DOWN CHANNEL IN WARTIME

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2594, 16 October 1915, Page 3

DOWN CHANNEL IN WARTIME

A HOLD-UP IN THE MEDITERRANEAN. , It was tho Orient liner Osterley by which Mr. J. A. Hcginbotham,. of Kilbirnie, travelled from London to Sydney recently—no hum-drum, monotonous voyago in these momentous times. Recounting his experiences, he stated that before being allowed on board the vessel at Tilbury Docks every passenger was thoroughly examined at the docks. Name, address, business, and nationality were all carefully inquired into, and overvouo was instructed not to give any naval or military information tliey might bo possessed of to anyone. Anyone other than a Britisher had to show a passport, with photograph attached. Moving off down tho estuary of tho Thames tho big liner was guarded bya flotilla of patrol boats, destroyers, and even submarines. There must have been at least 150 to 200 vessels anchored off Deal awaiting permission to proceed in or out, and tho Osterley was detained 3 day and a half in that vicinity. When she moved off it was in tho wake of trawlers that were acting as mine destroyers, and whose business it is to clear tho course ahead. To show that that is absolutely necessary, Mr Heginbotham said that on the morning they loft four mines-objects as big as large buoys—wore destroyed by gun-nre by tho trawlers, which were armed foro and' aft. About twenty-five shots were fired at one big mine, and when it was hit smoke and water shot "up like a hugo geyser to a height of quite 300 feet. At that time the Osterley was only five or six miles off tho land. Proceeding down Channel the liner was accompanied by several trawlers and destroyers—in fact, it could bo said that tho steamer was well protected pretty well all tho way to _ Gibraltar. A call was made at Marseilles, but 110 one was allowed to land except the ship's officers. After getting away from that port a scene of considerable excitement occurred. xY grey, snakylooking craft darted out from behind a headland and made for the Osterley. All the passengers concluded that it was an enemy submarine, and as the steamer cracked or pace that belief was strengthened with all on board. All at once the strango craft hauled broadside on and fired a gun. The Osterley pulled up, and the boat came Slongside. It was a French torpedo-boat, and by a conversation carried oil by megaphone it appeared that tho Hag being flown by the Osterley was not strictly in order. After that the run to Naples was without incident. There tho ordinary channels of business appeared to he'clogged, and tho native gaiety of the Neapolitans was under a cloud on account of the war. Soldiers . wero everywhere, and entraining for the seat of war in the north. At Port Said the jabbering, trickstering tribe of native barterers was non est. None of them were allowed on board, and the port itself was quiet commercially, and tho cry for "Backsheesh" was stilled. Coming through tho Canal tho trenches could be seen, but there appeared to bo few troops theresb/jnts.