HELEN B. STERLING RESCUE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 5, 7 January 1938, Page 6

HELEN B. STERLING RESCUE.

A SURVIVOR'S STORY. (To the Editor.) In vi.mr issue of December 31 you devote a column to the dramatic rescue of t-ae crew of the American schooner Helen B. Sterling bv H.M.A.S. Melbourne (l'.'22i. the incident being revived by the arrival in Xew Zealand of Rear-Admiral Feakes. The Helen B. Sterling was not an auxiliary schooner, as mentioned in your article —her engine? had been removed tome time previously. With. •, regard to her leaking, prior to loading she 'had Leon lying for »ome months practical'v jout of water and as a confluence her seams had opened considerably. In lact. while loading operation? were in proyrer-s her pumps were kept going all the time. This continued throughout the voyage- —the hands were employed practically ail trie time in keeping the pum;«4 working. For several days prior to the rescue pumping (by handi was continued day and night (don't I remember it:.; this in spite of the heavy seas whi-h eontinuously broke "r the ~j,jp. _-\s a member of the .Sterling's crew at the time of the i disaster. I cannot praise too highly the (members of the Melbourne's comj-any. espo-k-ially the rescue <.utter"? crew under the wonderful control of the then Commander W. Ward Hunt. The perfect. preoi?e. cool manner, typical of the Xavy. in which the cutter's crew effected the rescue in terrible -eas .-an be understood and appreciated only by t'aose who have had similar experiences. It. H. T. XEWICK. Xihoniho, via Taumaruntii.