FOUR MEN IN A BOAT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 169, 4 December 1912, Page 7

FOUR MEN IN A BOAT.

, SOME EXCITING EXPERIENCES. Four Americans who crossed the Atlantic, iu a motor-boat recently had some exciting experiences. Their craft was not as large as one of the boats of an ordinary steamship, and its maximum speed.'was .scarcely more than six knots ■ah hour. ' The journey from New York to' Qiieonstown occupied three weeks, audi during nearly the whole of that time the men were short of water. "We had 'scarcely got a fair, start," explained a member of the crew in London, "when wc found that all our drinking water had been spuiled by something left in the tank. That was a very bad blow, but we hoped we should be able to get more from one of the vessels we wore pretty sure to meet before we had gone very 1 far. But our luck was out, for, 'although we. came across several, they did not seem to take pur request for water seriously. Indeed, one or two people on one big liner held up bottles of ale or stout, and pretended to drink from them. Tfyey said they would send us some, but they never came our way. There were times when clean fresh water seemed to be the ,one thing under heaven worth having." A small quantity of soda-water was available, and the tinned goods that were carried provided a certain amount of drinkable liquid, but thirst was the constant companion of the adventurer?. Then severe weather was encountered, and for days the tiny craft was tossed like a cork by the mighty waves. The members of the crew dared not stand upright for fear of being thrown overboard,' and they had no means' of drying their clothes. Complete disaster was narrowly avoided 1 when some petrol escaped in the engineroom and became ignited, threatening to cause an explosion of the main petrol tank. Fire extinguishing appliances were at hand, and after a short but desperate light the danger was adverted. The Americans continued their journey as far as the Baltic, and finally sold their launch in St. Petersburg. They elected to go home by steamer.