THE DEADLY GOODWINS.

Evening Star, Issue 20060, 28 December 1928, Page 6

THE DEADLY GOODWINS.

Many of those who have gone down to tho sea in ships have found their graves in tho Goodwin Sands. Sailors in days gone by, on entering the Channel on the homeward journey dirty weather, experienced a feeling ot dread. Now tho risk is not nearly so great, for modern inventions in powerful lights and wireless signals have reduced tho danger to small dimensions. The English Channel this year lias been swept by an unusual number of fierce storms. Last n.-ntli gales were experienced that involved serious loss of life, including tho tragic happening to tho Deal lifeboat, which capsized, tho whole of her crew oi sixteen Leiiig drowned. A laconic cable message which came to hand from London at the time said: “The air is lull ot wireless calls,” and it is possible that but for this invaluable help to mariners the powerful lights would have been insufficient to keep some- of the many ships that were in the Channel from falling foul of tho Goodwins. How .exposed this spot is to the fury of tho elements may be gathered from ail incident that occurred on Christinas Day. Again a terrific gale swept the Channel from the south-vest. Its extent may bo understood from tho fact that tho East Goodwin lightship was torn from her moorings, leaving a dangerous spot unguarded, and being herself a drifting menace to the crowded shipping in the vicinity. Here once more the immense value ot wireless was demonstrated, lor the lightship was able to despatch messages indicating her plight to the Admiralty, which in turn sent by radio warnings to shipping of tlip two-fold danger—of running on to. tho East Goodwins in the absence of the accustomed light, or ol coming into contact with the drilling and helpless lightship. These sands, about ton miles in length, and close to the Kentish coasts, arc particularly dangerous because of their shitting nature, the I'orm ot the shoal being often changed by storms and the ilow ot the tides. The sands arc said to have once been a low, fertile island called Lomca, belonging to Earl Godwin, whore lie lived and kept his heels, but in 1014 it was overwhelmed by a sudden inundation of tho sea. A big wall was then built, but at tho time oi the Conquest William of Normandy took the estates from Godwin’s son and bestowed them upon the Abbey oi St. Augustine at Canterbury, who allowed the wall to fall into a dilapidated condition, and so in the year IUD 9 the sea rushed in and overwhelmed the whole. Ever since the sands have remained a danger in the path ot the world’s shipping. The toll ol life has been great. Ships Irom tne China Seas, East indiaincii, and vessels irom Australia and New Zealand have been cast away at the very gates of home, with tho loss, in many cases, oi the pas:, ngers and crews. Oi celebrated wrecks hero the most terrible v as the destruction ot an entire fleet oi thirteen men-of-war chafing a great storm on the night of November 26, 1703, Admiral Beaumont with 1,200 officers and nicn being lost. Engineers, have devoted much time and thought to devising means lor the protection ol shipping in this dangerous locality. All efforts to establish a lighthouse have been hitherto unsuccessful, and difficulty has been experienced in find-ing-firm anchorage for the lightships, as is indicated by the latest happening. There arc four of these devices marking tho extreme limits of the shoal, and their flashing lights arc visible at a distance of twelve miles. These and tho fitting out of ships c ith wireless, make the position safe for shipping in normal circumstances and with ordinary care.