THE CHINA STATION

Hokitika Guardian, 16 March 1931, Page 7

THE CHINA STATION

MEMORIES OF ’NINETIES. LATE ADMIRAL WINSLOW. NAVAL DIVER’S NARRATIVE. “He was a wonderful man” said AH fi. Nutt, of Ellerslie, in referring to Admiral Winslow, whose death was recently reported. The admiral was in command of 11..M.5. Opliir when she brought the present King and Queen to Auckland. In the early ’nineties he was in command of HALS. Spartan, on the China station. Air Nutt was at that time a naval diver, a member of the crew of that warship. , “We were on the China station from 1894 to 1897,” said Air Nutt, “and there was never a growl. We struck one of the worst winters in that part of the world, and even when a broken steam capstan meant the lifting ol a .'ibewt anchor with deck tackle there was never a murmur.” Air Nutt recalls a very happy sldp, much for the reason that they had an outstanding commanding ofheer.

UP TO THE BEHRING SEA. In a general way Air Nutt call throw some interesting sidelights on life on one of the best-known of naval stations When the Spartan was in China she cruised as far north as the Behring Sea on one occasion, to land a British Scientist on a desolate island. She lay off Wei-Hai-Wei when that port was shelled during the China-Japane.se war. Despite tier 20ft draught the Spartan went (500 miles up the Yangtse-Kiang to Hankow, and did a lot ol patrol work up and down that muddy water-

On one occasion a Formosan chief gave a lot ui trouble, and a force was landed to protect British residents. The chieftain sent a forcible protest to the captain of the Spartan, and sak< that he would not be responsible for the safety of Europeans. “Land every available man and clear for action,” was t.be brisk and brief reply of Admiral Winslow. A .Japanese cruiser wont in close to tlie island and opened fire on the shore, .and as their shooting was most erratic the Spartan shitted out to a safer anchorage. Mr Nutt recalled that on one occasion at Shanghai the crews of the Spartan and the American cruiser Yorktown came into conflict at a hotel. A friendly argument turned into angry argument, fists ami boots begun to fly, and eventually the American took refuge on the first floor of the building. The damage done to the place was considerable. 'fin. next da v the propriety or of the hotel—-a very angry proprio'Lor—went on board the Sparta 11 to com. plain. He met a true diplomatist m the first lieutenant. The latter sent for the master-at-arms, and the order was given that every man showing a black eye or an abrasion should be locked up below. Then the assembly was sounded, and the hotel proprietor was asked to identify any man he could pick out. Naturally he failed.

After the clash with the Yorktown orders were given to keep the crews of tli(> respective ships apart. In a magnanimous way the lower deck of the Spartan sent a deputation to the officers and volunteered to go to the American warship officers and say that the fifth t was really only “a friendly row.” In the end they got permission and made the visit. They got a very cordial reception on the Yorktown. and from that on the crews of the two warships were the best of friends.

.ur Nutt recalled the white frosts of Asian dawns, the smothering alleys of the Chinese cities, and the hospitality of European residents of the East. On one occasion, when the crew of the Spartan reached their furtherest point on a route march ( a strong supporter of the British Navy had ready two long tables set for lunch, and a barrel of beer to grace the head of each table. Discipline was relaxed just a bit on that occasion, and as Mr Nutt said the march home was “the funniest thing you ever saw.” MARINE SURVEY IN NEW ZEALAND. Mr Nutt was a diver on H. M.S. Penguin when that warship carried out a marine survey of the New Zealand coast, and on one part of the. work he walked over a good deal of the bed of Enngitoto Channel. When he left the the service he was one of the divers employed on the Elingamite wreck at the lonely Three Kings, where he assisted in recovering part of the jjold treasure that the ill-fated steamer had in her strongroom.