrigal Hortt," Might thrill English hearts with the tale of the gallant Calliope's oourae In the teeth of that terrible gale, when the best that the brave and the bold Could do were of little avail should those Engines perchance fail to hold, 1 But the Engines were big, Ronnie's bast, firm to stand the fierce shook and the strain Of the thundering Typhoon's assaults, and lie kiww it, that stout Oaptain Kane ; And just as a well-mounted rider will set hit good steed at a leap, Whioh a man on a cripple must shirk, wb«noe * a man on. a cooktail will oreep, So Kane set his ship m the face of the storm, slipped his cables, and stood For the broad open sea he Might reach— yes, if Bennies great Engines proved good, And now was the time for Buoh test as the measured-mile trials knew not, Snoh strain as will find the least flaw, and Buoh pressure as proves the weak spot. Bad now if a draughtsman has bungled, bad now if a workman has soimped 1 Picture now that Bwart first Engineer, as they circled, and thudded, and champed, Those shafts, and those rods, and those wheels whioh he knows to a nut and a tooth. If those Titan-arm "throws" are forged fair, if those slides run with smoothness and truth, Who knows ? They may ride out the gale, though the Grant and the Nipsio BBhore Lie wreoked on a reef, and the Trenton source faoes the hurrioane'a roar, "Huzza 1" That's a oheer from the Trenton ; brave hearts have those Yankees who hail Tht\Calliope'B pluoky attempt, from the midst of a peril to pale The oheelts of Columbus himself, "Hail Columbia 1 " the Bound of that oheer. Will follow as, gallant four hundred, toil many and many a year. The loud throbbing engines toil on through the fleroe billow -soourging wild blast, And— hurrah 1 thanks to Kane and to Mennie, they're out of the sea-gate at last 1 The reef's m their rear, and sore pressed by the gale, but to battle it free, With machinery firm and unflawed, the . Qallioyc stands out to sea. If a jookey has joy m his mount, if a sailor exults m his yacht, If Ormonde gets kudos all round, and the Volunteer* held a big pot, Pray why should not Oaptain and Maker be proud of suoh Engines as these ? So m drinking Kane's jolly good health •• Punoh " will drink Bonnie's too if you please.