A NARROW ESCAPE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2398, 13 January 1909, Page 6

A NARROW ESCAPE.

j 1 A "BOAT AND A TORPEDO.

A'cstcrday afternoon tAVO residents of Gisborne, Messrs W. D. Wilson and W. -D. Hodge, while boating in the Bay, had a somewhat exciting experience. They Avere in u. roAving boat, and were about a mile and a-half from the shore, and nearly the same distance from H.M.S. Challenger, which, at the time, was eugaged in torpedo practice. They state that, -.withoutknowing it, they got between theman- ■ of-Avar ‘ and the target at which, the torpedo AA'ns being directed. This target was being towed b>y a steam launch. They saw flag signals being made on’the‘ship, but, of course, did not understand them. They Avere pulling against Avind and sea, making for tlie mouth of the river, when they saAv sometliing, which they at first sujiposcd to he u shark, coming towards them at a great pace. Before they could realise what it Avas the torpedo, for such it proved to be, passed astern of their boat, missing the latter by about three feet. They lost no time *in getting out of the Avay, and on entering the river .were overtaken by a boatload of bluejackets, who, with a laugh, called out to them, what they had already realised, that they had had a very narrow escape. The torpedo, of course, Avas not loaded, hut it Avould have been a serious thing for the oceupauts of the boat if it had struck the latter.