LABRADOR 23 



room, which might be flooded with the most serious results. 

 Both Challenger's boilers were in the same boiler room, fitted 

 side by side. 



So once more the boats swept ahead of the ship with the sub- 

 marine sentries for two long days as the ship sailed southwards 

 through the islands to Cape Harrigan. Halifax seemed a very long 

 way away to those who were anxiously watching the damage and 

 nursing the vessel every mile of the way. The Commander-in- 

 Chief of the West Indies Station had been kept informed of the 

 ship's plight and on Wednesday she met up with the naval sloop 

 Heliotrope which had come north to stand by. Challenger had felt 

 very much alone during these last few days and all onboard were 

 glad to know that now they were being looked after. 



The glass began to fall and the wind was freshening from the 

 south; such weather might soon increase the damage, so the two 

 ships anchored in Domino Run for shelter. There they remained 

 weather bound until Friday, when a lull permitted them to go 

 on to York Harbour in the Bay of Islands, Newfoundland, where 

 again shelter had to be taken. Never more anxiously had those 

 onboard watched the barometer and the freshening wind. After 

 a false start on Sunday, when the swell in the open sea forced 

 them to return, they eventually sailed on Monday and reached 

 Halifax on Wednesday without further mishap. Here they were 

 received with generous assistance afforded by the Royal Canadian 

 Navy, and the ship was docked a few days later for extensive 

 repairs to be carried out by Halifax Shipyards Ltd. It was not 

 until 1 8th November that she was ready to sail home to Ports- 

 mouth. 



The Lords of the Admiralty considered this case of grounding 

 and decided that no blame was attributable to anyone for striking 

 an uncharted pinnacle rock in such difficult waters ; furthermore, 

 they considered that the Commanding Officer had acted in a sea- 

 manlike manner in getting his ship afloat and carrying her to 

 Halifax, and commended Mr. H. Good, the Engineer Officer, 

 and the divers for their fine work. 



The Hydrographic Department placed 'Challenger Rock' on 

 the charts of the Labrador Coast. 



