THRILLING SCENES AT DOVER

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 354, 4 April 1910, Page 7

THRILLING SCENES AT DOVER

SPLEXDID EXHIBITIONS OF BRAVERY. Extraordinary scenes were witnessed at Dover on January 28 in connection with, the stranding of the torpedo destroyer Eden, which, it is feared, will become a total wreo:. The destroyer struck on the sea wall at East Cliil during one of the most violent gales that have ever been experienced on this part of the coast. The rescue of the warship's crew of fifty-throe officers and men by the local coastguards and boatmen was a splendid effort of life-saving. Later in the day fourteen va-.'.n from the battleship Albemarle, who were assisting in the salvage operations, had a very narrow escape from drowning, their •boat being dashed against the sea mall and swamped. Fortunately, the whole of these men were also rescued. The Eden was one of the flotilla of seven destroyers which, accompanied by the scout Patrol, arm ;d at Dover from Chatham to carry out a series of operations in the Channel. The Patrol and four of the destroyers went out on the evenine of January 27 for night operations, leaving the Eden and two other destroyers moored at the eastern c-nd of the Naval Harbor. About nine o'clock a gale sprang up suddenly, and developed with great rapidity to hurricane force. There was a very anxious time on the boats all night. The Eden was in difficulties about two o'clock next morning, when she parted from her morroings. She was carried rapidly towards the sea wall of the East Cliff reclamation. Rockets were sent up and guns fired bv the warship as she drove in, and these had the effect of turning out the coastguards' from the East Cliff station and the local boatmen, as well as giving warning to the tugs and warships in the bav. Captain Rrownfield. the de-1 puty harbormaster at Dover, who was on duty and witnessed the occurrence, states that at the time the gale was .terrific. It had been rninin? in torrents, but the rain suddenly turned to : heavy snow. As the destroyer drove in , there, was a series of terrific bumps as t)\Q ship's hull struck the rocks with tre.rnendous force. The battleship Albemarle, the cruiser Venus, and the destroyers in tin 1 Naval Harbor threw I their searchlights on the scene, which ! was a remarkable one. The destroyer ; had stranded, on the granite apron at : the base of the wall, and was era shin? ~ heavily, with the seas breaking ever her. She also took a heavy list, lean- ' ing over at a very dangerous angle towards the sea and away from the wall. On the rockets and trims being fired the ,;. coastguards nroniptlv turned out under : the charge of Chief Officnr Burnard. Tt was a weird scene as thev came down at ■ the double, burning their flares, to the : rocket apparatus house at East Cliff. | The apparatus was got out, and the men | raced it along the sea front to the sea j wail to the sceue of the wreck. Tu the

meantime the crew of the Eden had been mustered on the deck and served with lifebelt?. Their position was one ! of great peril, but the traditional nluek of our naval men was well in evidence. I The collision doors of the destroyer • had been closed as soon as it became apparent that she must strike the shore. A line was fired over the stranded warship, and tile breeches buoy was then sent alonj .and the work of rescue of the fifty-three officers and men commenced. Within half-an-hour everybody had been got off the wrecked ship, the officers coming last. Only one man was injured. Rear-Admiral Sir Colin Keppel, in charge of the fleet in Dover Harbor, at once made arrangements in connection with the salvage of the Eden. The rescued crew were sent aboard the cruiser Venus, and salvage parties were despatched from the battleship Albemarle ami the Venus to render every assistance in their power. Anchors and wire hawsers were got out to prevent the destroyer turning turtle, as was

threatened. The Admiralty tugs Herculaueum and Adder were also sent out oy the King's Harbor-master, Captain Chambre; and the Dover harbor tugs Lady CrundaH, Lady Curzon, and Lady Vita were despatched by Captain Iron, the harbor-master.

As the tide went down, the Eden was left high and dry, and the extent of the damage could then be seen. Her bows had been split open from the water level down to her keel, her propeller blades had been stripped, and the rudder was badly twisted. The ship's hull had also been pierced. Large salvage parties from the other warships, assisted by some of the Eden's own crew, were busily engaged at low tide in getting out the guns, ammunition, torpedoes, and all heavy gear, in order to lighten her a& much as possible. One of the Albemarle's cutters, with fourteen men, came up to render assistance, and was caught by a heavv sea, and carried on to the sea wall. Just before she struck, the officer gave an order for the men to Jump overboard, but to link arms to avoid being swept out to sea. Lifebelts, lifebuoys, and even fire buckets on ropes were thrown to Uip men, who eventually all succeeded in climbing un the sea wall. With characteristic pluck the officer in charge, with n grip on the swamped boat, saw his men all safely making for the shore before formine 'the finnl link in the human -r-luiin. As the tide rose, additional heavy stfcl hawsers were <rot; ashore from the destroyer in order to prevent her topplin-r over, and additional anchors were ent out to woven t her hem" dashed a twine 1 the wall. There were about « connlc of hundred bluejackets ensracred in the salvage work, and th« scene of bustlinsr activity was -watched with int«nse interest bv bii crowds of sneetators. Despite the precautions taken, a 5 the =ea ro=p the stranded ' l e«trovpr bumped hrtivil' - on the qln-iipT wall, nv] the vessel nnicH'- onb- tb" tons of her funnels visible. The destroyer was not under full steam at the time when she broke suvji*- her moorines. but =0 worpri+lr did th" crew act that thev had n full head of steam just as th" vessel stni"V. 7'nfortnnately a little too late to avoid disaster. .