OIL ON TROUBLED WATERS.

Shannon News, 8 January 1926, Page 3

OIL ON TROUBLED WATERS.

HOW IT IS USKI>. Sea captains used to go to the expense of pouring: oil on waters dan-t gerously troubled by storm and hurricane. They believed in the mollifying effect of oil upon angry biia>ws. But since oil-burners began caving wakes of greasy soiim on the ocean without subduing; 'th'j waves, most skippers have lost i'aiMi in oil as a means of quieting old Neptune when lashed- to fury .by winds. Only a few master mariners ever try it now; yet' oil rightly ap. plied can be serviceable. When the captain of a wave-beaten vessel does use it to "placate the raging deep," he is not content to empty merely a barrel of two of kerosene over the side, stales the "New York Times.'* He orders a sailor to stitch up three of four good sized cotton bags, and fill thr-m with oakum, and then with oil, ususally equal parts .of fish oil and kerosene: Those bags, tied tightly at the tops, and punctured in many places with a sail needle to permit the oil to exude, are then hung fvom the boat davits . and -weather chains to drip their contents on the turbulent foam. ..

The bags are not allowed to empty themselves eomplttoly; they are refilled every two hours. For six bags ten gallons of oil are required each thirty hours. Sometimes if it is very cold,, the oil congeals, and will not run out of the holes fast enough. The mouth, of the bag is then loosened to let it escape that way. Its effect is' magical on a rough sea. A huge coin. bt«r will arise threateningly to bury (he labouring ship under tons of water, but will, strike a ptttch of o>i no larger than a c<>mmon. djimit; table, and subside instantly iiuo a smooth, round swell which the sh?;t rides like a cork. Therefore the use of oil properly applied is considered u valuable -aid to wearing ship in a gale and high, sea. A few gallons oi: paint oil over the lee quarter often enables a vessel to perform the manoeuvre, in perfect safety without* taking a.diop of water on board. When a vessel ships, so. rnu.'.'h sea that it is impossible to gvl the -o.il bags slung in position without being swept overboard, an ordinary !:edsbeet saturated with paint oil, tied to a rope ,and rllowed to float WIU soon calm the heavy" water, sufficiently to permit men to move about the decks in safety.