HEROIC SEAMEN.

Bruce Herald, Volume VI, Issue 402, 24 January 1872, Page 3

HEROIC SEAMEN.

At a late meeting of the London Shipwreck and Humane Societ} r , its gold medal «md a vote of thanks was awarded to Capt. William.?, liite master of the ship Sam Cwarns, and late chief officer of the ship Blue Jacket, for his great humanity in remaining by the ship Knight Errant, when the latter vessel was in a disabled and sinking state in a heavy gale off Cape Horn, on June 22nd last. Capt. Williams is well known in Otago, and his account of the event for which he received this reward appears in full in the ' Lyttolton Times.' We make the following extract from it, feeling sure it will be read with interest by his friends in this Province : —

I rounded Statenland all right on June 10, and was blazing away round the Horn, thinking luck had turned. So it had with a vengeance. On the 22nd, at noon, I sighr«d a large ship to leeward, the wind at S, strong gale ; she lookrd very strange and had no sail set, but a large fl;ig at the main. I concluded she wanted help, and therefore put ray helm up, and ran down to him ;he ran up the signal : — v We want to quit the ship, our boats are all gone — ship foundering." lat once shortened sail, and ran my ship close past his stern. J then saw lie was in a vpry bad way, his decks completely swept, bulwarks, boats, deck-houses, and poop; his wheel gone, and all his lower and topsail yards I hailed him, saying, " All right old man, [ will stand by you, and send my life-boat for you." There was a hwivy sea running, and as it was a Very dangerous and difficult job, I asked for volunteers; five men and me mate jumped out, and all hands set to work to get the life-boat oft the skids and over the side. You can fancy the sea that was running when I tell you that as the boat was beinar run up to the main-yard a sea broke aboard, although the ship was hpve-to with two lower topsails, and smashed her all to pieces, and washed all hands aft. . It was now dark and snowing hard ; however, I would not give it up, but turner! ,up another boat, and hoisted her up from the skids to the main-yard, the crew that were going in her coming- down the rackle from the yard to the boat. I then watched a good time, lowered her quicK, and cut away , everything, and they got her clear of the ship safely. Tne other ship, the Knight Errant was her name, had by this nine drifted a long way, and. I had to wear ship: You may think how anxious I felt for the safety of my boat and men. The wind had now. increased ;tq-a furious gale, and I at one time never thought to see the Jjoa^ ITgain, „buta fter two anxious hours we heard them hail/ and' saw the Knight Errant flo'oming!.;thcoug:hu,theiiSnow, and the .boat T came alongside with sev.en men from ship. I had now [to

make sail to get away, as the two ships w.ftre drawing together. My.mate said he would return again, and he rid so, bringing off seven more, this he. re.pea'ed three times, fetching off 24 men and officers. I do not believe such a thin"; has ever been done before. He had now one more trip to make to bring all on board my ship. He went again, and came alongside safely, bringing the captain of the ltnig.hr Errant; the boat rose high on the top of the sea and fell heavily as she rose agiin the captain thought she would founder; and made a jump out of her to catch the; fore brace} he missed it and fell overboard, the boat sheered to. at the Siimefme the ship made a heavy roll to leeward righr on to rbe boar, smashing her to pieces, killing and drowning seven ont of the eleven that were in her. My poor mate beinu lulled, and the captain of 'the other ship. We could only save four) and in the darkness with the sea and wind, it: was almost a miracle these were saved. I had now only one more boat; we hove everything over the side that was possible, thinking that perhaps some one might get hold and float until the other boat could be got out* She had to be patched with lead, having been broken by the sea. Yoii may fancy how everyone worked to get this done, although everyone was almost fagged out. In about two hours she was hoisted over the side, and once more went on a journey that was almost too much to expect any©ne to go. I did not like to leave the place while a hope remained of finding anyone. They pulled all round the ship ia every direction for mil°s, but without success. .One poor fellow was found laying across a piece of wood dead ; that was all we ever saw of our poor shipmates, who risked and lost their lives in saving brother sailors } they saved 24. On the return of the boat we had a job to get them on board, and had to cut the boat adrift. I could do no more, and proceeded on my voyage with a heavy heart ; I could neither sleep nor rest. The weather now was fearful, sweeping the decks fore und aft of everything, and washing both compasses off the poop in a furious squall, the. likp of which I never saw. The cargo again fetched awavj although I had only two lower topsailsand main spencer set; the ship went over unril the. Jee rail was under. It wns now a case of wear ship or f mnder. T hud to nr.ike sail to do this. The forasail was loosed and pavly set, and I can tell you I was thankful I was brought up under so good a seaman as Whitp. I got her round without much loss, lett'ng the foresail go. The ship hud now a list to windward ; another job of trimming, a foresail to be bent, and many things to do to msike the shin safe once more. All this time, from the 20th of June, I never saw the sun or horizon ; my men were done up, and I had to let the ship 20 as she was for a time, and trust to Providence. I got her partly trimmed, and "Was going to wear ship and try her once more on the other tack, when she came up to her course, and the land loomed up close under the foreyard, and before the helm could ba hove up the ship strnck, with a crash that [ thought would be the last sound I should ever hear ; but God willed it otherwise. We took to (he rigging, you may think, without waiting to get much in the way of gear; however, T got some matches, and blueligh'ts and tobacco. She soon fetched the bottom and the longboat was only just covered, leaving us a chance to get ashore on about as desolate a looking spot as a man coujd imagine — nothing but snow. In about two hours our. clothe 3 were frozen, and if we had not been lucky enough to start a fire, we would soon have been gone men. The first night was a lively one for me, I can tell you — no shelter and "nothing to eat. The next day I got off fo the wreck and unbent one of the top. sails, the carpenter in the meantime knocking up a rough sort of a shanty over which. I had the sail spread, some hands gathering limpet* and kelp for tucker. We now raised a fire at the door of the house, and did much better, being able to keep. out the snow and wind ; we spent fourteen miserable days in this manne.^ and I- bad started to rig np the long boat and put to sea in her to look for something, when one morning I saw a schooner standing round the point ; you can think it did not take long to pet our boat in the water and manned ; he did not like the look of it at first until he saw the wreck. He then hove to, and I boarded him, and found that he was a wrecking vessel on the look out for what he could find. His captain was up the coast about 20 miles, ,and after waiting until better weather set in, [ went up to him and made arrangements with him to take us all to the ..Falkland Islands, where we landed after a week's passage. As yon will see I have received the gold medal of the Humane Society, and a vote of thanks, and also a handsome present from the Board of Trade, and a full clearance ot all blame as to the loss of the shin. lam now trying to get into the Pacific Steam Navigation Co. I am tired of " wind jamming " — there is better pay there, and also a bpfter life of it. I must start as 2nd, : but will not be long working up to the top again.