THE MARQUETTE DISASTER.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 15489, 17 January 1916, Page 5

THE MARQUETTE DISASTER.

VIVID DESCRIPTION OF VESSEL'S END. EXPERIENCES IN THE SEA. Writing from Alexandria on November 13th, Private A. W. Judge, of Christchurch, attached to No. 1 New Zealand Stationary Hospital, who was in the Marquette when she was torpedoed and lost, says:— The Marquette was a big four-masted steamer with twelve months' war service to her credit. Our party consisted of the original unit, less two or three men, a reinforcement of 18 N.Z.M.C.. who had come with the 6th Reinforcements, and between 30 and 40 men from the base on light duties. There were also somewhere about 36 sisters, so that we had a fairly large staff. Then, on board there were over uOO men of the Royal Horse Artillery, with a like number of mules, taking ammunition to the front. We got away from Alexandria about s.>o'clock on Tuesday, October 24th, and. although we had no official information, it was generally understood that our destination was Saloniea, and possibly Serbia. Wo had a slow and uneventful passage up to the Saturday morning, when we were within 40 miles of port. Each day we had submarine alarms and drill. The Artillery men were posted along the outside of the ißiiin deck with their rifles and lifebelts laid out beside them. We had to go to our place in the bow of the ship, get our lifebelts on, and then take cover from the fire of a possible machine-gun. In addition, some of our fellows were placed as look-outs at various points, myself among them, two hours on duty and six off. On Friday we wero escorted by two destroyers all day long. All this seemed very unnecessary at _the time. No one expected submarines. that is, in the ranks. On the Saturday morning I had been on duty on the aft bridge with another Christchurch man, from six to eight. We had breakfast and a wash before nine, arid then the trouble came. I

was sitting down at tlio time, thinking of packing up to go ashore,_ when a loud bang, followed by a rasping, tearing noise, was heard. I was thrown over, and at the same time got a knock on the flat of the right foot with a piece of wood or something. I was dazed for a few seconds, but saw in the centre, of .our quarters a grev, wet mass of debris going up. The next minute all was clear again. The fellows below, about 15 in number, dashed for the stairs. Then I began to_ realise that wo-had Dossibly struck a mine, and hobbled straight to the hatch, only to find that the first steps were detached and had fallen down into the hold. A GLOOMY PROSPECT. At this point things did not look too rosy, but one or two of the more nimble got up to the top steps and, with assistance from above, lowered ropes to us. It only took two or three minutes to get ns up, but in that time our quarters filled with water. Some of us got a preliminary drenching, but all were got out safely, including a fellow who was terribly cut about, one foot being just about severed. This man was standing about a yard away from where I was sitting, so you can seo that I had much reason to be thankful to escape with a mere sprain. When I got on deck the Marquette had a big list to port, the water being about up to the deck in the bow. A few were overboard, but most were standing .up on the starboard side, waiting for orders, I presumed. Those in charge -were trying to lower the four boats outside on the port side. It was a difficult job with the list to contend with, and the lowering of these four boats was responsible for injuries which eventually caused the loss of the injured, quite a number, which, unfortunately included some of the women on board. I have heard a full account from an eye-witness, but it is "too complicated for one land-lubber to describe

I to another, so I won't try. i OVERBOARD. 1 Vic. Peters, of Christchurch. an old . Y.M.C.A. friend, helped several fellows I 'Ith their lifebelts, including myself— there were olentv of belts about—and " then the word was passed round to get ■ overboard. At this time the water - was" 1 about 2ft above the rails of the ; main deck on the port side, so you can , guess what a slide it was. There was some shaking of hands, and I venture ' to say, a good many silent prayers, but no panic at all, and practically no ' noise. I pushed out for a few yards, • and then got attached to a piece of 1 hatch-cover with three other fellows We got out more than 50 yards before ' the ship went under, and felt no suction worth speaking of. ADRIFT ON A HATCH. When her for'ard part was well under water, the Marquette gradually levelled and then slid very gently down, a dim but tragic end. Right to the last, some of the fellows hung on to the ship. They were diving off within a few seconds of her final glide. About fifteen minutes elapsed between the hit and the disappearance. -Most of the watches stopped about this time. Two of the fellows had left the hatch-cover by now, and the other man and myself looked around to take stock of things, and decided to make for a boat. Only four of these had come down the falls, but others may have been loosed and floated off when the vessel sank. For upwards of two hours we tried to get to : a boat, hanging, of course, to our timber all the while. We saw one boat get too full and turn over, and one or two others seemed to be stove in. Finally we gave that up and made for a mass of floating wreckage, which, if not very solid, had "the advantage of looking safe. I felt at my worst about this time, being cold and having a good deal of pain from the foot, p-hich I had used a bit. When we got the flotsam the other man got his own piece of timber, and I got right on top of the original piece, lying down flat, as though on a surf-board. We drifted about for some, time, gradually being separated until I went out on my own. No less than three small steamers passed by about this time, we could see the masts and funnels quite plainlv, but apparently we were out of sight, for tjjey went on their way. Some of the "Tommies" roasted a good deal of breath shouting to them for help, but this was futile.

A LUCKY FIND. Soon.after I had a real win, drifting in amongst a lot of nuts that were floating by—Brazil, walnuts, and hazel nuts. I could not crack the first, but with the others I must have spent a happy half hour. Nuts are nutritious, as I've often told you. On this occasion I made the most of them. Afterwards I drifted close to a New Zealander on a similar -piece of wreckage, to mine, and I suggested that we 1 should corribine our efforts, putting a piece of boarding across our hatch pieces, and sitting on it, thus making a small temporary raft. "We did this, and got two pieces of board for paddles. Everything Teas looking promising un+sl VCC* TTOTA . +-r» fTf\ tchon I+.

vii we weie xeauy 10 vtuen to ucrcame known that he wanted to paddle for the shore, whilst I wished to make for the shipping route. We hung on and argued the point until a kindly wave collapsed the whole affair, after which we each got a hatch piece and a board and made off without further discusTwo more ships ">assed by about this time, one looked like a transport, but we were not seen, I dare say that they were five miles away. I paddled for a minute or two. and then had a rest. Of courae, I did not get far, but

these efforts kept me as warm as on® could be under the circumstances. ' RESCUED. The water, without being glassy, was quite calm. The day waß tine, and' the conditions generally were very favourable for a long float. There was plenty of timber about, to hang on to; even tha canteen was floating, but no on® tackled that. I somehow felt that we should be picked up, and sure enough towards the end of the afternoon two more ships came in sight, _ and after a long wait I saw the pug-liko bow of a destroyer coming straight over. One of the boats had got near enough attract attention, and then it was just a question of time. It seemed a long wait, as you can understand. We wero scattered over a pretty wide expSnse of water. The boat that picked me up had two Sisters, who must have been on a raft or on some timber. Both belonged to Christchurch, their names being Haste and Anstie. The firstnamed was in charge of the Hiram Marks ward at Christchureh Hospital when I was th<*re in April. We were the only New Zealanders on the boat, and mighty glad we were to see one another again.- The boat was filled with "Tommies" and seamen, and also yiQ captain of the ship, a fat old man, with all the starch washed out of liim. A dead mule floated by, the only one to get out of the ship, a horse had c;ot out also, but I doubt if it made land. KINDLY TREATMENT. We were all taken on board the French destroyer Tirralleur, in a more or loss helpless state! I got down to the boiler room, or some similar place, where tliey passed ronnd bread and wine, and we soon got dry. Then I got along to the crow's quarters forward, and laid down on some kits. Three ships picked up the survivors, and took us to Saloniea. We'got there about 11 p.m. It was raining in torrents, but wo were taken out to the hospital ship Canada, a French ship and staff, and there put to bed. Everyone was very kind oil the Canada and on the destroyer. Those of us who were at all injured were moved on the Sub day to the GrantuiJy Castle, a hospital ship, which left Saloniea on the Friday for Alexandria., via Leranos. We got there on Monday. I don't know just how many are lost, probably you do. Of course, some were seen to go down, and among the reinforcement N.Z.M.C. men and our own unit, we think we must liavp lost about 2 0.