We went through the Domain, over the fourteen feet spiked gates of Government Gardens, and across Government Gardens — where Watson came to grief by putting his toe in one of the hoops round a rose bed, turning a complete somersault, landing on his back in the middle of the bed. We picked him up, and some of the more prominent thorns out, and continued the race. As yet we had not stopped even to put on our shoes.
We went over the gates on the far side of the gardens and on to Circular quay. There we pulled up to take breath. They, of course, wanted to know, “was everything all right?” “Had the fuse been lit?” “Would the gun go off?” and so on. I said I’d done everything, but the only thing I had a doubt about was that, in my excitement in driving the pricker down the vent hole, I could not say for certain if it had pierced the flannel bag. If this had not been done, I was afraid the main charge would not ignite, and, of course, the gun would not go off. This was going to be a mighty grievous disappointment; still, we consoled ourselves whilst putting on our boots, with the thought that, at any rate, they would find the Boer colours flying.
At this instant the whole sky lit up with a flash like lightning. Each of us stopped in his tracks, and held his breath. Was it, or was it not the gun? Surely not, with a huge flash like that. More likely lightning.
We waited and waited.
Then it came, and no mistake indeed. There was a crash like thunder, we could feel the concussion even where we stood.
We danced and shouted; threw down our caps and danced on them, and even shook hands, and, in short, behaved like lunatics. We’d done the trick.
We soon realised that it behoved us not to act like imbeciles, or we should attract attention; so, very sedately and circumspectly, we made out way back on board. The Quartermaster had been disposed of when coming ashore by sending him on a wild goose chase to make some coffee, and whilst he was away from the gangway we slipped ashore unseen. Coming back, our luck was still in, and we each got to our cabins without anyone being the wiser.
How we chuckled during the remainder of our stay in Sydney. The noise, the uproar, the jeers and recriminations. Imagine the feelings of the inhabitants when they found the colours of Britain’s hated enemy, fluttering in the breeze, and on the flagstaff of the harbour’s main fortification. Oh! It was great. The military authorities tried to throw the responsibility on the naval authorities, who retaliated by insisting the the Fort was a military garrison, and not their responsibility at all.
Somehow they managed to keep the papers in the dark for a couple of days, with the result that when the papers did get hold of it, they pulled the official leg, until the authorities were jumping mad, and would have cheerfully hung, drawn and quartered the culprits had they caught them, but luckily for our hides, they never did.
NEWSPAPER ACCOUNTS
WHAT HAPPENED AT FORT DENISON
A Strange Story
Who fired the gun?
The police are engaged in investigating a peculiar occurrence which is reported to have taken place at Fort Denison the other morning. The authorities are strangely reticent about the matter, but from what can be gleaned, it would seem that either a big practical joke has been played by someone, or else there are in our midst persons of a very strong pro-Boer temperament. The police are busily engaged in looking for an explanation.
Just as the Post Office clock had struck the hour of 1 a.m., a gun went off at Fort Denison, breaking some of the windows and, the story goes, putting the red light out. How it happened, nobody seems to know. On the tower are several large guns of an obsolete pattern, and it is one of these that is said to have gone off. Moreover, it has been stated that in the morning, a flag with the Boer colours was found flying on the tower. But, whilst this has not been positively denied, an official communicated with last night said he ‘never heard of such a thing.’ At the same time he admitted having received a similar report. A man was dispatched to examine the guns, with the result that he reported that one of them had the appearance of having just been fired. A direct question as to whether it had been fired met with the answer. ‘That remains to be proved.’
Meanwhile the mystery continues and all sorts of stories, possible and impossible, are going about. One is to the effect that a boatman saw a man pull over to Pinchgut; and, making his boat fast, climb up the tower. It was too dark to see what he was doing, and though he watched him for some time, thinking his movements somewhat mysterious; the boatman took no particular notice of the occurrence until he suddenly heard a gun go off. A fuse is supposed to have been employed, and it is also clear that the gunpowder was carried to the fort.
The Daily Telegraph, Sydney Australia, October 11, 1900, p.7
THE MILITARY INQUIRY
COLONEL ROBERTS EXAMINED
Who Fired That Gun?
“The select committee of the Legislative Assembly, appointed to inquiire into the administration of the Military Department, continued its sittings to-day. Mr. Sleath, M.L.A. presiding. Colonel Roberts, C.M.G., Military Secretary, was again under examination.
Upon the committee assembling the chairman asked Colonel Roberts if he could offer any explanation of the reported erratic conduct of a gun at Fort Denison.
Colonel Roberts: Why, what happened?
Mr. Sleath: Was not the military called out?
Colonel Roberts: No; what happened?
Mr. Cook: What happened to Jones? It was what happened to the gun this time.
Mr. Sleath: The gun went off.
Colonel Roberts: What is the joke?
Mr. Sleath: Are you not in a position to give any explanation:
Colonel Roberts: None whatever. When did this take place, and what was it?
Mr. Sleath then read an extract from the press regarding the reported firing of the gun at Fort Denison in the early morning. Colonel Roberts said Fort Denison was not under his department, being under the control of the naval authorities.
Mr. Sleath: Then Captain Hixson is the man to explain all about the gun?
Colonel Roberts: He ought to be.”
Patrick Stenson. Titanic Voyager: The Odyssey of C.H. Lightoller. Halsgrove, Endurance Productions, 1998. The newspaper source cannot be identified.
“THE WEEK
City and Suburban Brevities
A gun was fired on Fort Denison (Pinchgut), in Sydney Harbour last week, apparently by some practical joker. The man who loaded and fired the gun must have climbed up the lightning-conductor. Police are investigating the matter.”
The Sydney Mail, October 20, 1900.
Concerns were also raised in the Legislative Assembly
“Mr. SLEATH: I desire to ask the Minister of Defence whether his attention has been called to a report appearing in both the morning and evening newspapers to the effect that one of the guns at Fort Denison was fired the other morning at twenty minutes to four o’clock, the Boer flag being run up the masthead. Perhaps the hon. Gentleman will also state whether it is a fact that the guns at Fort Denison remain loaded all night?
Mr. SEE. I did not see the paragraph to which the hon. Member referred, but since my attention has been called to it, I shall make an inquiry in the morning, and I am hopeful of being able to give my hon. friend an answer at tomorrow’s sitting.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
ALMOST A PENALTY
It was not until I got home that the full measure of my iniquity was brought home to me. It had leaked out on board, and though I hate to say it, one of my own shipmates was mean enough to give me away to the powers at 30 James Street, Liverpool. They, on their part, had no choice but to sit up and take notice for it was reported under the guise of “endangering the Midshipmen’s lives.” That, and one or two other things that had been done, which probably would have been best left undone, although they were quite good sport in the doing, finally caused me to realise the immediate necessity of writing my resignation, before I was asked for it; and so nearly ended my brief career in the White Star Line. Nearly, but not quite so.