124 



THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



Mis 



SAVING THE PELICAN 



Seventeen minutes after the hull of the Pelican had been shattered by a series of suc- 

 cessive countermines, the Auk on one side and the Eider on the other had made fast and, 

 with their wrecking hoses spanning the intervals between them, were pumping to their maxi- 

 mum capacity to keep the vessel, whose high bow was then but two feet above the water, 

 afloat until they could reach port. 



gles of will power against the elements 

 ever recorded. 



Seventeen minutes after the explosions, 

 Captain Buhner, who had gone out to 

 direct personally the sweeping operation, 

 had placed his flagship, the Auk, along- 

 side the Pelican, and her powerful wreck- 

 ing pumps were throbbing to their full 

 capacity to keep the riddled ship afloat. 

 A few moments later the Eider had made 

 fast on the other side, and her pumps 

 were doing likewise. The Teal then 

 passed her towline to the Pelican, and 

 the four vessels, lashed together, headed 

 slowly for port. 



At that time the weather was good, 

 and the Auk and Eider were able to keep 

 the Pelican fairly well afloat ; but when 

 they were still 50 miles from land a head 

 sea began to rise and the situation grew 

 rapidly worse. 



As the vessels were tossed about by 

 the sea, the pump-lines parted, and be- 

 fore they could be repaired the water 



had gained until the Pelican's bow was 

 practically submerged, while her stern 

 projected high above the water. To add 

 to the difficulties, nightfall had overtaken 

 them. 



The Pelican sank lower and lower ; her 

 forward fire-room bulkhead, which alone 

 kept her afloat, was buckled and distorted 

 by the pressure of the water on the for- 

 ward side. As the water crept higher 

 and higher, the bulkhead was expected to 

 burst at any moment. The crews on the 

 Auk and Eider worked desperately to 

 get the pumps started again. 



Since the vessel was. in danger of sink- 

 ing at any moment, it was unwise to keep 

 unnecessary men aboard ; so Captain Bul- 

 mer asked for twelve volunteers to re- 

 main to do the necessary work. 



Every man stepped forward ! 



The twelve strongest were chosen and 

 the rest had to be ordered off their ship 

 against their will. It was a sight that 

 dimmed the eyes, to see these twelve men, 



