THE CHANNEL IN WAR TIME

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2358, 14 January 1915, Page 6

THE CHANNEL IN WAR TIME

A PASSENGER'S STORY.

Among the passengers to arrive from London yeßterda was Mr. A. Routh, who has been appointed assistant manager of the Te Aro House Company. Mr. Routh has gained his. business experience in Whiteley's, London, John Barker's, of Kensington, and more recently was manager of Chamberlain's, at Norwich. ,

.Mr. Routh said that business was distinctly quiet when he left London, and the traffic in the streets was far 6hort of normal owing to the vast number of motor buses and other vehicles that have been- commandeered for military purposes. The date of the sailing of the Remuera was delayed for a day,' during which time most of the passengers remained on board at Tilbury. There they noticed that a pontoon bridge had been thrown across the river —at that point about a third of a mile wide—to facilitate the passage of troops between Kent and Essex. Only the military were allowed to use the bridge. In order to allow vessels to pass up and down the river, the central section- of pontoons could be towed away so as to make a passage. Whilst at Tilbury) a German steamer, captured at sea, was brought into London.

Finally the Remuera got away about 5 p.m. on November 1 27; and went down the river "spotted" the whole time by powerful searchlights, located in pairs oh either side of the river. That night she was ordered to drop inchor at' Southend. At 7 a.m. they passed Sheerness, where the Bulwark had been blown to nothingness two days before. Not a sign of her Only a buoy marked the spot where the hones lie. Then the scene became active. There was a flotilla in Sheerness harbour, and a little lower down they were passed by two destroyers stcaiuine 32 knots an hour, and they saw a.couple of cruisers and three submarines lying round, witli a fleet of supnly and repair ships in the offing. As the Romuera passed Dovsr the masts, of a fleet of warships could be espied above the mole; and shortly after that the Nore Fleet was passed. Then they were picked up bv French cruisers, and escorted down the Channel. The voyage out was uneventful, the finest weather and smoothest seas being experienced as the New Zealand coast was approached.