A Mystery of the Sea

Horowhenua Chronicle, 27 September 1910, Page 4

A Mystery of the Sea

REMARKABLE STORY

That truth is stranger than fiction has often been proved, bii't possibly the following true story oi the sea is one of the most remarkable of modern years. It even out-rivals tho graphic tales of Mr Clark .Russell in "My Watch Below " :-

Tho British barque InveWiessshire, with a good cargo, sailed away from Hamburg on March 2, bouiid for Santa Rosali, California. With evory bit of canvas standing she crept down around the .Spanish coast to Africa, whore, taking advantage of the north-east tirades, she crossed the Atlantic, passing the Cape Verde Islands and Cape St. Roque, on the cast coast of South

America. Captain Kinnon, a careful navigator, was in command. He- knew his course and las ship, and his crew had sailed with him ami knew •him as lie know them, as alble and willing. The In lveiin ess-shire was spoken passing the Cape Verde Islaiuls, and again off Capo St. Roqiie. Captain Kinnon reported, "All well." This was in May, and it was the last seen of Captain or his crew. His ship, in perfect condition, was found at anchor west of the Falkland: Islands, in south' ati tudo 52, longitude 50 west, on June 15, by Captain Mancho, of th". Italian steamer Verlia, from Valparaiso <le Chile to Naples, but she proved dumb. A DUMB VESSEL. Captain Mancho was impressed with tlio quiet on board, and , getting no reply to his signals, sent tho first officer to sec what was the matter. ■ When the gig drew up alongside the big vessel, nono were waiting at the gangway, unless the ship's family of cats be excepted. They seemed well fed and happy, and' to yea™ for companionship rather than food. A thorough search was made of the ship, and from truck to keelson she was in perfect order. On tho mess-room table lay a pack of cards, where someonehad 'been ore it was ha'l : finished. The fire in the galley stove had burned itself out, and the stovewas cold, yet on it was a pot of "slush," the sails' be&f stew. And it had not .yet spoiled. Every sail was furled. The deck was shipshape and tidy. In tho captain's cabin, on a table, lay a copy of Coleridge's "The Ancient Mariner," opened face down, as if it had been placed there when the reader was called away for a moment. In the fo'c'slo were an accordion and a banjo, on a taible, where some musically inclined seaman had left them, and on the same table were the glasses, some still half filled, witflu glrog. Willie there were these evidences of

A HURRIED DEPARTURE, there was not a thing to show the reason for it or tlhe way in which the thirty-odd men suddenly had. departed. * From the davits swung the long boats and the gig, each stocked with its customary supply of water and hard biscuit. Witih. both port and stairboard anchors holding fast in 10 fathoms, miles to the west of the southern point of West Falkland Island, tho barque rode peacefully in the calm sea, technically a derelict, yet in ]>erfect condition. Proceeding -to Port Stanley, in East Falkland Island, tugs were despeatched to the hivorncssshire by Captain Mmiohn. Thither she was taken, and there she now lies safe and sound in hull and cargo, awaiting the pleasure of her owners. T. Law and Co., of Glasgow, who will have to meet a large salvage bill.

But what born me of her crew and of her skipper (Captain Kiiinon) none can explain. Why ho deserted her, there withfn sigjht of land, close to Cape Horn, midwinter though it was, is also a myste.'y. Ft could not have been an epidemic of sickness. At least one dead man would have remianed to tell the story, unless be Uad dived overboard in desperation. The epidemic theory is quite upset by the presence of the boats, in wliidhi the shore might easily have been gained. But tho attempt was not made. It may be that the

CHEW BECAME FRIGHTENED because the rats left the ship. Xone were found on board, tliougJi the well-fed cats would explain the r absence.

The Tnvornoss-shiro is a fourmasted steel barkue, 282 ft long 43 2-3 ft beam, and 27'ift depth' of hold. She registers 2147 net tons and 2307 tons gross. She was built at Glasgow in 1894 by It. Doncan and Co., Ltd. The only parallel irecalled is that of an Italian barkue, which was found off the east of Africa several years ago. She was sailing before the wind wiWa'll sails set, yet without a soul on board. On the galley stove in this case the water pot was boiling over a hot fire, and a sewing machine, with the work stqgjjed in the middle of a sea, was in the cabin whic'b had been occupied, Iby the captain's wife. What had, become of her crew or what had happened to cause their sudden departure only a few moments before never has been learned, for neither captain nor crew was ever heard from again.