MAN OVERBOARDI

Hokitika Guardian, 19 July 1921, Page 3

MAN OVERBOARDI

By M. T. Hainsselin. Author of “In Northern Mists.”

“My had,” said the swimming instructor, “if you struggle and flop about like that you’ll taste all the 'errors of death by drownin’ without the pleasure of goin’ to ’eaven afteiwards. Strike out steady now, like what I told you.” , The frightened boy took heart. Alter all, he was of a stout spirit, though he had been through rather a trying 01deal that morning on his first, visit to the naval swimming-bath. The end of the ba-th-the deep endlooked to him like the end of tli*' world when he was bidden to jump in--he who had never before had a dip m all his life! His cork swimming-belt somehow failed to inspire confidence. Still, after he "had once taken the plunge and had gasped and floundered a, few yards, he reflected that he was still alive and pulled himself together to “strike out steady,” -as the instructor had told him. Six months later he was glad enough that he had learned to swim, for he was in the water battling for his life. The cruiser was already a quarter of a mile away. Rut he “struck out gamely,” for he knew that things were happening on board.

This, briefly, is what happen*. The ship is stopped immediately and goes astern. This is a malter for the en-gine-room department. The Signalmen also have their duty, which is to hoist with all possible speed :i certain pennant with a. St George’s c.oss in the tack and horizontal stripes of.red, white, and blu o in the flag. 'Phis pennant £ used only on three occasions; when the ship’s company is at Divine Service—for which reason it is sometimes called the Church Pennant when the ship is anchoring, and when a man falls overooand. It is a. signalto other ships in the line to warn them of the accident.

'Phe Seamen Branch naturally bent's a part in the rescue work. The shrill wail of a bos’n’s pipe followed bv the call. “Away sea-boat’s crew!” echoes through the ship, and fifteen men rush at once to the cutter hanging outboard from the davits. Quickly they loosen tho bands of webbed canvas which lush the cutter to the gripping spar and scramble up th t ,- rope-ladder into the boat.

There is work for the Marines also. At sea a> marine sentry always stands ready to release the life-buoys—not those circular buoys of canvas, covered cork you .see on pleasure steamers and elsewhere, but special contrivances formed like a cross with a. hollow ball of burnished copper at each point. They usually hang in a sort of cage, one at pitlier side of the ship’s stern, and landsmen are always curious to know their

These lifebuoys carry a charge of calcium, which emits a cloud of smoke .by day and a flame of fire by night—a beacon of safety like that Presence which led the Isrnelities. Thc sentry pulls a thing like a, hell-handle, and. falls tho lifebuoy into the water. What with lifebuoy and sen-boat, thelto is a very fair chance that tinman may be picked up. But Ids best hopes lie in his own swimming powers.