A CRIPPLED WARSHIP.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 433, 24 January 1912, Page 6

A CRIPPLED WARSHIP.

EXTRAORDINARY CHARGES BY A MEMBER OF THE CREW. Serious defects are reported in ths boiler tubes of H.M.S. Prometheus, which was ordered to proceed from Sydney to China rceently. The cruiser turned up at Darwin the other day after an exciting trip through Torres Strait. A correspondent signing himself "Engineroom," writes from Darwin, under date 18th December, giving particulars of the eventful cruise of the warship. He says:—"H.M.S. Prometheus left Sydney for the China station on November 15th last. At the time of sailng she was reported in all respects fit for sea, but men who have to do the work ol the ship knew this to be absolutely wrong. From the time the ship left for New Hebrides on Bth May she, as far as the engine-room is concerned, has been in a deplorable condition. The boilers are so bad that by the time she has been to sea 24 hours the steam and water leaks are so numerous that the boilers require more water than the ship appliances can produce. The boilers were retubed in April, 1910, and the present state of affairs is the result. Since leaving Sydney on November 15th last the ship proceeded at a slow speed for Thursday Island, but when about 40 miles south of Cairns there was not sufficient fresh water in the ship to carry on steaming. The ship had to be stopped and anchored long enough to make sufficient water to take us to Cairns. Arrived on November 23rd at Cairns, we filled every available thing with water, even to the boats. We got to Thursday Island fairly well, being a short distance, and we again filled up and proceeded to Amboyna, leaving Thursday Island on December sth. On the Bth inst.—we were then 400 miles from Thursday Island, having stopped at sea twice for repairs—things were so bad that the ship had to be a;-ain stopped, this time to make fresh water, and she remained stopped and uncontrollable for nearly four days at the mercy of wind and sea. Fortunately we had fine weather, otherwise the ship would have been in great danger. Our total supply of fresh water was reduced to two tons amongst 220 hands, and the evaporators were nearly useless The water was allowanced out, and each man was allowed one pint of drinkingwater per day and one for washing, everyone being compelled to wash in salt water. You can imagine the stokers and engine room staff coming up from below and trying to remove the grease, etc., with salt water. On December 15th the evaporators had been repaired, and just produced enough water to enable the ship to proceed at five knots. Darwin was then 380 miles away, so the ship was steered for that place, and we arrived safely. We are now doing what we can to get ready for sea, but the ship is absolutely unfit to go any distance, and if we are still to go to China it will be more by luck than good management that we get there. This state of affairs as known to the officers months ago, because the ship has slowly crawled into most ports after three days at sea, sometimes with about half a ton of water on board, and during our stay at New Hebrides hands were continuously employed in bringing water to the ship where it could be got. Yet, in spite of all this, the ship is reported to the commander-in-chief as ready to undertake a trip to China."