ORPHEUS SURVIVOR.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 164, 14 July 1930, Page 8

ORPHEUS SURVIVOR.

3 NAVAL VETEItAN'3 DEATH. ME. C. W. STURTPJDGE. One of the survivors from the wreck of IT.M.s. Orpheus on Mamikau Bar, Mr. Charles William Sturtridge, died on July 12, in his 9.lth year. When the Orpheus struck on.the bar on February 7, 1803, and 86 of the crew were drowned, Mr. Sturtridge lashed himself to a spar with a silk handkerchief and was picked up near the pilot station nine hours later. Born in Scotland,, Mr. Sturtridge's early service took him to the Cliina station and the Cape of Good Hope, where he narrowly lost a chance of making history under .David Livingstone. In IS.jS Livingstone left on his lirst official expedition of exploration in East and Central Africa, and naval volunteers were called for. Young Sturtridge volunteered, but his application was two days too "late.

Mr. Sturtridge Avas on deck when the Orpheus hit the bar. He jumped overboard, and was picked up by Gilbert Dobcon and Mat Nixon, who were in a boat searching for survivors. Mr. Sturtridge did not rejoin the navy, but got work at the timber mills, Muddy Creek, where he worked in timber camps for many years.