DIRTIEST SHIPS AFLOAT.

Hokitika Guardian, 20 March 1919, Page 3

DIRTIEST SHIPS AFLOAT.

CLEANING THE BLACK SEA FLEET.

(From H. C'ollinson Owen.) (On Board H.M.S. Agamemnon). SEBASTOPOL, Dec. 10.

The British section of the Allied Fleet which arrived here on November 26th., has had plenty of work to do. The taking over of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, or that portion of it which had been seized by the Germans, has proved to be no light task. It had passed through the hands of Doth Bolsheviks and Germans and had been thoroughly neglected by both. But the job was tackled; and in four or five days the first condition was an unpleasant memory. The neatest and smartest Navy afloat set about the task of cleaning up the dirtiest ships ever seen, and officers, and men worked like heroes.

The biggest task of all was the conversion of the Volya to a condition fit for sea and for human habitation.

The drinking water contained dead rats and other filth.' There was a largo quantity of ammunition on board, eonsidered to he in an unsafe condition, all of which had to he removed. In the litter that lay in every cabin many “blue prints” or plans were discovered. These after being carefully translated from the 'Russian, gave, the clue to many tilings and every bit of information so discovered was at once applied and often gave the clue to something else. All the machinery was electrical and the whole arrangement of the ship differed from anything we know in our Navy. And yet at the time of writing less than a fortnight, after work was really begun the ship is almost ready for sea. Our Navy found a huge, helploss. unclean baby and have mothered it into health and strength again.