THE CALLIOPE.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXII, Issue 8954, 21 October 1907, Page 4

THE CALLIOPE.

if is(t cb&ellent news;.t-liaf tie okl , Of#li:il«J >S i"'* t 0 ofthe vears sincia she'thrilled'the world by , her conquest of the hurricane at Apia, and incidentally gave West-, ; port coal the hest advertisement it • ever received? There, --were lying crowded in'Apia Harbour.ln-Itorch, 1899, seven warships; the Calliope, the- Aidler, Olga'aiid- iEUer.;(German,) ; and the Trenton, Vandalia, and ; Nipsic (United States)../"There ; was every sign of an approaching humcane, and those Ton the ships Knew , that the only safe course; wasTto' go-j oat to sea, but owing to the crisis ashore no one would take §1 the initiative. yA gale sprang^np B m the i evening of- the 15th, and by mid- | night a hurricane was blowing, straight in at the narrow opening in the reef. Day bxoko on a scene of opeless turmoil. The Eber had foundered on the reef with, the loss. ■of nearly all of .her crew. The Trenton ! her own 'in-the _entrahce;, and ,the rest, were .huddled, helplessly near the shore The Nipsic was thrown ashore cu the sand, and the Adler was .cast on X\\Q, reef'arid had lief back broken: The Calliope, steaming to help her anchors, laynwith the r Vandalia .and, 01ca s .„near the : reef. T The , only cliaiice lay. in ."a fight for the onen sea, and Captain Kane resolved to take it. The order was given for of steam that- could ,be raised, and with her bearings already dangerously hot* the Calliope commenced her struggle for safety. Gieat < skill was needed in avoiding the helpless vessels close by.'. Yard by yard she fought her way, uriitl it was apparent that if she could be steered safely between the now unmanageable: :Trenton awl, the reet, all wenild be well! With sirperb sea- ; manship this was .accomplished, and tke ship, was piloted out through | the inferno of: the entrance. As she ; struggled past the Trenton,there was : a thrilling incident. The Americans, led-by their admiral, cheered the greatly-daring Britons. It toot the Calliope over two hours to steam less • than 8000 yards, and never during the day did her speed exceed one knot an hour. Never has British ship-building received a severer test', for only, a ship without a flaw could have conquered m that terrific!combat with the: elements. Of the seven warships in the harbour, she alone escaped. May the I volunteers who are to be trained on her catch'"the-spirit' of those who took her out on that day of destruc-tion.—-Press.