A SURVIVOR'S STORY.

Colonist, Volume L, Issue 12105, 2 December 1907, Page 2

A SURVIVOR'S STORY.

NARRATIVE OF CHARLES EYRE. Tho following i 9 a statement given by Chas. Eyre, A.8., of London, to Mr Crosby Smith, while he was acting as cook to the expedition party on Campbell Island : — "I signed onjto the Dundonald in Sydney, the. vessel being bound for Falmouth for orders. She was laden with wheat. We had contrary win£?s all the way from Sydney, and when oil' the Auckland Islands it was blowing half a gale, The weather on the night of the 6th of March wa9 very thick and heavy, and we were shortened down to the upper tonsail, and had set tho lower top gallant. Suddenly at 12. 30 a.m. on the -7th land was seen righ ahead. We tried -to wear ship short round, but she would not stay, and went stern first into a crevice in the cliffs. ' 'Orders were given to clear the lifeboats, but it was found to be useless, as there was a big sea and rocks all round us. The captain ordered us to put on our lifebelts. The steward gave up all hope of saving himself, and said, "Good-bye, boys, I'm too old to get ashore." He went into his cabin and shut the door, and soon after the compressed air in the hold blew up the deck. The mate told us to get under the forcastle head, as the ship might be dismasced. We were there two or three minutes wnen she started shippine seas. When we saw the sea coming— we went ou the forecastle head, but were not there more than a couple of minutes when the water began to come right over. One tremendous sea washed clean over us, and although we all managed to hang on, the next one washed us all away. I don J t know what became of the others, but I was whirled round and round. I caught hold of the foot of the forecastle, but was instantly torn away by the sea. I then caught hold of one of the strouds, and climbed up. As I did so I heard some one following me, and looking back saw it was an Irishman named John Judge. We went on to the foretop gallant yard, as it was canted towards the shore.^ We -thought it was touching the cliff, but found it to be about sixteen feet away.. We were going to try to swing ashore on the end ol a rope, but found t.e rope was too short. Unfortunately we had dropped the only knife we had, and could not- cut another rope to lengthen it. "We spent the night up theie, and heard many distressing cries around us. About an hour before daylight we began tD climb down to the foretop, and found about twelve men there, including the first and seoond mates. Tbe mate told us to prepare for the worst, as the mast could not stand much longer. He thought we had better cut a few lines, as we might be able to help one another ashore. I had lost my I knife, so the mate gave me his, and I went up again and cut away some running gear. Suddenly I heard a voice from the shore opposite, and found it to be Michael Foole, a Russian Finn; I cut one of the. topsail bunt line.3, throw it to him, and we made fast at both ends. By this means we all managed to get ashore.