When the four-masted sailing vessel Speedonia, with 1,000,000 gallons of oil on board, was towed into Lorenzo Marques, her arrival marked the termination of one of the most thrilling and dramatic episodes that have occurred in African waters for many years, She is a steel-built™ressel of 3,283 tons, owned by the Imperial Oil Company, and was outward bound from Singapore to Cape Town when on March 19, with the vessel in latitude 29deg.S., 49deg. E., two explosions occurred in the after part of the ship, followed by a fire which swept the yesso] from stem to stern, wrecking the poop and destroying all the stores, spare sails, and nautical instruments. Practically the whole of the flammable cargo was carried below the steel deck.
In fighting the fire the captain, R. W. Decks, broke a leg and dislocated a thigh, and four other men were badly injured, whilst the wireless operator jumped overboard and was not seen again. Apparently the captain considered the vessel was doomed, as he, with the second and third officers, a European seaman, and 93 of the Chinese launched three boats and left the- ship. They have not been heard of since.
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The first officer, J, H. Henderson, a young seaman named Struys, and 26 of the Chinese and Malay crew stuck to the ship and succceded in extinguishing the fire. The sails that were set had been burned.to shreds and the explosion had smashed the rudder, rendering the ship quite unmanageable.
In this condition she drifted in a northeasterly direction, and although during the "succeeding weeks several vessels were sighted, the crew had no means of signalling. Blankets and shirts were waved from the yard arm, but failed to attract attention, On April 5 the crippled vessel spoke the Portuguese Government steamer, the Luabo, 20 miles east of Mozambique. "The Luabo, after much difficulty, took her in tow, but in a gale during the night of April 13 the towing cable snapped and the. Speedonia drifted away. When the Luabo left Mozambique she had only a safe supply of coal for five days, and she had been towing for nine. However, she stood by during the night, and failing to sight the cripple' next morning she made full steam to Delagoa Bay, from which port a Government tug completed the the white races may have fine ideals but hardly show much perseverance in reaching after them. By the way, we recollect. Mr Bland, in the cause of an afterdinner speech, declaring that dur. ing the war with Russia he was in the secret service of Japan. It scarcely becomes one who makes such a boast to lament the lowe: ing of the prestige of the
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.