HEROIC SEAMEN.

Auckland Star, Issue XXXVI, 21 October 1905, Page 13

HEROIC SEAMEN.

SAVED THE WOMEN AND WEST DOWN WITH THE SHIP. volving the loss of eleven lives which ocNews comes of a shipwreck tragedy incurred on Lake Superior. It appears that the steel steamer Sevona, laden with ore, went agdound during a storm, and was iv imminent danger of breaking up.

Captain Macdonald, knowing tjhat his boats were insufficient to hold everyone aboard, called for volunteers to stand by the ship with him, and give the others, including four women, a chance of getting ashore. Six heroes responded, including the first and second mates, two wheelmen, and two watchmen. The engineer, Mr Phillips, also volunteered, but the captain insisted that he must take charge of the ship's cutter containing the women. There were three boats, but one had already been battered to pieces by the gale. Four members of the ship's crew, two oilers, and two deck hands, took the smallest boat and got away. The remaining people boarded the cutter in charge of Mr Phillips, and it left the Sevona, which, owing to the pounding ot"the waves, was breaking in two.

The j gallant captain and his volunteers at that time were huddled together in the deckhouse, destined to die before heljj arrived. The cntter tried to make Sand Island, but was swept past and all '.er crew could do was just to keep the little craft afloat. Night followed, and hour after hour the men fought the elements to reach the shore, which was only five miles away, but the gale carried them parallel with the coast, and it was daylight before the boat was washed up high op the beach. The men were so exhausted that they were nearly swept back into the deep water by the surf. The women, nerved by desr pair, had helped the sailors in bailing out during the night, end were jnst as overcome as the men. Fortunately there was a house two miles distant, and here, after resting, the much needed succour was obtained. In the meantime the small boat containing the four men who had hoped to secure assistance for the captain and his heroic volunteers was wrecked, and all were drowned, making a total loss of eleven lives. The cntter saved eleven lives, thus accounting for the twenty two persons who sailed «n the ill-t»ted Sevona.