AN EXCITING VOYAGE

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2272, 5 October 1914, Page 6

AN EXCITING VOYAGE

RUAHINE'S EXPERIENCES

ESCORTED BY BRITISH WARSHIPS

A TRYING TIME

MESSAGE FROM CAPTURED STEAMER

It is seldom that a New Zealandbound vessel has such an eventful voyage as that which has been the lot of the Now Zealand Shipping Company's R.M.S. Ruahine, which arrived on Saurday afternoon from London..

After leaving Teneriffe, the vessel touched at no other port till Hobart was reached. She was stopped twice by warships—one British and the other French —for a portion of the voyage was escorted by two _ British, cruisers,' and three armed British, merchantmen, received word from the steamer Galician that the last-named had been captured by the German armed merchantman Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse, and Tier subsequent release, and after a message from Cape Town had l no more news til' she arrived at Hobart.

Story of the Voyago. The Euahine left the Royal Albert Docks. London, on August 9, and proceeded to Gravesend, where she embarked passengers and mails. Sailing again at 6.10 a.m. on August 11; She pro-* 1 ceeded down the Channel, with fine weather and light variable winds. At the Downs, H.M.S. Chuh stopped her to examine her papers, and this incident was repeated by a French battleship off TJsharit. She experienced light. S.W. and S. winds, with fine weather, to ,-Cape Finisterre, then N.B. to Teneriffe, which port was reached at 6.48 a.m. on August 17. On arrival at Teneriffe it was learned that the Castle liner Galician had been captured by the Kaiser Wilhelm dor Grosse. The Galician was boarded by a German oflicer,'her papers were confiscated, hor wireless destroyed, and then she was ordered to steam towards the, African coast, where it was intended, after landing the passengers and crow, to sink the snip, but, thanks to'a strong wind and rough sea, and the German, commander, this scheme was abandoned, and the ship was allowed to proceed on ■■ her voyage. Later in the day infor- , raation was received that the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company's Arlangahad been captured, but like the Galician had been allowed to proceed on her voyage. In. the Danger Zone. As the Ruahine would have to pass through tho zone of operations of the German cruiser, she remained at Teneriffe till Friday, August 21, for instructions from the Admiralty, when she left at 3 p.m., escorted by H.M.S. Cornwall, clear of the islands, with instructions to proceed via St. Vincent, Cape de Verde Island, the route being patrolled by the armed merchantmen and oruisers. This state of affairs naturally caused considerable excitement and anxiety among tho passengers. The anxiety was much t heightened bj the intelligence received from the Galician relating; her desperate plight whel the Kaiser 'Wilhelm der Grosse- stoppec her. S.B. Gallclan's Exciting Experiences. The following message was received from the officers of tho Galician os August 15, after her release :— "At 2.45 p.m., in lat. . ' 27.30, N., long. 18.00, W.,,,-, overhauled by German armed cruiser named Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse, who signalled: 'If you com- . municate by wireless we will sink you.' "He then ordered us to lower our aerial, and to follow him at full speed. At 3.15 p.m. we were ordered to stop. ■The cruiser then sent a boat manned by two officers and men, who destroyed the -wireless, then inspected the ship's papers,'and mustered and inspected all the passengers and crew. At 5.30 p.m. the Germans left the ship, taking with them Lieutenant Deane (firstclass passenger), and : Gunner C. Sh6erman (third-class passenger), also ' all the ship's papers and documents, etc. At 5.40 p.m we were ordered to-precede the cruiser at full speed and to steer S. 25, W. •magnetic. At 6 p.m. we re-. ceived orders to'keep all lights extinguished, and to have all effects belonging to passengers and crew ready on deck, and to provision all the boats and . have everything'-in readiness for leaving the ship at daybreak. At 8.30 p.m. we were ordered to alter the course to . S. 17, E magnetic, oh which cowse we continued till 3.4 a.m., August 14, when we received orders to steer 8. 45, \\. magnetio, the cruiser throughout follow, ing closely in our wake. At 5 a.m. the cruiser sent the following message:— To Captain Day—Will not destroy your ship on account of the women and children on board. You are dismissejl. Good-bye." To this the following reply was sentt To German . I Most grateful; thanks from passengers and crew. Good- . bye. Lat. 29.35 N., long. 17.20 W. The cruiser then left us at full speed,' and we turned and shaped a course for Teneriffe. The German officers were,> most courteous throughout.—(Signed) Day, Captain." Kaiser Wilhelm der Crosse Searches. It'was while at Teneriffe that the Ruahine received tho message from tho Galician, the vessel having arrived there a couple of days boforo the Ruahine, and tho news created a sensation on board. Tho Ruahine steered a course much out of tho beaten track. Tha opinion is held among tho officers that tho Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse was really on the look-out for tho Ruahine when she fell in with the Galician., A course was set well out from Capo de Verde, 400 miles west of Cape Town, and ' the mail steamer travelled considerably , south of flie Crozets Islands, but north of Kerguelen Island. _ This course brought the Ruahine into the cold region, and no small discomfort was experienced as a result. ' Thero waa also the additional discomfiture experienced from the fact that the vessel for the space of about three weeks was in semi-darkness at night-time. There wero no lights on deck aftor leaving Teneriffe, and tho saloon and other insido lights wore heavily screened. This state of affairs was not mended till tho Ruahine was some 150 miles off Durban, when the • welcome news was received that the Kaiser Wilhelm dor Grosse bad been sunk by H.M.S. Highflyer. But caution was still considored advisable, and it was only gradually that; tho lights were turned on, and the linor was well on towards Hobart before a normal condition of affairs as regards lights was returned to. "It was a most exciting voyage, and one I shall not easily.' was the remark of a passenger who aisombarkcd at the King's Wharf on Saturday afternoon. No less than £13,3i)S lis. has been donated to various war funds at Napier, the totals of tho respective funds bom<r: Patriotic Fund, £10,675 os. Bd.; Belgian and British (combined) Relief Fund, £788 12s. -, LsdW Fund, £715 Bs. 6d.; Belgian Fund, £712 We.; Local Distress Fund, £428 10s.; Ambulance Corps Fund, £107 10s. lOd.: British R<* I lief Fund, £714. ". ■