Sea Wanderer

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 684, 8 June 1929, Page 9

Sea Wanderer

PERILS AND ADVENTURES

Aucklander’s Rovings

FILIBUSTERING TO BAKING FROM filibustering to currant-cleaning—that is the history of Mr. John James Smith of 30 Newton Road. Auckland. After voyaging far across the Arctic Ocean on the perilous Kara Sea expedition, fighting in a Nicaraguan revolution, crossing the Mediterranean Sea through submarine-infested waters with troops during the Great "War, and passing through many similarly hazardous experiences, Mr. Smith is now cleaning currants, raisins and dates for an Auckland firm of confectioners. At the age of 73 he can look hack on 45 years of seagoing life.

“Despite what I have been through I would go to sea again if I had the chance,” he declared to a Sun man while relating some of his experiences. He thinks that the Kara Sea expedition was the worst he ever passed through. This expedition was the result of representations made by a Mr. Jonas Lied, in 1919, on behalf

of the Kolchak Administration in Siberia, which was trying to crush the advances of Bolshevism there. Admiral Kolchak was the prime mover and he wanted to get munitions, supplies and farming implements into the heart of Siberia. As Vladivostok was

always congested, the utilisation of the great Siberian waterways was thought to be the best alternative, and this meant voyages across the Kara Sea to the spot where the Ob and the Yenesei Rivers flowed into the Arctic Ocean. The British and American Governments took up the suggestion, as the Kolchak Administration was then officially recognised. Moreover, there were trade possibilities. And so, at the beginning of August, 1919, a steamer named the Baymingo, a vessel of 2,7(50 tons now named Saint Fereol, left Liverpool in an endeavour to penetrate the ice-bound region. Mr. Smith sailed in the capacity of second cook and baker. Around Scotland went the Baymingo, past the Orkney Islands, round Norway, and then down toward the White Sea. “It was while making in this direction that we first struck trouble,” said Mr. Smith. “We touched some submerged rocks and were stuck for four days. The rocks caught us underneath the fore peak.”

BREAKING WIRE HAWSERS

A wireless message was sent to Archangel for tugs. When they arrived they had the greatest difficulty in getting the Baymingo off, and many wire hawsers were snapped in the attempts. Eventually it was found necessary to throw some agricultural machinery overboard and to move cargo. This enabled the tugs to pull the vessel off and the voyage was continued. “It is impossible for anyone to imagine what it was like up there,” continued Mr. Smith. “It was one incessant fight with the ice, ice-floes and bergs everywhere. It was necessary for us to stop dead for two hours every night. The Baymingo proceeded up to the Kara Sea, passing between tbe island of Novaya Zemblya and the mainland. Once the Kara Sea was entered the ice became worse. The vessel was armed with a Lewis machine-gun and a navy gunner was aboard to operate it. While crossing the Kara Sea the Baymingo’s propeller struck a piece of ice and one of the blades was broken off. She carried on with the remaining blades. “I thought we would never get back from those desolate wastes,” said Mr. Smith. “When we finally rounded the Yalmal Peninsula and got into the Gulf of Ob the water was so shallow that we went aground and were not able to get off for some days.” Tbe Ob River flows into the gulf and the shallow water is always fresh. CARGOES EXCHANGED The vessel proceeded down the gulf and “traded” Its cargo with the inhabitants. The Baymingo had brought barrels of oil, agricultural implements and machinery, watches, boots and clothing. These were exchanged for £1,000,000 worth of bear and seal skins, most of which were brought from the interior in river barges. As soon as this was completed the ship for Home. No time was to be lost, for the Kara Sea is icebound for at least nine months of the year. No trouble was experienced on the homeward voyage. They were accompanied by a Russian icebreaker, but its services were not required.

When the Baymingo arrived at London in October she and her crewhad added a page to the annals of 81-itish seamanship. She was tbe first British merchant ship that had crossed the Kara Sea and back. Other British vessels had set out, but were never seen or heard of again. As each man of the Baymingo’s crew was paid off he was presented with a bonus of £2O, and later a bronze medallion struck in recognition of the privations they had endured.

But this expedition was only one of Mr. Smith’s many seagoing adventures. He has sailed in all kinds of ships and always as a cook or baker. Cattle boats running from New York to Manchester, banana boats trading between New Orleans and Costa Rica, large vessels like the Cunard liner Carpathia. carrying im-

migrants from Austria to New York in 1906 and 1907. troopships carrying men from Marseilles to Salonika, from India to Suez and Port Said, and from Port Said up the Euphrates ... all these have fallen to his lot, and still others. He sailed on the ill-fated Wiltshire for several trips before disaster overtook her. The old Norfolk claimed him as a baker when, in October, 1914, while bound from Melbourne to Sydney, she caught fire and was run ashore on the New South Wales coast. “I was glad to get off her,” said Mr. Smith. “The masts were falling down and the deck was red hot.” The crew took to the boats and were later picked up by a collier and taken back, to Melbourne. Mr. Smith showed one of his discharge books, and a perusal of its pages revealed the story of a portion of his experiences. In it may be read mention of Liverpool, New York, Boston, West Indies, Mediterranean, Belfast, New Orleans, San Juan del Norte (Nicaragua), Limon (Costa Rica), Baltimore, Rotterdam. Amsterdam, Panama, Sydney, Melbourne, London. Portland (U.S.A.), Philadelphia, Montreal, Manchester, Taranto (Italy), New Zealand, Khra Sea, Auckland and Kingston (Jamaica).

For his war services Mr. Smith was awarded tbe Mercantile Marine Medal, the British War Meaal and clasp, and the ribbons attaching to each. NICARAGUAN FILIBUSTERING

A filibustering expedition was one of Mr. Smith’s adventures in 1910.

In May of that year Dr. Jose Madriz, president of the Republic of Nicaragua, purchased at New Orleans an American cargo steamer named the Venus. He fitted her out as a man-of-war and loaded her with rifles and ammunition. Most of the rifles were buried in coal. He signed on a master and crew, explaining that the vessel was to proceed to Nicaragua at once in order to quell revolutionary risings. Mr. Smith signed on as baker. Dr. Madriz was prevented from sailing on tbe ship by the United States authorities. That, however, was easily overcome, for he went overland to a Mexican port and the Venus picked him up there. He promised each man on the boat 1,000 dollars if they were successful in putting down the revolutionists who w-ere usurping his power. The Venus made for Greytown (San Juan del Norte), the chief port of Nicaragua. She steamed into the bay and dropped anchor. A two-inch gun was then mounted on the fo’c’sl head, but no sooner was this done than a revolutionary ship opened fire on her. On board that vessel was Dr. Madriz’s adversary, Juan M. Estrada, leader of the rebels. The Venus had to make a hasty retreat. When she tried to raise her anchor, however, the windlass w-ould not work, and the ship’s carpenter had to cut away 75ft of anchor chain. A three-inch gun was

mounted aft and the vessel returned to Greytown. She fired one shot and the rebels retired —they had nothing to match a gun of that size. While at Greytown the Venus's name was changed to Maximo Jerez, and she became, according to Mr. Smith’s discharge book, a “man-of-war of the Republic of Nicaragua.” About 600 troops were taken aboard at Greytown, and they were carried north up the coast to Bluefields, a revolutionary stronghold. There they landed and came to grips with the enemy. It was an unsuccessful attempt and the troops did not return to the ship. This resulted in the success of the revolutionists. “We then took the Maximo Jerez down to Limon, Costa Rica, where Dr. Madriz sold her to the Costa Rican Government,” said Mr. Smith. "We of the crew were paid off through the American Consul there.” “Despite the experiences I have been through I still think the sea life is a good life—it is better these days than it was in my time,” he concluded. “I would advise any young man to go to sea. The life will make a man of him.”