Mr Goschen and the Calliope.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 387, 24 July 1889, Page 4

Mr Goschen and the Calliope.

We are glad (says the ' Pall Mall Gazette') to see that Mr Goschen was so far able to rise superior to political prejudices as to speak in the following generous way of the Irish officers of H.M.s. Calliope. ' One interesting circumstance more ; the captain of the Calliope was an Irishman, the staff-commander was an Irishman, and we rejoice that in our navy we still retain the services and genius of our fellow-country-men in Ireland. Long may they continue thus to serve in our ranks, to uphold the honour and the position of a nation who will continue to be what she is and has been in the past. 5 There is a good ring inthat. We only wish it was more common on Mr Goschen's side. When one remembers how great is the debt which the Empire owes to Ireland, how much of it has been built up by the valour of Irishmen, one cannot note without disgust the way in which Unionist patriots love to run down the Irish race. Here is the ' graphic and simple passage ' which Mr Goschen quoted from the unpublished report of the captain on the escape of the Calliope :—: — • I called on the staff engineer for every pound of speed he could give us, and slipped the one remaining cable. The engines worked admirably, and little by little we gathered way and went out, flooding the upper deck with green seas which came in over the bows and which woald have sunk many a ship. My fear was that she would not steer and would go on the reef in the passage out, especially as the Trenton, the American ship, was right in the fairway, bub we went under her stern and came up head to wind most beautifully. Once outside her it was nothing bub hard steaming. If the engines held out we were safe. If anything went wrong with them we were done for, but thanks to the admirable order in which the engines and the boilers had been kept we steamed out i» safety into the Pacific.' We have heard so much recently of ships that will nob swim, and bayonets that break, and boilers thac burst, that it is a relief indeed to know of one case at least in which the ' iron walls ' of England proved firm and true